U-M Creative Currents

In this episode of U-M Creative Currents, host Mark Clague welcomes award-winning documentary filmmaker, Associate Dean of Research and Professor of Documentary Practices at London College of Communication, Pratāp Rughani, to discuss his latest film installation and exhibition: Impossible Conversations.

The episode examines the complexities of restorative justice and the personal transformations that can arise when individuals with strongly opposing ideologies find a way to communicate. 

[Trigger Warning: This episode discusses themes of gun violence, white supremacy, hate crimes, and the 2012 Oak Creek Sikh Temple shooting. Listener discretion is advised.]

In part II, we’ll talk with ARIA recipient for this project and filmmaker, U-M Professor David Chung, who helped bring this film to life and to U-M’s Stamps Gallery. 

• Impossible Conversations exhibition
• Learn more about the ARIA program
• More on Pratāp Rughani
• More on David Chung

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

In today’s episode of U-M Creative Currents, we’re diving into the inspiring journey of two talented University of Michigan graduates—Anna Baumgarten ('15), writer and director, and Danny Mooney ('08), producer. Their award-winning feature film Disfluency is making waves on the film festival circuit and is gearing up for its wider release in theaters and on streaming platforms.

Disfluency follows Jane, a college student who, after failing her final class, returns to her family’s lake house to grapple with the trauma that derailed her senior year. As she confronts her past, she uncovers the complex layers of her emotional struggles. With over 12 U-M alumni contributing to the crew, this deeply personal project highlights the power of collaboration and storytelling.

Tune in to hear Anna and Danny discuss the creative process, the impact of their U-M education, and what it takes to bring a powerful, personal story to the screen.

• Learn more about Disfluency 
• Watch the trailer
• Follow @DisfluencyMovie, @TheDannyMooney, @AnnaBellaBaum, & @LibeBarer on Instagram

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

Today on U-M Creative Currents, you’ll learn all about how musicals get made. In this episode, we’re spotlighting one of our “Arts Research: Incubation & Acceleration” (ARIA) grant projects: Perpetual Sunshine & The Ghost Girls, a new musical theater work that tackles the exploitation of women workers in the early 20th century.

Mark talked with playwright-lyricist, Sara Cooper, whose recent works include the Broadway-bound show Silver Linings Playbook and HoT, and Lynne Shankel, a faculty member with School of Music, Theater and Dance (SMTD) and a fantastic composer, orchestrator, and music supervisor whose Broadway credits include the shows Allegiance and Crybaby. 

• Learn more about ARIA
• Learn more about Lynne Shankel
• Learn more about Sara Cooper

saracooper.me

lynneshankel.com

https://www.lynneshankel.com/works/perpetual-sunshine-the-ghost-girls

https://research.umich.edu/arts-research-incubation-acceleration-aria/ 

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

Today on U-M Creative Currents, you’ll learn all about “social practice artist,” cultural strategist, and curator Philippa Hughes. The concept for this “social sculpture” exhibit, open at UMMA now through February 9, 2025, started in Hughes D.C. home in 2016. Hughes developing relational and creative experiences are aimed at strengthening democracy and repairing the social fabric of our country one conversation at a time. 

Hughes "Hey, We Need to Talk!" exhibition embodies the four pillars of flourishing outlined in U-M Professor Jenna Bednar's research – community, sustainability, dignity, and beauty. 

The exhibition runs at UMMA now through February 9, 2025. Listen today!

• Learn more about Hey, We Need to Talk!

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

From making a personal voting plan and getting registered to vote, Mark Clague walks through the 2024 election hub at UMMA with Professors Stephanie Rowden and Hannah Smotrich to discuss the nonpartisan Creative Campus Voting Project on this episode of U-M Creative Currents.

Since 2018, the pair have been utilizing behavioral science insights and art and design to expand access to voting, create meaningful lifetime experiences for first-time voters, and demystify the overall voting process.

The UMMA space is open now for registration and early voting. 

• Learn more about the Creative Campus Voting Project
• Take the voter quiz
• Learn more about the VOTE AT UMMA project

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

We're thrilled to have Andrew Kohler, Alfred and Jane Wolin Managing Editor, and Jacob Kerzner, Associate Editor, from the Gershwin Initiative join us on U-M Creative Currents to talk about the Gershwin brothers' musical masterpiece, Of Thee I Sing, taking stage November 3 at the Michigan Theater. With narration delivered by NPR and New York Times music journalist and U-M Arts Journalism Fellow Anastasia Tsioulcas, this very special election year presentation is one-night only.

