Students and faculty are organized into small workshops of about 12 students each, led by a single instructor throughout the program. Students also attend the Language and Thinking Rostrum Series, which features lecturers, performers, and artists. There is also a Film Series, a Student Reading Series, and performances by various ensembles during the Bard Music Festival.
2026 Theme
What is Freedom?
Our Anthology this year asks the question: “What is freedom?” Both timely and timeless, this question will guide our exploration of the many meanings and implications the term holds. What does freedom make possible, and how might it constrain? As July 4, 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, a document that describes ideals of liberty and equality, we will also engage directly with the language of freedom. How has the definition of freedom evolved over time? Moving across art and music, literature and philosophy, politics and science, we will consider how freedom operates in everyday life, artistic expression, civic experience, and self-understanding.
Contact Us
Language and Thinking
Bard College, P.O. Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
[email protected] | 845-758-7559
