November 30th -0001
Aaryan Shah, Wolveraas

This event is a school-wide Garba/Raas. A Garba is a traditional dance event, commemorating the 9-day festival of Navarātrī. It involves several people making concentric dance circles around a lamp/table and moving forward and backward with the music. Wolveraas celebrate Indian heritage at the Garba with fellow students performing their dance style in a more casual setting.

October 5th 2019
Semia Clay, Sister 2 Sister

Sister 2 Sister throws an annual ball to recognize and celebrate African-American excellence at the University of Michigan. This year, to honor the 20th anniversary, the gala was hosted at UMMA. The goal was to open the museum to members who would not normally experience it, the main focus being the exhibition “Pan-African Pulp: A Commision” by Meleko Mokgosi, a powerful exhibit examining the complexity of blackness and connects to a deep history of activism in Detroit. The evening also featured student performances and a spoken word exhibition.

October 5th 2019
Daniel Kumapayi, Images of Identities

Images of Identities provides free improv comedy shows on campus that create an opportunity to escape school life and relieve stress through laughter. They hosted an open mic open to poets, singers, dancers, comedians, or anyone who had something to share!

October 6th 2019
Karalyn Schubring, Front Porch

With "Our Place," Front Porch celebrated incredible composers from the University of Michigan's composition program with four world premieres by Douglas Hertz, Nina Shekhar, Corey Dundee, and Jung Yoon Wie alongside additional works from their ever-expanding repertoire. This concert was made possible thanks to a generous grant from the University of Michigan's Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and co-sponsored by the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

October 24th 2019
Noah Eisenberg, 3AM Productions

The musical DADDY LONG LEGS follows teen orphan Jerusha Abbott, who is spotted by a young benefactor, Jervis Smith. He sees her potential and anonymously pays for her to have a proper education, the only stipulation being that she write him a monthly letter of her progress, to which he will not reply. The two quickly become enamored with each other's mystery and intellect, and we take a hard hitting look at the motivations for generosity, finding the secret of happiness, early feminism, and the uses and lies that come with connection and knowledge. The set was made of a large number of books (resulting from a book drive), which were later donated to Kids Read 2 Kids and Reading is Fundamental. The performance occurred in the Duderstadt Video Studio, and featured a final filmed product as well.

November 7th 2019
Victoria Briones, Arts in Color

A World Beyond: Re-Imagining Activism Through Performance was a curated student choreography showcase featuring original works created by undergraduate dance majors. “The choreographic theme of the showcase is “World-Making: How Can We Create the World We Want to Live In?” World-making is a powerful technique commonly used in arts activism. It encourages both the artist and audience to imagine and hope for a better reality. We hope that we can expand the audience’s conceptions of dance performance. The performance will provide a platform for artists to explore their own relationship to social justice issues and - most importantly - their power to be agents of change.”

November 8th 2019
Rajeswari Balasubramaniam, SPICMACAY

UM SPICMACAY's fall concert this year was a Kathak presentation by Prashant Shah and troupe titled "Let It Be". Kathak is the Hindustani name for one of the eight major forms of Indian classical dance. Kathak dancers tell various stories through their hand movements and footwork, but most importantly through their facial expressions. ‘Let it be’ – is a collection of few short choreographies presented in both, traditional and contemporary Kathak forms. It is an effort to bring in these timeless flow of changes in traditional technique and presenting them in solo and group presentations emphasizing the balance of power and grace.

November 8th 2019
Kavyapranati Pratapa, Michigan Sahana

Sahana performers expressed the aura of the elements through their avenues of the Indian classical arts. The audience saw musicians create wind and dancers create fire; Hindustani and Carnatic music was presented, as well as Kathak, Bharatnatyam, and Kuchipudi dance styles. The show was free and open to all audiences.

November 9th 2019
Zoha Bharwani, independent project

Displace was a student-written, student-directed street theatre one-act that confronts the reality of police brutality in refugee camps through the eyes of two siblings residing at the re-populated camp in Calais, France towards the end of 2018. The audience was invited to sit on makeshift seats of cardboard and tarp to watch the action unfold all around them. They were invited to participate and change the course of the performance at several points. In this way, Displace not only tells the story of the migrants who have been displaced from their homes, but it also displaces the audience and forces them to confront their comfort and complacency. The performances took place at 8pm on November 7, 8, and 9 in the Newman Studio of the Walgreen Drama Center. The production was a collaborative effort between representatives from Arab Students Association, Muslim Students Association, Michigan in Color, Michigan Refugee Assistance Program, and the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.

November 15th 2019
Harsh Jhaveri, Indian American Student Association

“Every year, the Indian American Student Association puts on a Cultural Show, featuring 10 different student planned and choreographed dances of various styles, showcasing the rich and multi-faceted nature of Indian American Culture. Various exhibition acts from other South Asian-aligned performance organizations on campus were invited in order to showcase the full range of artistic prowess in the South Asian community at Michigan. From classical North Indian styles such as Bhangra to South Indian styles such as Village to modern fusion dances, the event allows members to express themselves and their connection to Indian American culture and share this culture with everyone else.”

November 22nd 2019
Jordan Stanton, Michigan Electronic Music Collective (MEMCO)

This event was a 5-hour live DJ event hosted at Club Above, an Ann Arbor music venue. MEMCO collaborated with fellow on campus music orgs (Maize Collective and WCBN FM) to bring out a special guest, DJ Minx. Minx is an internationally acclaimed techno and house DJ hailing from Detroit. She played the first ever Detroit Electronic Music Festival (now called Movement), established female DJ label Women on Wax, and has gone on to play clubs and festivals around the world.

November 23rd 2019
Skylar Siben, Basement Arts

This project was a weekend of performances of Kenneth Lonergan's play "This Is Our Youth" produced and performed entirely by students under the leadership of student theatre group, Basement Arts. The play deals with forty-eight hours in the lives of three very lost young souls living on the Upper West Side at the dawn of the Reagan era.

December 10th 2019
Maria Velasquez-Lopez, Latinidad Magazine

Latinidad Magazine is an online and print magazine that serves as a platform for Latinx artists and writers to reclaim their voice and foster an accurate representation of the Latinx community at U-M. There are opportunities for contributors to submit their work monthly, these individuals may be from any and all communities at UM. The launch event was banquet rounds style where board members, artists, and community members are able to openly talk about their own experiences in regard to their identities and how art may influence it. There was an online issue of October’s theme chosen by the Art Committee members; who also have the opportunity to be speakers and share about their own involvement with Latinidad Magazine. The launch event aimed to re-introduce Latinidad magazine to the U-M community

December 11th 2019
Kellie Beck, Blank Space Workshop

Blank Space Workshop was a Fall 2019 recipient of a mini grant that funded a brand new program called Playwright in Residency! Emma Ashford, senior Musical Theatre major, was the inaugural playwright! A reading of her musical, "Heartbeats", performed in the Newman Studio Wednesday, December 11th to full audiences for both the 7:00 and 11:00 performance! Telling the story of a not so far away future where young women who attempt abortions are sent to prison "New Life Units", Heartbeats shadows one young woman, Ava, and her journey at the hands of the state.

December 20th 2019
Shira Baron, independent project

Alleycat is a short film that tells the story of two college-aged, black, male friends who stumble upon an assortment of old lingerie and other clothing left out by a neighbor in their alley. The clothing that they dig through challenges each boy to explore how masculinity, sexuality, and desire impact the way that they engage with their findings. The larger goal of the film was to invite viewers to enjoy an artistically composed short film, while opening the floor for dialogue about how sexual desire and race are often represented in pop culture.

January 11th 2020
Lindsey Smiles, What the F Magazine

The purpose of What The F Magazine is to provide Michigan students with a form of art and media that will give them a voice and treat them as intelligent individuals as opposed to shallow consumers; we seek to empower the female population of campus by offering factual information about their health and other issues they face. We promote healthy and happy lifestyles and allow women to share their stories and experiences. What The F gives all students the opportunity to publish their writing and artwork.

January 24th 2020
Sydney Prince, Basement Arts

"​Falsettos"​ brings together two installments of the trilogy by William Flinn, March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland to create a musical about love, family and loss through the lens of the 1980’s AIDS epidemic. Basement Arts brought together queer creators to put on a small, intimate performance.

February 2nd 2020
Pei Ying Goh, Malaysian Students' Association (MiMSA)

Malaysian Cultural Night (MCN) is organized annually to showcase the diversity of Malaysia. It brings Malaysian culture to life through stage acts, songs, dances, and foods. The 2020 MCN included a light-hearted play and traditional dances from different ethnic groups in Malaysia.

February 3rd 2020
Maryam Masood, Michigan Refugee Assistance Program

The Michigan Refugee Assistance Program collaborated with four other student organizations (The United Nations Children's Fund, the Yemeni Student Association, the National Arab American Medical Association, and the Arab Student Association) to host a bracelet-making event to raise money for the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. They opened the event by having a Yemenis collaborator speak from personal experience about the crisis, followed by a second educational brief on the topic. The remaining time was dedicated to bracelet-making while enjoying Middle Eastern pastries. These bracelets were made from red, white, and black beads - the color of the Yemeni flag - to symbolize solidarity and support for Yemen.