Of Thee I Sing is a joint production and collaboration between Marquee Arts and the Gershwin Initiative at U-M, made possible through the generous support of the U-M Arts Initiative, Michigan Medicine, and Arbor Brewing Company. 

Visit marquee-arts.org for tickets and additional information.

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

Tune in now for an inspiring conversation with U-M student Lauren Horne, a rising senior majoring in film and screenwriting in LSA's Department of Film, Television, and Media. As the co-president of the Black Film Society and a multifaceted artist, Lauren shares her journey from small-town Georgia to becoming a leader in Michigan's campus arts community.

In this episode, we explore:

• The mission and impact of the Black Film Society
• Lauren's experience performing in "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow is Enuf"
• The Art Outta Town Program at U-M, and more!

Discover how the arts are empowering students, fostering community, and amplifying diverse voices at the University of Michigan. Whether you're a film enthusiast, aspiring artist, or simply curious about campus culture, this episode offers valuable insights into the transformative power of creativity in higher education.

Learn more about: 

• Basement Arts 
• Art Outta Town
• The Black Film Society
• Follow @black_film_society on Instagram

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

On this episode of U-M Creative Currents, a podcast from the University of Michigan's Arts Initiative, host Mark Clague, a professor of musicology and arts leadership at U-M, is joined by a special guest, Matthew VanBesien, president of the acclaimed University Musical Society (UMS). VanBesien offers his unique perspective from leading one of the nation's oldest university-based performing arts presenters.

Founded in 1879, the historic UMS brings world-class music, dance, and theater to the University of Michigan’s campus and surrounding community. Matthew shares insights into the mission and multifaceted role UMS plays, serving students across all disciplines - from music, theater and dance majors to those studying engineering, medicine, history and more.

The conversation delves into what first drew Matthew, with his distinguished global arts leadership career, to the university setting after leading renowned organizations like the New York Philharmonic. He discusses the compelling opportunities and nuances of arts programming and engagement on a college campus.

Matthew offers a window into the big ideas and innovative initiatives UMS is currently pursuing, highlighting key programs that could serve as models for peer institutions. The dialogue also touches on Matthew's own personal journey into arts leadership and his perspectives on why the arts are vital within a major research university.

Learn more about UMS.

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation on U-M Creative Currents, a podcast from the University of Michigan's Arts Initiative. In this episode, host Mark Clague sits down with Christina Olsen, Director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art (UMMA).

With over 25 years of leadership experience at major museums and foundations like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Tina offers a unique perspective on the vital role the arts play within a university setting.

In a wide-ranging discussion, Tina and Mark explore the mission and impact of UMMA on the campus and the surrounding community. They delve into how university museums differ from civic institutions, and how UMMA serves students across diverse disciplines, from art and design to literature, science, and beyond.

Tina shares her personal journey into the arts world and what drew her to arts leadership. She provides insight into the big ideas and challenges UMMA is currently grappling with, as well as innovative programs that could serve as models for other institutions.

Whether you're an art lover, a University of Michigan student, or simply curious about the intersection of arts and academia, this engaging episode promises to illuminate the enduring value of the arts within a major research university.

• Learn more about UMMA 
• Follow UMMA on Instagram
• Learn more about Paul Farber
• Learn more about Cannupa Hanska: GIFT

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival

In this episode of Creative Currents, we sit down with 2022-2024 University of Michigan President Santa J. Ono to explore the role of the arts in his life and in the life of the university. A scientist, scholar, and accomplished cellist, President Ono shares how music shaped his path, how the arts continue to inspire him, and why he believes they are essential to a world-class education.

President Ono also reflects on his favorite musical works, the transformative power of the arts, and the joy of participating in U-M’s vibrant cultural community.

Listen now for an inspiring conversation that highlights why the arts matter—for individuals, for students, and for the university as a whole.

• Subscribe to the Arts Initiative Newsletter
• Checkout our website
• Learn more about the Michigan Arts Festival