BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Touchstone Theatre's UnBound Festival, which for the past six years has offered multiple days of dance, music, theatre and art, is going year 'round.
The festival, which started in 2019 — 20 years after the closing of Bethlehem Steel — will rebrand as Unbound Year-Round.
The ensemble and staff of Touchstone said it has decided to hold a "grab-bag" of events throughout various venues in Bethlehem.
“It is art of all kinds, everywhere, for everyone.”Touchstone Theater Ensemble member Matt Prideaux
"We're taking Festival Unbound to the next level," Touchstone says on its website. "Join us for our full year of arts-centric events takin place all over Bethlehem."
Ensemble member Matt Prideaux said, "Our goal with this series is to bring people together in an environment that allows us to grow, to be empathetic, to see other perspectives, to share stories and to shine a light on complex ideas in an artistic and safe way.
“It is art of all kinds, everywhere, for everyone.”
This year, that includes a modern spin on "Alice in Wonderland" and the Greek tragedy "Medea."
Programming will begin Oct. 8 and run through June 30, 2026.
'Alice' themed, Christmas City Follies
The festival will kick off with "Alice in Informationland," which will explore the relationship between artificial intelligence and performance through reimagining "Alice in Wonderland."
The free show will be at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 in Lehigh University's Linderman Library, 30 Library Drive.
At 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. Fourth St., will be "Is Love So Small a Pain?" an adaptation of the Greek tragedy "Medea."
Presented in a partnership with Turning Point of Lehigh Valley, it will be suitable for ages 14 and older, and will feature an interactive and staged reading experience.
Tickets are pay-as-you-will.
"Fall Story Cabaret," at 7 p.m. Nov. 6 in Godfrey Daniels, 7 E. Fourth St., will be hosted by Touchstone ensemble member Mary Write and modeled after the spoken-word event "The Moth."
Tickets are pay-as-you-will.
"Bellavista Prison," by local playwright José Díaz, is a performance in Spanish that explores the corruption and assault inside women's prisons.
It will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 7 and 8. at Touchstone Theatre.
Admission will be free.

"Christmas City Follies XXVI," 8 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays and 2 p.m. Sundays, Dec. 4-31 t Touchstone Theatre, will feature holiday songs, Santa-sized surprises and other spirited fun.
Tickets are $35 for adults, $25 for seniors, students.
24-hour play, winter cabaret
The "24-Hour Play" festival Feb. 6-7 will invite the community to brainstorm with a group of creative professionals and artists to create a new performance in the span of 24 hours.
Register to be one of four participants: playwright, director, performer or tech.
Registration costs $10.
"Winter Story Cabaret," 7 p.m. Feb. 20 at Godfrey Daniels, will be hosted by Touchstone ensemble member Mary Write and modeled after the spoken-word event "The Moth."
Tickets will be pay as you will.
"Language of the Dolls" poses questions about the origins of racism and identity through the discovery of an old box of dolls.
It will be 8 p.m. March 5-7 and 2 p.m. March 8 at Touchstone. Tickets are $35 for adults and $25 for seniors and students.
Interactive carnival, Latinx festival

"America Dreams" will bring the community to the "Promise Land," an interactive carnival in a town that can take you inside "America's Dreams."
It will be April 18-19 at Bethlehem Rose Garden, West Union Boulevard and Eighth Avenue.
"Bombazo," on May 2 at Touchstone's Barrio Stage, will be a celebration of Latinx culture led by local musicians and Touchstone's ensemble members.
The festival is free to attend.
Young Playwrights' MFA performances

The Young Playwrights Festival, now in its 21st year, features the work of local elementary and middle school students.
It will be 3 p.m. May 17 at Northeast Middle School Theatre, 1170 Fernwood St.
Tickets are $15.
"Fresh Voices," June 5-6 at Touchstone, will feature a series of original performances by the theater's 2025-27 Master's of Fine Arts students.
Tickets are pay-as-you-will.
Touchstone launched the Festival UnBound as a 10-day event, using the arts as a vehicle to explore questions of community and identity: Who are we, now that the Steel is gone? What are the challenges ahead, and what are the values that hold us together as we shape our future?
Over the next five years, Festival UnBound evolved into an annual multi-day celebration full of arts-infused events, performances and hands-on workshops for all.