February 9th 2020
Thani Brant, independent project

The Color Cabaret is a biennial cabaret put on by the students of color in the Department of Musical Theatre. Students from a plethora of backgrounds and cultures come together for two nights to perform songs and dance numbers from the musical theatre canon, in celebration of the growing diversity in the department and in a push for greater diversity in the musical theatre industry. They hope to showcase the progress our industry has made so far in diversifying the stories we tell, while also calling attention to the stories they could give life to if given the opportunity.

February 14th 2020
Alyxandra Ciale, We the People Representing Our Unifying Diversity (PROUD) Polycultural Productions

Written and performed by Alyxandra Ciale Charfauros and Michael Yuchen Tong, WHAT WAS + MAY BE is based on Charfauros’ and Tong’s longstanding relationship as strangers, long-distance lovers, and creative partners. This multimedia performance explores the interwoven dimensions in which Ciale and Michael meet to defy and define human connection working within the fabric of our lives. It is an expression of love as a form of celebration and resistance.

February 14th 2020
Alyxandra Ciale, We the People Representing Our Unifying Diversity (PROUD) Polycultural Productions

Written and performed by Alyxandra Ciale Charfauros and Michael Yuchen Tong, WHAT WAS + MAY BE is based on Charfauros’ and Tong’s longstanding relationship as strangers, long-distance lovers, and creative partners. This multimedia performance explores the interwoven dimensions in which Ciale and Michael meet to defy and define human connection working within the fabric of our lives. It is an expression of love as a form of celebration and resistance.

February 16th 2020
Jordan Stanton, Michigan Electronic Music Collective

To accompany their annual black history month party, MEMCO hosted a 2-hour speaker event in accordance with the party to delve deeper into the party's themes of music, community, and DIY activism. Guest speakers included Stacey Hotwaxx (the local DJ and activist behind Sheometry Music Festival in Detroit), “Mad Mike” Banks (DJ and cofounder of Detroit’s notorious Underground Resistance group), and Ron Johnson (owner of Spin Inc).

February 22nd 2020
Rafaela Sabino Hasner, Bronze Elegance Fashion Show

Bronze Elegance Fashion Show brings together hundreds of students, parents and local residents to experience a show celebrating fashion, art, culture, and originality. The event begins with a pre-performance of local musicians and an exhibition of models (“living sculptures”) to showcase student art that promotes social consciousness. On the elegantly designed runway, models of diverse body types and ethnicities present unique designs through the lens of their own identities and artistic vision. The show is composed of several “scenes” inspired by the past Met Gala events, each of them with their own creative choreographies, themed designs, and performances, which include singers, dancers, and instrumentalists.

February 27th 2020
Yicong Sun, Thus Spoke Ann Arbor

“Hello Insanity,” originally a Chinese comedy movie from 2016, tells a story of a girl who is unaware of her own multiple personality disorder, how she gradually realizes she is the one who is ill, and how she finally overcomes her disorder and accepts herself.

March 28th 2020
Karla Wong, Uncover: A/PIA

Uncover: A/PIA is a student organization on campus that provides a platform for Asian & Pacific Islander Americans (A/PIA) individuals to tell their own story. Their mission is to promote connection and understanding while challenging stereotypes associated with the A/PIA identity by showcasing the diverse narratives. This project, the Annual Spring Video, deals with political engagement and voting throughout the A/PIA community.

April 17th 2020
Maite Iribarren, independent project

Referencing both the American Society of Civil Engineers’ Steel Construction Manual and the 1975 Cuban Family Code, which proclaimed the role of each family member in order to “fix” the family wherever it was “broken”, Iribarren mapped their family’s complex interpersonal relationships and translated them into a steel structure.

April 21st 2020
Seth Andrews, independent project

Drop Outs, an honors thesis project, is a student-created sitcom pilot episode about two queer college artists that decide to drop out and restart a forsaken theatre. It tackles themes including being queer in the Midwest, being an outsider in your hometown and loving it enough to stay anyway, and the role of art in making change.

November 7th 2020
Sasanka Mouli Neti, Spicmacay

Spicmacay at UM hosted a reputed Indian flautist who specializes in the bamboo flute. Mr. Raman Kallyan specializes in ragas that have the ability to manifest different emotions in listeners by re-aligning their body's chakras. Mr. Kalyan's performance was accompanied by a percussionist and a violinist.

February 1st 2021
Chieh Wen Chen, Thus Spoke Ann Arbor

Thus Spoke Ann Arbor, a student organization focused on Chinese art and live performance, put on a hybrid performance that was accompanied by a Chinese broadcast and mini movie.

February 20th 2021
Jenny Vu, Vietnamese Student Association

This is an entirely student-run show dedicated to portraying the Vietnamese-American narrative. DVN strives for participants and audience members to learn about the Vietnamese culture while also allowing members to dive deeper into their own cultural stories and narratives.

Emotional Creature

March 19th 2021
Levana Wang, independent project

Acting as director and working with FTVM students, Wang produced an adaptation of Emotional Creature, a play that follows different women and their journey to womanhood through a series of monologues. They put on this production with the goal of telling stories of marginalized communities and bringing attention to voices that are often left unheard.

March 20th 2021
Alexandra Lee, Basement Arts

This production of Slut: The Play by Kate Cappiello was filmed and streamed through YouTube. The stream was coupled with a post-show live talkback to address the portrayals of sexual violence in media. Panelists included experts from UM, the co-creator of the original production, and Dr. Ayshia Elizabeth Stephenson, an intimacy director, anti-racist advocate, and award-winning writer. This project was also a fundraiser for SAPAC and a local nonprofit that fights sexual violence, First Step.

March 25th 2021
Tahani Almujahid, Hikayat

Hikayat hosted writer and LGBTQ+ activist Zeyn Joukhadar in a reading and Q&A about his book, The Thirty Names of Night. They asked about Zeyn's personal experience as a living writer and being a trans person in Italy, as well as the LGBTQ+ experience within the Arab community.

March 30th 2021
Megan Mattichak, Korean Student Association

The Korean Student Association Culture Show is an annual not-for-profit event showcasing student organizations and performance groups promoting authentic Korean culture through traditional and modern art forms, including traditional and modern Korean dance, Korean drum performances, and Taekwondo.

Aurora: Painting Our Cultures Across the Night Sky

April 2nd 2021
Jaimie Ryou, Generation Asian Pacific American

In one of the largest pan-Asian cultural shows in the Midwest, GenAPA asks Asian or Pacific Islander-interest performing student organizations on campus to display the diversity and beauty of the AAPI community.

American Dreamin'

April 8th 2021
Meghan Chou, independent project

American Dreamin’ follows Grace, a first-generation Chinese-American investigative reporter dealing with her mother’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis and her own mental health struggles as she begins to investigate her family. As she does so, she tries to answer the question of what we owe our family. The thesis also captured an abstract understanding of Detroit to show how the setting is integral to the show itself.

April 10th 2021
Akshay Gopinathan, Michigan Sahana

Kala Sagara is a nationwide virtual conference that includes many student and professional performances and workshops to educate and expose others to Classical Indian Music and Dance.

April 29th 2021
Christian Kassab, independent project

HOME is a filmed cabaret show that showcases BIPOC students at The University of Michigan sharing what ‘home’ means to them. Through performative art, these students of various diverse backgrounds tell their stories of joy, faith, and sorrow as they navigate what it feels like to be home.

April 30th 2021
Milo Miller, independent project

In their senior BFA Directing thesis, Miller produced a performance of José Cruz González’s “The Highest Heaven,” which follows a young boy trying to find his family after the forced repatriation of Mexican Americans during the Great Depression. The story explores the fallibility of borders, the concept of home, the Great Depression, growing up, and the importance of Latinx-Black relationships.

October 28th 2021
Nina Scire, Arts in Color

Arts in Color hosts annual showcases that raise awareness for social issues and celebrate diversity. 2021's showcase, Close Is Never Close Enough, centers in on intersectional identities. The production team worked in collaboration with student choreographers and dancers to create a final show consisting of several original pieces to share with the community.

Two Mile Hollow: Senior Thesis

November 6th 2021
Samantha Estrella

Estrella's senior thesis was a production of Leah Nanako Winkler's Two Mile Hollow. She chose TMH as her thesis as it was one of the few available texts which met her standards as an Afro-Latina director: a comedic BIPOC piece written by a BIPOC playwright rooted in abundance versus trauma. This production was an opportunity for all involved to be creative and to work in an environment held by laughter.

November 20th 2021
Chieh-Wen Chen, Thus Spoke Ann Arbor

Thus Spoke Ann Arbor put on two productions titled Oppression and Saltimbank. Oppression revolves around the lives of a young man and woman trying to find their way as members of a new generation in a highly traditional world. Saltimbank's main characters are a couple who work in the circus, the circus dressing room serving as a lighthearted backdrop for their story of betrayal and conflict. Through these performances, TSAA works to tell stories of human emotion and the desire for freedom.

November 20th 2021
Chieh-Wen Chen, Thus Spoke Ann Arbor

Thus Spoke Ann Arbor put on two productions titled Oppression and Saltimbank. Oppression revolves around the lives of a young man and woman trying to find their way as members of a new generation in a highly traditional world. Saltimbank's main characters are a couple who work in the circus, the circus dressing room serving as a lighthearted backdrop for their story of betrayal and conflict. Through these performances, TSAA works to tell stories of human emotion and the desire for freedom.

