Higher education made accessible, human and queer
Et al. is a knowledge-share series that brings pioneering scholars into unconventional spaces making higher education across every discipline (the sciences, the arts, the humanities, the movement) more accessible, human and queer.
Curated events blend talks with music, art and performance, where researchers and the public learn complex subjects together, wrapped in a playful, uncensored and scientifically sound experience. Topics include cancer therapy in queer relationships, plastic-eating microbes for healthier ocean ecosystems, the biomechanics of jumping and how to animate it, color theory and laser physics, quantum computing mythbusters and more. After the talks, the dancefloor opens with a dj curating the sound through the night.
Started in January 2026 by PhD students at the University of Rochester, events are usually held at a local queer bar in Rochester, NY, Flora, they are free and open to all 21+, with the format now expanding into festival productions and international stages. Et al. is volunteer based and we pay an honorarium to everyone involved; the more funds we raise, the more we can support researchers, independent artists, causes that matter, and open the door to collaborations across the world. Your donations make that possible! Reach out here to collaborate, participate, donate, know more.. or just be updated on the next events.
philosophy
Et al. means “and others”: literally a bibliography shorthand for a long list of authors in a publication, here it’s all of us, the people. Researchers. Collaborators. Participants. Supporters. Performers. Musicians. Artists. All of us together, and all our personas in conversations.
We believe research is not just about data or publications. It’s about the people, all of us, and, most importantly, those who’ve been left out or have rarely been represented by it.
We reclaim the femininity of pioneering. To explore is to give birth into the world through care, curiosity, and desire. To sustain life and weave new paths of radical resilience in harmony with nature, not conquer it. To build regenerative ecosystems that carry us through the unknown together. To challenge the norm and make room for failure, not just triumph. To build strength and endurance without outpacing empathy, ethics and safety. It’s a shift from physical conquest, to social and emotional evolution.
We highlight the humans behind the research – their personalities, interests, and joyful quirks – and encourage speakers to lean into theatrical storytelling by sharing their backstory and transformative arcs while teaching cutting-edge contents.
We include the public in the conversation, as we all benefit from research, and can all contribute to it, across the kaleidoscopic disciplines of life and beyond. History reminds us that genius strikes in stories of emotional connection and wandering minds, rarely at desk.
We dance complexity together, beyond technical vocabularies into a multidimensional experience, and have fun with it! When talks meet music, performances and laughter minds are called into bodies, and emotions do the rest.
the team
partners
Et al. runs on the generosity of people who believe knowledge belongs outside the lecture hall. That belief pushes our scholars too: to communicate in a way that actually holds a room, not the version they’d give at a conference, and to carry that skill back into their work and lives, which in return benefits society as a whole. The University of Rochester’s Thinkers and Drinkers, Wilmot Cancer Institute, Rochester Victory Alliance and Elysian Homes fund the nights we build, which means that participants receive an honorarium, the doors stay open, and the series keeps developing. That’s not a small thing for an independent series in a city this size. Thank you for making it possible!
If you’re reading this and thinking about partnering with us, we’d love to hear from you. Partnerships can start at $500 for a single event at Flora, and scale up through festival productions to a full season. Whatever the size, it pays our events production, and puts your name in a room with visionary researchers and performers, and a unique curious, queer, educated, and bold community. Funding also gives us room to experiment with new formats, reach further internationally, and strengthen collaborations within the network we’re building.
Bottom line: you’re investing in your community, your bold, unhinged, brilliant people. The money goes into people that do science, make art and show up for the city.
We’d rather hear what you care about than send you a deck. Tell us what matters to you here and we’ll figure it out together.