UMS Residency With Yo-Yo Ma to Feature "Day of Action" in Flint

The University Musical Society (UMS) is hosting a residency with acclaimed cellist Yo-Yo Ma that will take place February 27-28, 2019 in Ann Arbor and Flint. The residency includes Ma's talk in Hill Auditorium on "Culture, Understanding, and Survival" as well as a "Day of Action" in Flint, MI, with the theme "Flint Voices: Culture, Community, and Resilience." Through this day-long set of activities, 30 Flint-based organizations will participate in a strategy session led by Yo-Yo Ma, as well as a Community Cultural Showcase, which is open to the public.

The residency is made possible with support from the University of Michigan­­–Flint's Office of the Chancellor and Office of the Provost, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Hagerman Foundation, and the Ruth Mott Foundation.

Ma's visit to Michigan comes in the midst of his Bach Project, a two-year journey to perform Johann Sebastian Bach's six suites for solo cello in 36 locations around the world, performances that Ma sees as part of a much larger conversation about culture's role in society. In each Bach Project location, Ma and his team partner with artists and culture makers, cultural and community organizations, and leaders from across sectors to design conversations, collaborations, and performances — his "Days of Action."

"Culture matters because it helps us connect and understand one another. And it's only through connection and understanding that we can create strong, inclusive, and resilient communities and build a better future. I have watched with the nation as Flint has done just that," says Yo-Yo Ma. The Day of Action will explore how culture has raised the city's many voices, forging a strong community and a shared, forward-looking narrative for Flint.

The two-day residency kicks off with Ma in conversation on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 at 7 pm in Hill Auditorium (Ann Arbor). In this presentation, Ma will discuss his role as a citizen artist, addressing the vital role of culture and the arts and sciences in our society, and how we can all come together to work as "cultural citizens." Exploring how culture can help us to imagine and build a better future, he will draw on examples from his own life as a musician and citizen, illustrating his points with music and images.

The talk will be followed on Thursday, February 28, 2019 by the Day of Action in Flint, where Ma will work with community partners to champion culture's power to transform lives and forge both a more connected world and a healthy and vibrant local community. The Day of Action will begin with a community strategy session with Ma and a group of cultural leaders, culture makers, and other community and civic leaders. Using the "Strategic Doing" methodology, which enables leaders to design and guide new networks that generate innovative solutions to wide-ranging problems, participants will explore how culture can raise all voices in Flint and build a more inclusive and resilient community.  The goal of the session is to find new opportunities for collaborations across Flint's cultural communities and organizations.  This invitation-only event will be held at the Sylvester Broome Empowerment Village, a large space in Flint devoted to the developmental needs of north Flint's youth population who have been deemed "at risk." The space is dedicated for learning, developing, leading, and investing in children and youth through employment, community health, and community engagement.

The Day of Action continues from 4-6 pm with a celebration of Flint's artistic and cultural communities in a community cultural showcase hosted by Ma at the historic Berston Field House, a 1923 building that offers athletics, arts, education, classes, and social services to Flint community members. The showcase will feature a wide spectrum of performances that show off Flint's vitality, diversity, and artistry. This event is an open and inclusive community celebration culminating in food and fellowship.  (Berston Field House, 3300 N. Saginaw Street Flint, Michigan, 48505. This event is free and open to the public, until capacity is reached.) Friends of Berston Executive Director Bryant Nolden noted, "We are extremely excited that Yo-Yo Ma has chosen the Flint Community for one of his Days of Action, and we're so honored to be a community sponsor and host site for this event. We look forward to inviting others in the community in to see what kinds of special events happen at Berston on a daily basis, and to showcase both the facility and our incredible cultural community to a wider audience."

Throughout the day, Ma will be accompanied by one of Flint's hometown heroes: songwriter and recording artist Tunde Olaniran. Tunde is a driving creative force in Flint and a beloved fixture in the Detroit music scene. A recipient of the prestigious United States Artists fellowship, his breakout single "Namesake" was featured in commercials for Motorola, Chevy, and the Apple iPhone 8, and his 2015 breakthrough debut album garnered critical praise from outlets as wide-ranging as the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Jezebel, Pitchfork, Afropunk, and more.