Color Cabaret

February 24th 2022
Chloe Cuff

The Color Cabaret is a cabaret featuring music, dance, and spoken word to tell various narratives of students of color in the Department of Musical Theatre, celebrating BIPOC identities and exploring the intersectionalities of being a person of color with sexuality, gender, and multiracial identities. Students from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures came together for two nights to perform songs and dance numbers from the musical theatre in combination with original monologues.

Color Cabaret

February 24th 2022
Chloe Cuff

The Color Cabaret is a cabaret featuring music, dance, and spoken word to tell various narratives of students of color in the Department of Musical Theatre, celebrating BIPOC identities and exploring the intersectionalities of being a person of color with sexuality, gender, and multiracial identities. Students from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures came together for two nights to perform songs and dance numbers from the musical theatre in combination with original monologues.

Branch Out

March 1st 2022
Cortez Hill

Branch Out is a comedic-thriller written & directed by Andrew Otchere, produced by Cortez Hill, with collaboration by other amazing student artists at the University of Michigan. The story centers around what happens when three Black friends go to a house party at their predominately white college with hopes of expanding their social circle, but instead find themselves experiencing something very different.

Nyumba: African Students Association Culture Show

March 11th 2022
African Students Association

The African Students Association put on an exhibition of cultures from all over Africa, with performances from songs of various African languages to traditional dances. The show celebrated Africa's diversity, beauty, and influence on the rest of the world.

Next to Normal

March 25th 2022
We the People Representing Our Unifying Diversity

We the People Representing Our Unifying Diversity put on a production of "Next to Normal," a rock musical featuring the experience of a mentally struggling mother and the impact that her illness has on her family. Emphasizing the cultural context of the Asian family that the musical revolves around, We the People upheld a production process prioritizing Asian artists.

Chai and Chobi: Iraqi Culture Night

March 30th 2022
Iraqi Student Association

Chai refers to the traditional tea (or chai) that is served at Iraqi events or gatherings, and chobi is the name of the traditional dance performed at public events and weddings. The event was a way to celebrate Iraqi culture through the enjoyment of food, music, and dance.

April 1st 2022
Isis Joseph

Isis Joseph wrote and designed a book exploring the ways in which graphic design has been used in American history and Black identity. For Black Americans, throughout history, graphic design has contributed to death, healing, and resistance. Joseph's goal is that this book will provide context and history for graphic designers as they consider issues of race, racism, and the portrayal of Black identity in their work.

PWI

April 16th 2022
Shalini Roy

PWI is a short film. It's graduation night and Amara, Sanaa, and Kendra have the blues about what could have been and what never was. Spurred on by their friend, Leon, they cathartically express their feelings by singing about their experiences at a Predominantly White Institution as Black women. Some memories are good, some bad, and some just plain awkward, but the only constant through it all is their friendship, the hardest thing they have to say goodbye to.

October 7th 2022
Aaryan Shah, Wolveraas

This event is a school-wide Garba/Raas. A Garba is a traditional dance event, commemorating the 9-day festival of Navarātrī. It involves several people making concentric dance circles around a lamp/table and moving forward and backward with the music. Wolveraas celebrate Indian heritage at the Garba with fellow students performing their dance style in a more casual setting.

October 20th 2022
Raj Koorapaty, Empty Mug Records & Citizens’ Climate Lobby

Empty Mug collaborated with Citizens’ Climate Lobby to host a live concert on the Diag to raise donations and awareness for climate action initiatives. The event featured 3 acts consisting entirely of UM student musicians and included speeches from CCL members about the importance of climate action.

November 4th 2022
Abigail Gonzalez, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority, Inc.

The Día de Los Muertos Ball is an event with a focus on Latine culture, traditions, and customs. The event featured two speakers, one spoke about the theme which focuses on the victims of gun violence, especially school shootings with an emphasis on Uvalde. The second speaker discussed the traditions and history of Día de Los Muertos. Once the speakers had finished, there was a cultural performance put on by a local Mariachi band. Audience danced to Latin music, mingled, and learned about the culture by observing altars created by those in the community.

January 29th 2023
Shi Qi Lim, Malaysian Students Association

The Michigan Malaysian Student Association (MiMSA) hosted Malaysian Cultural Night (MCN) 2023 at the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre, Michigan League. This event featured “Rojak”, a play centered around an interracial couple overcoming parental disapproval of their marriage through sharing and understanding of each other’s cultures.

Strangers Anthology

February 1st 2023
Timmy Thompson, SMTD

Strangers is an anthology of three short films created by students from the School of Music, Theatre & Dance and the School of Film, Television & Media. In these stories, themes of isolation, dating, superficial interactions, female autonomy and queer intimacy are explored.

February 5th 2023
Annie Huang, Chinese Student Association

University of Michigan’s Chinese Student Association celebrated the Chinese New Year of the Rabbit at their annual semi-formal, the Lunar Gala, with catered food and Chinese performances!

February 18th 2023
Reilly Buckley, The University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club

We created and exhibited a feature-length documentary film that depicts the University of Michigan Men’s Glee Club’s experiences with the choral piece "To Repair," as well as composer Tesfa Wondemagegnehu’s life changing trip that inspired it. In the Winter of 2022, the Men’s Glee Club began work on this new choral work, which is a reflection and reconciliation of America’s longstanding history of racial inequality and systemic injustices.

February 24th 2023
Cortez Hill, Impact Arts

Impact Arts produced a musical titled “Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon Skin,” written by Kirsten Childs. Bubbly Black Girl is a humorous and pointed coming-of-age musical that tells a story spanning from the sixties through the nineties, our bubbly Black protagonist, Viveca Stanton blithely sails through the confusing worlds of racism, sexism and Broadway showbiz until she’s forced to face the devastating effect self-denial has had on her life.

March 15th 2023
Mlaika Azhar, Dil Se

Dil Se (translation: “From the Heart”) is an organization centered on reducing stigma around mental health in the South Asian community. This year, we worked on a collective project by students around campus to highlight the themes of beauty and acceptance within the South Asian diaspora through a magazine. Our goal was to capture a diverse array of voices so that our magazine not only reflects the breadth of our themes, but also shine light on how these specific themes impact the various identities within the South Asian diaspora.

March 18th 2023
Ruby Clay, Arts in Color

The Arts in Color Showcase is an entirely student-led and student-run performance which highlights works choreographed and performed by dancers in the university community. Each year centers around a theme that is generally related to social justice activism. This year the theme we focused on is the notion of existing in our bodies versus being perceived in our bodies as it relates to self-authenticity, stereotypes, expectations, and intersectionality.

March 25th 2023
Zachary Kerholaus, Basement Arts

Horse Girls is a play about pre-teens: their obsessions, their insecurities and their desperate need to find a place in the world. The dark comedy addresses the manipulation and suppression of female identities, especially during the developmental stages of adolescence.

March 25th 2023
Sana Simkani, Persian Students Association

The Persian Student Association at the University of Michigan hosted their 23rd Annual Nowruz show “Simorgh” (سیمرغ): an evening filled with Persian culture, dance, music, poetry, and much more! In conjunction with the Woman, Life, Freedom revolution in Iran, the show is in support of fellow Iranians and will highlight Iranian voices through visual art and dance.

April 1st 2023
Eric Kumara, PERMIAS Indonesian Cultural Night

Indonesian Cultural Night is an annual tradition that presents a variety of Indonesian performances ranging from dramas inspired by local folk tales, Indonesian instrumental performances, and traditional dances from multiple parts of the country. Indonesian food was served during an intermission.

April 2nd 2023
Jack Rosenberg, In the Round

For our inaugural season, we produced three mainstage performances as well as aiming to hold many smaller performances with organizations at the University and businesses in the community. Each of these performances exists with the central focus of LGBTQIA+ voicing: Our productions aim to give our performers a chance to amplify queer stories and our audiences a chances to learn from them.

April 14th 2023
Elle Schwiderson

*Midwestern Last Name* Family Reunion is a multimedia stop-motion film utilizing both visual and performance art to explore how the creator’s relationship to family has changed over time in relation to how their gender identity has also changed in the form of a stop-motion animation film/performance.

April 14th 2023
Sehrish Hussain, STAMPS

Impressions was an exhibition that showcased a series of collagraph and woodblock prints. Through the analysis of archival images, the artist explores their Muslim-American identity, changing internal representations of self, and family lineage across generations and geographies.

April 15th 2023
Kristina Rogers, STAMPS

Dirt Considered is an exhibition that draws connections between soil degradation and histories of colonial violence. By decolonizing the audience's perspective on soils, Dirt Considered also highlights Indigenous knowledge and brings all people who are products of colonialism into conversation. This exhibition consisted mainly of a long (~30') quilted tablecloth with sewn text that unearths colonial violence. These soil samples were exhibited in a manner that subverts a traditional, colonial style museum, opting for a method of labeling that empowers dirt and the land it belongs to.

