The upcoming Collaborations: Humanities, Arts and Technology Festival at UNC offers a chance to see how sometimes divergent disciplines can work together. 

Megan Granda, executive director at UNC’s Institute for the Arts and Humanities, says artistic and technological pursuits are drawing closer together over time.

The inaugural Collaborations: Humanities, Arts and Technology (or CHAT) Festival will feature several aspects of that new collaborative spirit.  Running over five days, the festival features speakers like Robert J. Bach, who heads the Entertainment and Devices Division of Microsoft, responsible for the X-Box and Games for Windows.

Attendees will also enjoy artistic performances, take part in workshops, and peruse faculty and student exhibitions on collaborative work.  Granda says she’s particularly excited about a performance that she says will get the audience closer than ever to a video game experience.

The Festival runs February 16-20, and requires a minimal registration fee, although you don’t have to pre-register.  For more information, you can visit their Web site at www.CHATFestival2010.com.