Jubilee is an artistic and educational event meant to stimulate and inspire people in the area through cultural influences, both local and abroad.

Jubilee, Nicholls’ 14th annual Festival of the Arts and Humanities for Spring 2011, will take place through March 12 to April 27. Events will be held on and off campus throughout this time.

Angela Hammerli, Jubilee coordinator and distinguished service professor of education, said the events provide a unique cultural experience for everyone who attends.

“We wanted a great variety [of cultural influences] including Nicholls graduates, local talent and culture from around the world,” Hammerli said.

The events and performances are categorized into seven genres, including art, Cajun culture, international, lectures and literature, music, research and stage and screen.

Art Day, hosted by the Art Department, is March 30. The all-day event features lectures, presentations and demonstrations of art history, graphic design, photography and paintings.

The Downtown Thibodaux Arts Walk will be March 31. Guests can listen to live music while viewing the work of local artists and authors in downtown Thibodaux.

The Chauvin Sculpture Garden Picnic and Blessing of the Fleet on April 15 will include tours of the sculpture garden near the semi-annual boat parade.

Cajun culture will be represented throughout Jubilee with music from the Comme C’etait Cajun Band, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band, and the Bayou Dixieland Band.

Presentations about Cajun culture will include the Lafourche Heritage Society Presentation on historical and local architectural heritage and the Sheila Hebert-Collins Book Reading. Collins has published several Cajun-themed children’s books.

The fourth annual Swamp Stomp festival is scheduled for the weekend of March 16. This three-day celebration will feature Cajun and Zydeco music performances, dance lessons, local art and food. Individual day passes and weekend passes are available. Ticket information can be obtained by calling (985) 448-4965.

International influences will also be represented through music, film and poetry.

SOUL, or Singers of United Lands, will kick off Jubilee events on March 12. SOUL is a quartet of young adult singers from Bolivia, India, Namibia and Poland that performs songs native to each member’s respective culture. During its tour of the United States, the group will visit Nicholls and multiple local venues.

“This is one of my favorites,” Hammerli said. “It’s beautiful to see the instruments from other countries and to hear them sing in the different languages.”

The International Film Club will also be showing movies in Le Bijou Theater throughout Jubilee, including “Jane Eyre” and “The Fighter.”

The Fourth Annual International Poetry Reading will be on April 18. This event showcases the diversity of the Nicholls campus through poetry readings. Organizer Jean-Mark Sens, University librarian, invites people whose native language is not English to participate in the readings.

“This is moving,” Hammerli said. “The readers read the poetry in their native language and then in English. It is absolutely beautiful.”

To participate as a reader, email [email protected].

Lectures and literature readings will be available at different times during the course of Jubilee.

Wes Moore, author of “The Other Wes Moore,” will have a Q&A and lecture session on April 3. His book was selected as the 2011-2012 Nicholls Common Book for incoming freshmen.

John Doucet, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, will present “Cold Fusion,” a lecture and reading on poetry and science on April 4.

The non-Cajun related music events of Jubilee include the Nicholls Syphonic Band and Wind Ensemble, assistant professor of music Valerie Francis’ faculty recital, jazz pianist Ronnie Kole, Crescent City Brass Band, Classical Acoustic Guitar Concert with Jeff George, the University of Chichester Chamber Orchestra and the Nicholls Camerata Joint Concert, Nicholls Blue Bayou Big Band, Nicholls Chamber Singers, Nicholls String Studio Recital, Nicholls Gospel Choir and the Nicholls Concert Choir.

Numerous lectures, workshops and presentations involving various colleges and programs of study will demonstrate research of the Louisiana culture and the University.

Research Week at Nicholls starts March 26. Events of the week aim to highlight the variety of research at Nicholls ranging from lectures on science, business, health care and education to cooking demonstrations.

The University Honors Program will also host the Thesis Research Symposium on April 21 for students to present and defend research results.

Stage will be represented through the unique musical interpretation of Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”

The Nicholls Players, directed by mass communication instructor Daniel Ruiz, will perform several showings of “Romeo and Juliet,” starting March 15, in Talbot Theater. The show will incorporate modern music as a soundtrack between scenes. Tickets for Nicholls students are $5. Ticket information can be obtained by calling (985) 448-4586.

Relate on March 21 is an open-mic event where Nicholls students, faculty, staff and community members are invited to creatively express themselves through poetry, monologues, musical performances, dance or public speaking. The topic of this Relate is “empowerment,” in honor of Women’s History Month.

Jubilee events and presentations are paid for by various sponsors, grants and donations.

Most Jubilee events are free and open to the public. Those that require paid admission or advance reservations are noted in the listing for each event. A full event schedule can be found at nicholls.edu/jubilee.