April 18th 2023
Mohamed Khashafa, FTVM

Ya Satir is a short film about childhood best friends, Yasmeen and Tamara. They have an upcoming big debate competition with the reward of a large scholarship, and must work side by side to win. What Tamara doesn't know is that Yasmeen has a secret she's not quite ready to tell. Through laughter, tears and suspense, the film explores themes of friendship, girlhood, and coming of age. Ya Satir aims to represent a diverse cast in a way that is not oppressive nor degrading, but rather through light-hearted and uplifting stories.

April 18th 2023
Rose Albayat

Rose Albayat's project is an integrated Film, Television, and Media honors thesis aimed at challenging the gender norms in early cinema through a creative remake of Georges Méliès’ 1905 film LES CARTES VIVANTES. The project involves a 3D model of Méliès' studio that she built based on surviving historical photographs, drawings, and published accounts. A 2D, 3D, praxinoscope, and a flip book version, all will be shot within the virtual model of Méliès' studio with an all-female cast. The project pays tribute to the many under-researched women who performed on screen and worked behind the scenes during the silent era.

not fast, not loud: musicking with a chronic illness

April 24th 2023
Karina Howey, SMTD

As a chronically-ill person, what Karina Howey can do looks different than the average able-bodied person and percussionist, and her time at Michigan has focused on exploring my percussive limits. Presently, she has a growing collection of pieces that she can perform, all of which are not fast and not loud. This music selection aims to make Howey's upcoming recital and subsequent album (with additional pieces) both a celebration of my newfound musical sphere and an opportunity for professional growth.

September 27th 2023
Oreoluwa Adewumi, African Students Association (ASA)

The project consisted of a mural showcased in the African Studies Center, as well as self-crafted bracelets for each participant to take home. The mural was made up of singular canvases that each participant painted and glued together at the end of the activity. Participants painted their canvas with colors that correspond to who they are as a person. (A chart will display which colors correspond to different traits [e.g. light blue = outgoing]). They then wrote their name large on their piece and wrote mispronunciations surrounding it but much smaller.

September 30th 2023
Bianca Trihenea, MEMCO

Memco’s monthly IMPULSE series started off the 23-24 school year with a Bang!! We started with our most popular theme “What the FUNK”, and booked celebrated Detroit house DJ Stacey Hottwaxx Hale to perform for the two hour peak. The party was opened and closed by UofM student DJ performances. Our IMPULSE events allow amateur student DJs to experience what it’s like to perform in a legitimate club, while drawing out artistically conscious and open-minded students who would rather not crowd in a stranger’s basement for some weekend fun.

October 6th 2023
Aaryan Shah, Michigan Wolveraas

The event we hosted was a school-wide Garba/Raas, open to all. A Garba is a traditional dance event, commemorating the 9 day festival of Navarātrī. It involves several people making concentric dance circles around a lamp/table, and moving forward and backward with the music. We celebrated Indian heritage at the Garba with our fellow students performing our dance style in a more casual setting. It involved both Garba (first 1 1/2 hours) and Raas (next 1 1/2 hours) in an exhibition.

October 12th 2023
Evalicia Chavez, Latinx Heritage Month Planning Committee

This event was the closing ceremony for the 2023 Latinx Heritage Month. The event consisted of a dinner, with student speakers, a musical performance, and a mural to then be displayed in the Trotter Multicultural Center.

5 Ayaat on Justice, in Blue and Gold

October 13th 2023
Najla Malaibari

This project highlighted 5 Quranic verses on the theme of justice. It was an exhibition built around 5 calligraphic pieces, and an opportunity for visitors to hand stamp a souvenir card.

October 28th 2023
Roma Uzzaman, The RC Players

This was a shadowcast production of cult classic film The Rocky Horror Picture Show! We performed a stage production of the show while the film played on a screen in the background. The RC Players' production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show was entirely organized, directed, acted, and costumed by students. Our mission was to promote love and learning of theater through active participation and hands-on learning, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a perfect example of that.

UrMug

October 31st 2023
Yuchen Wu

UrMug was a pop-up art installation, housed on a small stand with wheels to move it around. The stand displayed redesigned versions of student essentials and popular products at the University of Michigan, including a UM mug that has the artist’s name in Chinese, as opposed to Mden’s mass-produced mug which only provides a limited choice of popular English names. The artist presented 12 other mugs in different languages and facsimiles of mugs to give great reach to her vision. A central part of this art project is an interactive activity called “UrMug”, where the artist learned and wrote the names of the participants/visitors in their native languages on a blue UM mug and gave them their personalized mugs for free as an momento.

November 5th 2023
Ailin Xiong, Chinese Student Association

Celebrasia is a cultural event hosted by Chinese Student Association (CSA) that involves many other cultural organizations on campus, including but not limited to Japanese Student Association, Michigan Sahana, and Filipino American Student Association. The event is two fold, with the first part being an Asian night-market inspired festival, where all the different organizations act as vendors selling food from their culture, and the second part is a series of performances by various performance groups with a focus on the cultural aspect of the art form. Through a combination of the night-market and performances, Celebrasia serves as one of the largest events CSA holds in the fall semester, and invites students to join the different organizations and learn more about a variety of cultures.

November 10th 2023
Justin Green

The project we worked on is a pair of films titled No Vacancy and Fall From Fame. They involved the entire process of pre production to post production for the films and employed students from FTVM, STAMPS, SMTD, and others. The primary events were filming dates starting the third weekend in October and ending the second weekend in November.

November 18th 2023
Andrew Ramirez, Filipino American Student Association (FASA)

Philippine Culture Night (PCN) is FASA's signature event and biggest cultural show of the year. A semi-formal to formal banquet-style event, its primary focus is to communicate, cultivate, exemplify, and celebrate Filipino culture and identity. PCN provides a space to engage in insightful discussion of Filipino culture, as well as a means for Filipino to celebrate and be proud of their heritage, empowering individuals of the Filipino American community. The event allows Filipinos to connect their heritage primarily through Filipino performances but also food, language, and attire. There is also a strong educational component of PCN. Both Filipino and non-Filipino attendees are educated through music, singing, dance, spoken word, speeches, and conversation.

December 2nd 2023
Avalon Litwiller, Not Even Really Drama Students

We requested funding for our musical production called A Murder Mystery Musical. It is a musical written and directed by our members that follows a group of friends caught in a haunted house. It tells the story of budding romance, community, acceptance, tradition, and friendship. It has a total (cast, crew, and production team) of about 75. This event sought to enrich the local student body and populace. By performing this show written by LGBT and racial/cultural minority writers we are putting forward ideas, viewpoints, and opinions that are often lost in art and especially lost in theatre.

Sparrows

December 5th 2023
Ligaya Galang, FTVM300 Student Crew

"Sparrows" is a short film inspired by Wong Kar Wai's evocative style in "In the Mood For Love." This project served as a heartfelt tribute to the Filipino American community, encapsulating their culture and experiences. The film explored themes of cultural identity, familial expectations, and personal passions through a compelling narrative set during a game of mahjong. We follow Lina as she tries to receive her Ate's blessing to switch majors from pre-med to music. Her Ate (older sister) uses mahjong references to express her worry that a career in the arts is a game of luck and therefore dangerous, but Lina argues that luck can be cultivated with strategy.

December 9th 2023
Candace Jung, Warp

Our project, Limitless, was a two-part art exhibition at the end of the fall semester. We had events and opportunities throughout the semester for members to explore and start art projects in collaboration with other members as part of Warp, in hopes of sparking conversation, community, and collaboration as queer POC within the University of Michigan. The culmination of our members' projects were displayed in the exhibition.

January 1st 2024
Joe Levickas, test

stuff

January 18th 2024
Shi Qi Lim, Malaysian Students Association

This year, MiMSA hosted MCN 2024 at Lydia Mendelssohn Theater. The event started off with a play with the play we called "Desa Dendam". Desa Dendam follows a journalist Juni who, while investigating an old case, finds herself tangled in a cobweb of deceit and black magic. The play incorporates diverse religious and cultural elements from Malaysia including local folklore, superstition, religious practices, traditional dances, and traditional fashion, all packaged into a murder-mystery-style dramedy. The aim of this play was to increase awareness of the cultural richness of Malaysia, especially within the university where Southeast Asian stories are still underrepresented. Throughout the show, a variety of traditional dances from different ethnic groups in Malaysia will also be showcased.

February 11th 2024
Ailin Xiong, Chinese Student Association

Lunar Gala is an annual celebration of Chinese Lunar New Year that the Chinese Student Association (CSA) hosts. This event was a semiformal event showcasing various chinese artforms (dance, singing, instruments, etc.), chinese foods (dumplings, egg rolls, etc.), and the opportunity for Chinese or Chinese-American students on campus to wear traditional Chinese attire if they wish. For our MC segments, our MCs announced everything in English once and then in Mandarin once, opening up the event to all students regardless of language barrier. We hope that through this event, students were able to learn more about not only Chinese culture in general but also about the history behind Chinese Lunar New Year.

February 16th 2024
Madeline Miclea, Michigan Electronic Music Collective

The Michigan Electronic Music Collective (MEMCO) is an entirely student-run collective of DJ’s, producers, visual artists, engineers, and event-goers that provides a platform in Ann Arbor for electronic music and its subgenres. This spring, we hosted our biggest event of the year, a celebration of Black History Month as an homage to the cultural roots of Detroit techno genre. Our celebration took shape into 2 phases: a daytime conformance and a nighttime DJ exhibition.

