Big Tent Talks brings nationally recognized thinkers, writers, and spiritual leaders to Indianapolis for bold, timely dialogue. Launched in 2024, the series creates space for big questions and expansive perspectives, inviting the community into conversations that cross lines of belief, identity, and experience.

Recent speakers have included Nadia Bolz-Weber and Jay Michaelson, whose 2025 talk explored spirituality and psychedelics.

At its core, Big Tent Talks exists to widen the circle—offering a “big tent” where curiosity, complexity, and connection can thrive.

Each November, Spirit & Place brings the community together for its annual Festival—a citywide exploration of a shared theme through the arts, humanities, and religion. For more than 30 years, the Festival has invited people across Indianapolis to engage big ideas, spark creativity, and connect across differences.

At the heart of the Festival is the Public Conversation, a signature event that anchors each year’s theme. Featuring nationally recognized speakers, it offers a timely, thought-provoking dialogue that sets the tone for the Festival and inspires deeper reflection throughout the community.

Explore past speakers, themes, and standout programs by clicking here.

Spirit & Place has never been only about programs and events. It has also been about evolution. Over the years, we’ve taken bold, intentional steps to rethink how we work, who we serve, and how we show up in community.

This section highlights those “big swings”. . . initiatives and structural shifts that have shaped the organization in lasting ways and reflect our commitment to growth, relevance, and impact.

Explore these stories to better understand the deeper arc of Spirit & Place’s work and the values that continue to guide it. Click here.

The true impact of Spirit & Place is best understood through the voices of those who experience it. From partners and artists to attendees and neighbors, these reflections capture the moments of connection, insight, and transformation that happen when people come together.

As a community-driven organization, our work is shaped by collaboration and lived experience—by the stories people carry with them long after an event ends.

Explore these stories to read, in their own words, how Spirit & Place creates space for curiosity, courage, and connection. Click here.