February 16th 2024
Ali Hasan Shahab, Pakistani Student Association

The Michigan Mehndi was a grand celebration of Pakistani wedding customs. From the music, lights, and dance performances, our goal was to mirror the energy of a typical "Mehndi" ceremony. The focal point of this event was dedicated to Bollywood, Traditional Pakistani, and Bhangra dances. We wanted to showcase a large performance to our community and promote this form of art.

2024 Musical Theatre Color Cabaret

February 22nd 2024
Cortez Hill, Impact Arts

This is a musical cabaret that was performed live and had a professional recording on Youtube. Similar projects produced by us in the past have resulted in over 500, 000 views. The cabaret creates a space for students of color within a predominantly white institution to bring their unique experiences and perspectives to the creative table. It also encourages dialogue between the performers and their peers, faculty, and the greater Ann Arbor community, helping to lay a foundation of allyship from the students involved and beyond.

March 21st 2024
Elijah Underhill-Miller, Michigan Electronic Music Collective (MEMCO)

We are excited to present an exclusive screening and promotional initiative around the recently completed - 12 years in the making - and not publicly accessible groundbreaking documentary God Said Give Em Drum Machines (2022) (GSGEDM). This premiere was hosted in collaboration with 48 Frames and the Black Film Society, both University of Michigan student organizations. Our special screening was followed up with a panel discussion and q+a session featuring individuals in the film, contemporary artists inspired to speak on the topic, and a concluding nighttime event featuring an all-Black DJ lineup headlining one of stars of the film who are still performing today. Through this Black History Month event series, MEMCO, 48 Frames, and BFS worked with GSGEDM to elevate this history in Ann Arbor and at the University of Michigan, and furthermore engage with underground electronic music history in a multidimensional way.

March 22nd 2024
LuzElena Molina-Medina, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Incorporated

The Multicultural Greek Exhibition was an event where various Greek organizations come together and perform traditions like stepping, strolling, saluting, etc. Performances lasted anywhere from 3-8 minutes, depending on how much they would like to showcase. In addition, there were mini-games that included dancing and music in order to engage the audience more.

March 22nd 2024
LuzElena Molina-Medina, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Incorporated

The Multicultural Greek Exhibition was an event where various Greek organizations come together and perform traditions like stepping, strolling, saluting, etc. Performances lasted anywhere from 3-8 minutes, depending on how much they would like to showcase. In addition, there were mini-games that included dancing and music in order to engage the audience more.

March 22nd 2024
LuzElena Molina-Medina, Lambda Theta Alpha Latin Sorority Incorporated

The Multicultural Greek Exhibition was an event where various Greek organizations come together and perform traditions like stepping, strolling, saluting, etc. Performances lasted anywhere from 3-8 minutes, depending on how much they would like to showcase. In addition, there were mini-games that included dancing and music in order to engage the audience more.

March 29th 2024
Diego Felix-Trejo, La Casa

This event was composed of multiple live performances. Performances consisted of a variety of dance groups all representative from different states and regions in Latin America. Dance groups performed Cumbia, Bachata, Reggaeton/Hip Hop, Ballet Folklorico Mexicano, Wepa/Huapango, Ballet Folklorico Peruano, Bomba Puertorriquena, and more. Most of these dance groups are open to the whole community, led by volunteer student instructors. We also had a variety of music groups from student bands and music players, these include solo guitarist, TexMex, Reggae, and more. Apart from dance and music, we also had a Quinceanera Fashion Show. Where students showcased cultural dress traditionally worn during their coming-of-age birthdays.

March 31st 2024
Lauren Billman, YENIKA Editorial

YENIKA Editorial is dedicated to reshaping fashion and culture narratives by embracing and celebrating the histories and futures of global cultures. Our mission is to spotlight the diversity of experiences, stories, and achievements found within various communities. We aim to portray individuals from all walks of life in everyday situations, capturing the universal aspects of joy, success, and the vibrant essence of different cultures. The first edition of our magazine was Edition Bare, which utilized lighting and unique clothing shapes to showcase models in their "bare" form. This means that the focus was on highlighting unique aspects of models' identity and culture that may not first meet the eye. Our magazine strives to differentiate ourselves by highlighting different ethnicities, genders, backgrounds, sizes, and more, with an authentic focus on the person and qualities within.

April 6th 2024
Sally Phan, Generation Asian Pacific American

The GenAPA culture show has been a longstanding tradition at the University of Michigan since 1995. As one of the largest student-run APIA culture shows in the Midwest, the GenAPA culture show focuses on raising awareness and showcasing the richness of Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) culture through student performances. Our show consisted of 12 student groups and solo/duo act performances, each representing a unique aspect of APIA culture.

April 10th 2024
Craig Darnell, Not Even Really Drama Students

Sinner City is a musical that was created and directed by LGBTQ+ students of color. Its story explores the confines of class, familial expectations, and the traditional structure of authored narratives. It asks: how can romance, ambition, and self-determination be truly satisfied when the story is already being authored by the people in power, by one’s parents, and by the author of the narrative itself?

September 30th 2019
Marisol Fila, SPANISH 280: Conversation Through Spanish/Latin American Film

Puerto Rican filmmaker Marisol Gomez Mouakad visited SPA280 class to discuss her film "Angelica" and run a workshop with the class. The workshop presented a discussion on issues of race, gender, and class in Puerto Rico together with the filmmaker's perspective in writing and directing the film. In preparation for the workshop, the students read excerpts from the novel "The Autobiography of My Mother" by Jamaica Kincaid. The filmmaker was inspired by this novel in making the film so the perspective of the novel and the author was put in conversation with the filmmaker's.

Detroit Cinema Field Trip

October 13th 2019
Allison Riccardi, SPANISH 280: Spanish Cinema

Two different groups saw two different films at Cine Mexico, an annual Mexican film festival: "The Gasoline Thieves" and "Our Time." The films opened students' eyes to aspects of Mexican culture that are not typically apparent. They also learned vocabulary specific to Mexico.

October 18th 2019
John Carson, HISTORY 202: Doing History

Four sections of History 202 attended the Isango Ensemble's performance of "A Man of Good Hope", a theatrical piece by a South African company about a Somali refugee. With this event, the class explored various aspects of "Doing History", including the public nature and public face of history. This theatrical piece was very much an example of public history as well as being outside of the US-Europe axis.

October 18th 2019
Naomi Andre, DAAS/RC/WS/Honors 354: Race and Identity in Music

Professor Andre took her music class to a performance of the South African Isango Ensemble's performance of "A Man of Good Hope", a musical adaptation of Jonny Steinberg's novel of the same name. The course looked at representation, music, and identity and focused on several other musical works (Verdi's "Aida", Puccini's "Turandot", Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo alla Turk") including the film "U-Carmen eKhayelitsha", an adaptation of Bizet's Carmen by the Dimpho di Kompane--the group that became the Isango Ensemble.

October 20th 2019
Janet Shier, RCCORE 100: Routes and Roots: Journeys From and To the Self

This First-Year Seminar attended a performance of Isango Ensemble's theater performance of "A Man of Good Hope". The performance enhanced course readings on diaspora and experiencing the Self as Other. This First Year Seminar was taught in the RC Keene Theater and students were led through a number of theater and movement activities designed to make students aware of their own body in space and landscapes of narration. They did some theater exercises based off of the script of this performance before seeing the show.

October 20th 2019
M. Anne Pitcher, AAS 453/PolSci 489-005: Culture, Class, and Conflict in South Africa

The Isango Ensemble is a South African ensemble that performed a musical based on Jonny Steinberg's novel "A Man of Good Hope". The story is about a Somali refugee who initially made his way to South Africa and then onto the United States. The novel addresses immigration, xenophobia, poverty, hope, failure, conflict, and transnational connections. Dr. Pitcher's politics course engaged with many of these themes as well, and relied on short stories as well as scholarly analyses to do so. This was an opportunity for students to see these themes performed by actors, dancers, and musicians who came from highly disadvantaged circumstances but have nonetheless managed to express themselves in creative ways.

A Man of Good Hope and Zauberland

October 20th 2019
Karein Goertz, RCDIV 351: Refugee Narratives

In conjunction with the mini-course "Refugee Narratives" about the representation of refugees in literature and the arts as counter-narratives to journalistic accounts, students attended two UMS performances: "A Man of Good Hope" and "Zauberland". Both UMS performances were about refugees (one the true story of a Somali refugee; the other about a young woman fleeing violence and waiting at the border to Europe) and were discussed in conjunction with course readings (graphic novels, memoirs, novels, and street art) about representations by or about refugees. The live performances engaged students differently, perhaps more viscerally than, the written accounts the role of drama to pull the viewer in is key to understanding the particular contribution of the arts to giving shape to traumatic experience.

October 25th 2019
Vicki Dischler, GERMAN 221/331: Third Semester German

Students attended Zauberland, a theatrical performance in German and English. Alongside Romantic songs written by Robert Schumann, the singer portrayed the difficulties of a pregnant Syrian woman who emigrated to Cologne, Germany. There were 16 modern songs added to the repertoire that intended to raise social consciousness about the plight of 20th-century migration. The class had been working on a major unit on geography and migration, particularly in the German-speaking world. Students wrote a reaction to and summary of the performance in German for their "Adventure with German" activity that focused on applying their German outside of the classroom.

Beading Workshop with Christy Bieber

October 25th 2019
Bethany Hughes, NATIVEAM/AMCULT 204: Indigenous Performance

Indigenous beadwork artist Christy Bieber taught and supervised students in learning basic beading techniques and assisted them in creating their own projects. This Indigenous Performance class was predicated on embodied learning opportunities in relation to Indigenous artists. Students earned course credit for learning this beading technique and can earn further course credit in developing these skills outside of class.

Residency and Exhibition of Elshafei Dafalla Mohamed

October 28th 2019
Toby Millman, Residential College Studio Art Program

The Residential College Studio Art program hosted visiting artist Elshafei Dafalla Mohamed to create a new artwork through a one-week mini-residency. He worked with students on the installation and visited classes to give lectures on his work. Elshafei is a multidisciplinary artist working with sculpture, painting, photography, sound, and installation, currently living in Virginia. He arrived in the US from Sudan as an asylum seeker in 2001 and much of his work deals with human rights and social justice.

Collaboration/Discussion with Neutral Zone

November 7th 2019
Akil Kumarasamy, ENGLISH 342-001: Aesthetics of Resistance: Science Fiction and Social Justice

Professor Kumarasamy and his class worked throughout the semester with the Ann Arbor teenage youth center, Neutral Zone, on a collaborative project that furthered the thematic elements of the class. They looked at artists and scholars who re-envisioned our lives and the implications of imaginative leaps as tools for individual and collective resistance--for example, Adrienne Maree Brown, a Detroit-based activist and writer. She led a reading/discussion during the closing event of the collaboration.

November 23rd 2019
Sara Ahbel-Rappe, Great Books 191

Great Books 191 attended the UMS performance of "Stew & the Negro Problem: Notes of a Native Song." They then compared it to the text, "Notes of a Native Son" and discussed the relationship to Wright's Native Son.

Interviews with Isaac Rosa & Noelia Pena

December 4th 2019
Priscila Calatayud Fernandez, SPANISH 432: Feminist Struggles in Contemporary Spain Through Literature and Film

Students conducted interviews in Spanish with two contemporary Spanish filmmakers and writers via BlueJeans software. The students interviewed the novelist Isaac Rosa about his short stories and the poet Noelia Pena in relation with the creative poetry in her work 'El agua que falta'. Both cultural documents focused on social, political, and economic issues that affected Spain, and Western democracies in general, since the global crisis in 2008 with a special focus on feminism. Therefore, these creative documents helped the students to understand the singular moment Europe and the USA are experiencing right now. In order to organize interviews, students prepared questions and comments in groups to lead the 50-minute discussion and interview with each artist. In this sense, engaged learning and authentic assessment through the arts field of literature and film were the main characteristics and goals of this oral activity.

January 16th 2020
Sascha Crasnow, RCHUMS 334.009: Palestinian Art

This exhibition of contemporary Palestinian artists working with landscape was shown at Holding House in Detroit in January. Students were given a private tour and had a conversation with the exhibition's curator.

Guest Lectures

January 21st 2020
Inderjit Kaur, MUSICOL 122: Introduction to World Music

Profesor Kaur invited specialist speakers and musicians from diverse world musics to speak and perform in the World Music class on different days. A South Korean scholar gave a lecture and three visiting artists demonstrated South Korean strings, flutes, and drums. An Indonesian gamelan scholar and player, Dr. Susan Walton, brought in instruments and presented a lecture and participatory demonstration. A North Indian classical musician gave a presentation on the tabla. All three lectures included a Q&A session.

February 7th 2020
Scott Spector, History 180: Vienna, Prague, Budapest, Berlin: Cultures and Ideologies Past and Present

As part of UMS's series "No Safety Net," a participatory performance experience created by Tania El Khoury and performed by Basel Zaraa at the Humanities Institute and the Arab American National Museum in individual 15-minute interactive experiences references the bureaucratic experience of refugees. The class is designed to stage comparisons between political culture in Central European cities from the end of the 19th century through the aftermath of WWII with contemporary cultural expressions of ideology and politics. Students drew comparison from the regime of refugee policy and management established at the end of WWII and its transformations in the early 21st century. They wrote critical essays on the representation of political issues surrounding the migration, exile, and the refugee crisis in this innovative performance work and in the exhibitions at the Arab American museum.

February 16th 2020
Naomi Andre, DAAS 201: Introduction to Afro-American Studies

The class attended Angelique Kidjo's "Remain in Light" concert sponsored by UMS. This concert was Kidjo's adaptation of the Talking Heads' 1980 album, "Remain in Light". In class, students focused on one of the most iconic songs from this album, "Once in a Lifetime", with an in-depth analysis of this song, its connections to stated African influences, and Kidjo's adaptation. Through the diasporic connections between Talking Heads and Kidjo from Benin, students explored one of the early Western pop groups to claim to integrate African rhythms and influences.

February 21st 2020
Mar Freire Hermida, SPANISH 295: Introduction to Literature, Culture, and the Arts in the Hispanic World

Students attended SMTD's performance of Yerma, a play by Spanish author Frederico Garcia Lorca. The class had discussed how text comes alive in a performance through the decisions made by the play's director extensively with pictures of performances. Attending the play informed class discussions and brought the text to life in brand-new ways.

February 22nd 2020
Lisa Young, ANTHRARC 497: Museum Anthropology

Students took a field trip to the Ziibiwing Center of Anishinaabe Culture and Lifeways, the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Museum/Cultural Center. The students participated in a self-guided tour of the permanent exhibitions at the Center and had the opportunity to ask questions of a museum staff member. Before the trip, students learned about the various critiques of traditional anthropology exhibits through readings and class discussions. As part of these activities, students learned about, saw, and discussed UM Native American dioramas that were on display in the Museum of Natural History. Dioramas were also used at the Ziibiwing Center to represent traditional Anishinaabe lifestyles. After the trip, students wrote a paper comparing the use of dioramas in these two contexts to examine questions of representation, voice, authority, and context.

Poetry Reading and Discussion with Michelle Penaloza

March 30th 2020
Emily Lawsin, WOMENSTD 150-003: Asian/Pacific Islander American Women: 20th Century Writings

In commemoration of both Women's History Month and Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, author Michelle Penaloza spoke to and did a poetry reading for the class virtually via BlueJeans. Penaloza read from her new book of poems, "Former Possessions of the Spanish Empire," which won the 2018 Hillary Gravendyk National Poetry Prize, and discussed her poetry with the class.

Three-Body Problem

April 3rd 2020
SE Kile, ASIAN 353: China Around the World: Power, Politics, and Translation

Following COVID-19 procedures, Dr. Kile sent each student a copy of Liu Cixin's novel "Three-Body Problem," the author of which recently became the first Chinese sci-fi author to be awarded the Hugo Award. This novel brought the conversation in the class into the contemporary moment allowing them to move beyond the development of global politics of literary prizes to the global imagination of science fiction authors. The book also dramatizes a global, united fight against super-intelligent aliens who have highly-developed technology. In the face of such a global threat, national differences melt away as experts from around the world worked together to fight an invisible enemy--a situation that was highly resonant with our own.

Demonstration on Arabic Musical Percussion by Egyptian Performer Karim Nagi

April 8th 2020
Carol Bardenstein, MIDEAST 315: Introduction to Arab Culture

Karim Nagi, an Egyptian musician, percussionist, and dancer, gave an in-class presentation that consisted of both a lecture and demonstration of traditional Arab percussion instruments and rhythms. This was achieved through a mixture of live Zoom calls and pre-recorded workshops by Nagi, even hosting a virtual dance party/presentation that many students and their families engaged in.

Masterclass with Amen-Ra

April 15th 2020
Imani Ma'at Taylor, DANCE 100: Introduction to Dance

DANCE 100 collaborated with master musician and percussionist Marwan Amen-Ra. This project added innovations and created a learning/collaborating atmosphere that promoted courageous and imaginative student behavior and choice-making while developing ways to integrate traditional West African dance, music, culture, and values into the class. This project cultivated, created, enriched, and inspired through dance and dance-making while making powerful innovations here at the University and within the Dance Department.

Visit and demonstration by guest artists

September 15th 2020
Louise K. Stein, MUSICOL 506, 643; Spanish 488: Seminar in Early Hispanic Music

The vihuela, baroque guitar, and baroque harp were the most important solo and accompaniment instruments in early Hispanic music (Spain and Latin America) into the 18th century. The class studied these instruments’ repertoires and use as accompaniment instruments in chamber, church, and theater. Professor Stein invited Eloy Cruz and Xavier Diaz-Latorre to supplement the class’s education on these instruments.

Visit and demonstration by guest artists

September 15th 2020
Louise K. Stein, MUSICOL 506, 643; Spanish 488: Seminar in Early Hispanic Music

The vihuela, baroque guitar, and baroque harp were the most important solo and accompaniment instruments in early Hispanic music (Spain and Latin America) into the 18th century. The class studied these instruments' repertoires and use as accompaniment instruments in chamber, church, and theater. Professor Stein invited Eloy Cruz and Xavier Diaz-Latorre to supplement the class's education on these instruments.

Guest visit from Syrus Marcus Ware

September 22nd 2020
Petra Kuppers, WS 434: Eco/Queer/Feminist Art Practices: Experiential Approaches

Syrus Marcus Ware is an artist and activist involved in the Black Lives Matter movement and Performance Disability Art Collective. Syrus uses painting, installation, and performance to explore social justice framework and black activist culture. Ware offered important and exciting perspectives on contemporary eco arts for the class.

Guest visit from andrea haenggi

September 22nd 2020
Petra Kuppers, WS 434: Eco/Queer/Feminist Art Practices: Experiential Approaches

andrea haenggi’s eco-social art and movement practice (Ethnochoreobotanography) uses embodied fieldwork, dance, written poetic scores, and performance to explore multispecies care, labour, feminism, toxicity, and land and belonging in the face of man-made climate change. haenggi offered important and exciting perspectives on contemporary eco arts for the class.

Guest visit from andrea haenggi

September 22nd 2020
Petra Kuppers, WS 434: Eco/Queer/Feminist Art Practices: Experiential Approaches

andrea haenggi's eco-social art and movement practice (Ethnochoreobotanography) uses embodied fieldwork, dance, written poetic scores, and performance to explore multispecies care, labour, feminism, toxicity, and land and belonging in the face of man-made climate change. haenggi offered important and exciting perspectives on contemporary eco arts for the class.

Guest lecture from Andrew Flory

October 13th 2020
Walter Everett, Theory 435/535: Analysis of African-American Recorded Popular Music

Andrew Flory, Associate Professor at Carleton College, spoke to the class about a Marvin Gaye song and participated in a discussion about their own talk and student presentations relating to Motown music.

Workshop with Sydnie Mosley

October 14th 2020
Clare Croft, DANCE 291: Sophomore Seminar

Dance artist and activist Sydnie Mosley led a workshop that helped students imagine more equitable rehearsal processes based on her leadership of her organization’s work.

Workshop with Sydnie Mosley

October 14th 2020
Clare Croft, DANCE 291: Sophomore Seminar

Dance artist and activist Sydnie Mosley led a workshop that helped students imagine more equitable rehearsal processes based on her leadership of her organization's work.

Guest lecture from Clifton Boyd

October 15th 2020
Walter Everett, Theory 435/535: Analysis of African-American Recorded Popular Music

Clifton Boyd, PhD candidate in Musicology at Yale University and UM alumnus, spoke to the class about a Stevie Wonder song and participated in a discussion about their own talk and student presentations relating to Motown music.

Workshop with Ayana Evans

October 25th 2020
Rebekah Modrak, ARTDES 332: Dressing Up and Down

Working with Stamps and SMTD students and the UM Cheer Team, Ayana Evans visited to create a new artwork as a celebration of black women. Her work involves the labour associated with being a black woman in the United States. This new work is a tribute to black resilience and creativity, as well as being an acknowledgment of the anger, beauty, destruction, and rebuilding of our current times--racially, economically, and mentally. Students in Dressing Up and Down met with Ayana Evans to learn about her work and then constructed eight costumes for this piece based on Evans's drawings and specifications.

Guest lecture from Guthrie Ramsey

November 10th 2020
Walter Everett, Theory 435/535: Analysis of African-American Recorded Popular Music

Guthrie Ramsey, Professor of Music at the University of Pennsylvania, spoke to the class about a Nas album and participated in a discussion about their own talk and student presentations relating to 20th-century hip hop.

Masterclasses

December 1st 2020
Imani Ma'at Taylor, DANCE 100, 127: West African Dance; West African Drum and Healing Sessions

2 world-renowned dance artists hosted a masterclass for both DANCE 100 and 127. With over 35 years of knowledge and experience, the artists offered students a deeper understanding appreciation of African diasporic art and how their holistic teaching style can be used to dismantle racism, discrimination, stereotypes, and biases within academic institutions.

Class visit from Anahita Norouzi and Gisela McDaniel

February 18th 2021
Niloofar Sarlati, CL 422, English 325

Two notable visual artists, Anahita Norouzi and Gisela McDaniel, were invited to speak to the classes about the notion of storytelling in their works of art.Their works address questions of displacement, memory, violence, trauma, and storytelling.

Virtual visits from Ingrid Laubrock & Nicole Mitchell

March 2nd 2021
Marc Hannaford, Theory 460/560: Beyond Boundaries: Radical Black Experimental Music

Ingrid Laubrock and Nicole Mitchell, leading improvisers/teachers, each virtually led one workshop/discussion for the course. Laubrock talked about Anthony Braxton, and Mitchell talked about her own music, which covers feminist iterations fo Afro-futurism. Both sessions gave students insider access to the music and figures covered in those meetings.

Essence of Hip Hop Workshop Series: Mother Nature

March 3rd 2021
Elisandra Rosario, Introduction to Hip Hop, Essence of Groove

This series brought multiple artists to engage with the class through workshops and discussions revolving around hip hop culture and social dance forms with similar influences. Artists spoke on their own experience and perspectives.

Essence of Hip Hop Workshop Series

March 10th 2021
Elisandra Rosario, Introduction to Hip Hop, Essence of Groove

This series brought multiple artists, such as Mother Nature and Monty, to engage with the class through workshops and discussions revolving around hip hop culture and social dance forms with similar influences. Artists spoke on their own experience and perspectives.

Essence of Hip Hop Workshop Series: Emcee Monty

March 10th 2021
Elisandra Rosario, Introduction to Hip Hop, Essence of Groove

This series brought multiple artists to engage with the class through workshops and discussions revolving around hip hop culture and social dance forms with similar influences. Artists spoke on their own experience and perspectives.

Essence of Hip Hop Workshop Series: Krystal Collins

March 12th 2021
Elisandra Rosario, Introduction to Hip Hop, Essence of Groove

This series brought multiple artists to engage with the class through workshops and discussions revolving around hip hop culture and social dance forms with similar influences. Artists spoke on their own experience and perspectives.

Essence of Hip Hop Workshop Series: AMS./DJ Vader

March 24th 2021
Elisandra Rosario, Introduction to Hip Hop, Essence of Groove

This series brought multiple artists to engage with the class through workshops and discussions revolving around hip hop culture and social dance forms with similar influences. Artists spoke on their own experience and perspectives.

3 Guest Performers

April 1st 2021
Louise Stein, MUSICOL 506, 643; Spanish 488: Seminar in Early Hispanic Music

Three guest performers were brought in to supplement lectures. Professor Eloy Cruz focused on the circulation of tunes and dances in the 16th-18th centuries and how they became integrated into the vernacular styles of Mexican music. Alejandro Vera spoke about the institutions that supported music in the early colonial period in Latin America. Javier Marin Lopez's research concerns the circulation of music and musicians in the colonial epoch.

Class visits from BIPOC opera performers

April 1st 2021
Louise Stein, MUSICOL 130, 346: OPERA!

To enrich students' learning about the opera industry, a series visits featuring nonwhite performers from the world of professional opera production were brought to the class, including Ray M. Wade, Jr., and Dr. Howard Watkins.

Demonstration on Arabic Musical Percussion and Folk Dance

April 5th 2021
Carol Bardenstein, MIDEAST 315: Introduction to Arab Culture

Karim Nagi, an Egyptian musician, percussionist, and dancer, was invited to give an in-class presentation that mixed lecture and demonstrations of traditional Arab percussion instruments and rhythms. Class participation was encouraged in creating percussion and learning segments of Egyptian folk-dance.

Guest visit from Clifton Boyd

October 25th 2021
Walter Everett, Music Theory 460, 560: Analysis of African-American Recorded Popular Music

Music theorist and Yale PhD candidate Clifton Boyd visited Professor Everett's class to discuss a song by Stevie Wonder.

Guest visit from Clifton Boyd

October 25th 2021
Walter Everett, Music Theory 460, 560: Analysis of African-American Recorded Popular Music

Clifton Boyd, music theorist and Yale PhD candidate, came in to discuss a song by Stevie Wonder with the class.

Guest visit with performance artist Carmelita Tropicana

October 26th 2021
Clare Croft , AMCULT 300: Practices in American Culture

Performance artist Carmelita Tropicana visited the class, performing a short excerpt of one of her works. She then led a class discussion about José Esteban Muñoz's "theory of disidentifications," which he defines using Tropicana's work. This visit was part of a unit on how social theories can be used to study pop culture and art; this day in particular focused on how theorists and artists can be in reciprocal relationships.

Guest lecture by Virginia Grise

November 2nd 2021
Ashley Lucas, LATINOAM 311/RCHUMS 334/THTREMUS 399: Latina/o Theatre for Social Change

Virginia Grise is an internationally-known artist in the field of Latinx theatre for social change who addresses themes such as feminism, racism, body positivity, and more: her direct interaction with students contributed greatly to students learning through theatre practice. In this event, which was open to the public, she spoke about a play she produced with women in the Arizona prison.

Workshop with visiting artist Carmelita Tropicana

November 2nd 2021
Holly Hughes, INTERPERF 160: Interarts Performance Forum

Acclaimed performance artist Carmelita Tropicana, Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of the Creative Capital Grant, visited the class to lead a workshop. She gave a brief talk about her work then led the class in a few performance exercises. She introduced a wide range of approaches to performance, expanding the students’ exposure to the field; she also addressed her experiences as a queer, Latinx immigrant to teach the class about intersectional backgrounds and how they influence her work.

Workshop with visiting artist Carmelita Tropicana

November 2nd 2021
Holly Hughes, INTERPERF 160: Interarts Performance Forum

Acclaimed performance artist Carmelita Tropicana, Guggenheim Fellow and recipient of the Creative Capital Grant, visited the class to lead a workshop. She gave a brief talk about her work then led the class in a few performance exercises. She introduced a wide range of approaches to performance, expanding the students' exposure to the field; she also addressed her experiences as a queer, Latinx immigrant to teach the class about intersectional backgrounds and how they influence her work.

Guest speaker visit with Noriko Manabe

November 29th 2021
Walter Everett, Music Theory 460, 560: Analysis of African-American Recorded Popular Music

Noriko Manabe, Associate Professor of Music Studies at Temple University and researcher of social interactions with music in the U.S. and Japan, came in to speak about a song by Kendrick Lamar.

Guest Lecture with Rajiv Mohabir

October 5th 2022
Aliyah Khan, AAS 411 (Caribbean Religions: Creole Spiritualities from Vodou to Islam)

Poet Rajiv Mohabir came in to discuss his translated poetic text "Lalbihari Sharma: Holi Songs of Demerara," with the students.

October 21st 2022
Kathleen Wroblewski, HISTORY 318 (Europe in the Era of Total War)

A ballet performance of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring that has been reinterpreted by the École des Sables of Senegal.

October 21st 2022
Naomi Silver, LSWA 125 (College writing: crossing borders)

This is a performance of Pina Bausch's interpretation of Nijinsky's ballet The Rite of Spring, performed by a pan-African dance company, and paired with a duet choreographed and performed by a veteran dancer in Bausch's company and the founder of the Senegalese dance company Ecoles des Sables. I will take my class to see this performance as a required course event.

October 21st 2022
Vera Irwin, German 310 (Cultural Immersion)

Students will learn about the legendary German choreographer Pina Bausch as a part of a larger unit that will combine a documentary on Pina Bausch directed by famous German filmmaker Wim Wenders with the visit to the performance of "The Rite of Spring" choreographed by Pina Bausch and performed by a dance group lead by one of Pina Bausch's students.

October 21st 2022
Janum Sethi, Phil 196 (Art and aesthetic experience)

It gave students the chance to have an aesthetic experience to which to apply the readings and questions from class. It also allowed them to think about the similarities and differences between dance and the other art forms we have been discussing.

November 2nd 2022
Catherine Brown, COMPLIT 141 (Great Performances)

Musicians from the Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil in Detroit visited to discuss and demonstrate mariachi traditions.

November 2nd 2022
Catherine Brown, COMPLIT 141 (Great Performances)

Musicians from the Ballet Folklórico Estudiantil in Detroit visited to discuss and demonstrate mariachi traditions.

Step Afrika!

March 12th 2023
Naomi Silver, LSWA 226 (Telling Stories)

This is a UMS performance by Step Afrika! From the UMS website: Step Afrika! is "the first professional dance company dedicated to the tradition of stepping." "The company blends percussive dance styles practiced by historically African American fraternities and sororities, traditional West and Southern African dances, and an array of contemporary dance and art forms."

Step Afrika!

March 12th 2023
Madhumita Lahiri, ENG 290 (Bollywood)

We attended Step Afrika!'s UMS performance.

Kate Rubin Guest lecture/prison workshop

March 23rd 2023
Ashley Lucas, THTRMUS/RCHUMS 335 (Theatre & Incarceration)

Kate answered student questions about her work with WHoS and lead a workshop in theatre games and facilitation. She then visited three workshops facilitated by students in the class.

Visiting Artist Jide Aje

March 29th 2023
Toby Millman, RCARTS 250 (Printmaking and Cellblock Prints)

Detroit-based painter from Lagos, Nigeria, Jide Aje, will present his work and how he adapted his paintings to print form through leading two monoprint workshops: one with each of my two Printmaking sections.

March 30th 2023
Henry Stoll, MUSICOL 407/507 (Music of the Caribbean)

I am proposing to bring the Detroit-based Caribbean band, Universal Xpression, to campus to perform a one-hour concert for my students and members of the UMich community. I have asked them to perform in multiple Caribbean genres so as to expose my students to a range of musical idioms.

August 30th 2023
Stephen Rush, PAT 212 (Digital Music Ensemble)

I had Rochelle Danquah, a professor at Wayne State University and Oakland University, come lecture to the students about the history of the Underground Railroad in SE Michigan.

September 19th 2023
Ashley Lucas, LATINOAM 311/RCHUMS 334.008/THTREMUS 399.012 (Latina/o Theatre for Social Change)

Playwright/actor Alex Alpharaoh visited my class, talked to my students about his play WET: A DACAMENTED JOURNEY, and taught them about the process of writing a piece of theatre for social change.

September 23rd 2023
Scott Beal, LSWA 125 (Writing About Arts and Resistance)

We visited various locations in Detroit to see art, with a focus on street art and graffiti, but also included some gallery art. We met with an established graffiti artist and muralist with high-profile murals in Dequindre Cut, Eastern Market, and Lincoln St. Art Park (Fel3000ft). Students were encouraged to take photos and to choose one work of street art seen on the tour to write an essay about for class.

Guest lecture and art exhibition

October 10th 2023
Elizabeth Goodenough, RCHUMS 337 (Children Under Fire)

Yelena Lembersky will travel to UM (her alma mater) from Boston to present to the class and interact personally with students and other attendees around her experiences. She will show the art of Felix Lembersky, her grandfather, discuss her recent co-authored memoir, and host an exhibition.

October 10th 2023
Elizabeth Goodenough, RCHUMS 337 (Children Under Fire)

Yelena Lembersky traveled to UM (her alma mater) from Boston to present to the class and interact personally with students and other attendees around her experiences. She showed the art of Felix Lembersky, her grandfather, discussed her recent co-authored memoir, and hosted an exhibition.

October 24th 2023
Kiana Cook, DANCE 100.0012 (Intro to Krump)

The class hosted guest artist, Jerwaun "Renegade" Suddun, to teach a Krump foundation class with Reggie "Banga" Williams as serving as a live DJ. Renegade is one of the leaders of Michigan's Krump community with over 10 years of experience in Krump culture. Reggie "Banga" Williams is Michigan-based Krump dance practitioner and Krump music producer having won a national Krump producer competition.

November 3rd 2023
Christianne Myers, THTREMUS 270 (Costume Design 1)

The class attended a performance by DakhaBrakha as part of the UMS season. Additionally, students collaboratively read chapters from Camille Benda's book, "Dressing the Resistance" and she gave a guest lecture in my course.

November 8th 2023
Fangfei Miao, DANCE 444, DANCE 103 (Dance Across Borders; Tai Chi Fusion Contemporary Physical Practice)

Kate Jewett, the rehearsal director of Shen Wei Dance Arts who has worked with Shen for almost 20 years, had a three day residency (Nov.6-8) at the U-M Department of Dance and set his masterpiece Map (excerpt) for the students as well as teach two workshops of Shen's dance technique. The department of dance students presented a studio-based showing of Map on Nov.8. Seen as "one of the greatest artists of our time" by New York Times, Shen Wei is a world-renowned Chinese-American choreographer, painter, and visual artist who has won numerous awards including the MacArthur “Genius Grant” and Nijinsky Award for Emerging Choreographer.

November 13th 2023
Rebekah Modrak, ARTDES 115 (Studio 2D)

The class engaged in a week-long workshop with University of North Texas Arts Education Professor Nadine Kalin. Professor Kalin calls for recommitment towards the politics of critical creativity for the public good, and argues for the harnessing of creativity to rethink society.

The Art of Musical Protest

November 15th 2023
Derek Vaillant, COMM 490 (Music and Meditation)

The class attended a concert with students of a musical artist known for political activism within the artistic space and public arena. The genres included folk, rap & hip-hop, etc.

November 15th 2023
Sara Awartani, AMCULT 103-002 (Latinx Freedom Dreams)

Marisal Vera (novelist) and Alyssa Vera (playwright and reproductive justice activist) are a mother/daughter duo from Puerto Rican Chicago. Alyssa (in-person) and Marisel (joining virtually) hosted a participatory theater workshop based on their play, You Can’t Cover the Sky With Your Hand, on Wednesday, November 15 at 2 PM. The workshop, open to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the general public, emphasized lived experiences, and the building and embodying of new worlds and new ways of moving, beyond just wrestling with our own oppressions.

November 15th 2023
Cat Cassel, WRITING 160 (Small Wonders)

Things Hidden Since the Foundation of the World is a multimedia, genre-crossing/bending performance. I incorporated this performance into my curriculum by taking my Writing 160: Multimodal Composition Students to this performance into my class.

February 15th 2024
Endi Poskovic, ARTDES 443 and ARTDES 220 (ARTDES 443 Hybrid Printmedia and 2. ARTDES 220 Second Year Studio)

This project is a creative collaboration between students in my two classes ARTDES 443 Hybrid Printmedia-Expanded Practices, and ARTDES 220 Second Years Studio and a visiting artist and Stamps alumna currently based in Detroit Katie Mongoven, who will jointly produce a series of experimental works informed by the artist’s work