UMS President Matthew VanBesien, who has worked with Ma countless times over the past two decades, explained UMS's involvement in this project: "Yo-Yo Ma is truly a unique individual. He is one of the great thinkers in our field, able to connect with people on a personal level and constantly wondering how he can use his abilities to build a better future. When he approached us about wanting to do one of his 'Days of Action' in Flint, we were thrilled to be involved. We have enjoyed building new partnerships in the Flint community, and we look forward to a long-lasting relationship with them that extends well beyond this residency."

Flint community members are playing an active role in developing the Day of Action and welcoming Ma to Flint. This extraordinary group of individuals and organizations includes African Drum and Dance, Berston Field House, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Flint, C.S. Mott Foundation, Communities First, Inc., Ed Morrison and Strategic Doing, El Ballet Folklorico Estudiantil, Factory Two, Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, Flint Area Chapter of The Links, Inc., Flint Cultural Center Corporation, Flint Fresh Food Hub, Flint Institute of Music, Flint Neighborhoods United, Flint Public Art Project, Friends of Berston Field House, Greater Flint Arts Council, The Hagerman Foundation, Mayor's Office of the City of Flint, McCree Theatre, Natasha Thomas-Jackson, Rachel Bendit, Ruth Mott Foundation, Sphinx Organization, Tapology, The Community Foundation of Greater Flint (Lisa Graham and Lynn Williams), University of Michigan Regent Michael J. Behm, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, University of Michigan-Flint (Chancellor Susan Borrego, Provost Susan Alcock), and Wallace House of the University of Michigan. The project is continuing to evolve through a series of planning meetings hosted by the University Musical Society and the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

"Flint is a place where resilient and talented people have used creativity, arts, culture, and activism to shape the life of the city for a long time," noted community organizer and artist Natasha Thomas-Jackson, who is curating the Day of Action Community Cultural Showcase. "So, it makes a lot of sense to me that Yo-Yo Ma would choose Flint to host a Day of Action. This day is a wonderful opportunity for our community to explore how we can better cultivate a culture of inclusion, accessibility, and diversity in both large institutions and small grassroots organizations. It's also an opportunity for the many brilliant artists in our city to collaborate with and perform alongside Yo-Yo Ma. I am excited to see the intentional action steps and the amazing performances that come out of this day."

Sue Alcock, Interim Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at the University of Michigan­–Flint commented, "It is exhilarating to form part of an inspiring project that seeks to heal and bring people together. Arts and culture have long played a key role in how we have imagined and built our past, present, and now, our future, and we're elated that Yo-Yo Ma wants to shine a spotlight on the strong and talented community that is Flint."

University of Michigan President Mark S. Schlissel added, "The University of Michigan is honored to partner with the Flint community and UMS to bring Yo-Yo Ma to our state. This wonderful residency will celebrate and promote a broader understanding of one of our nation's most important communities."

For more information about the residency and tickets to the talk, visit ums.org/dayofaction or call 734.764.2538.

ABOUT YO-YO MA'S BACH PROJECT:
These events are part of Yo-Yo Ma's Bach Project. For Ma, Bach's 300-year-old music is one extraordinary example of how culture connects us and can help us to imagine and build a better future, but he believes there are many, many more. And for Ma, culture includes not just the arts, but everything that helps us to understand our environment, each other, and ourselves — from music and literature to science and food. The Bach Project explores and celebrates all the ways that culture makes us stronger as individuals, as communities, as society, and as a planet.

ABOUT YO-YO MA'S DAYS OF ACTION:
These public events and creative experiences are different in every location; they aspire to local relevance and global significance; they demonstrate culture's power to create positive change; they inspire new relationships, connect partners across locations, and ask us all to keep culture at the center of our efforts to build a shared future.

ABOUT UMS
A recipient of the 2014 National Medal of Arts, UMS (also known as the University Musical Society) contributes to a vibrant cultural community by connecting audiences with performing artists from around the world in uncommon and engaging experiences. One of the oldest performing arts presenters in the country, UMS is an independent non-profit organization affiliated with U-M, presenting over 70 music, theater, and dance performances by professional touring artists each season, along with over 100 free educational activities. UMS is committed to bold artistic leadership, engaged learning through the arts, and access and inclusiveness. Since 1990, the organization has co-commissioned and supported the production of nearly 80 new or reimagined works. Matthew VanBesien became the organization's seventh president in July 2017.

SPONSORS
This residency is made possible with support from the University of Michigan–Flint Office of the Chancellor and the University of Michigan­–Flint Office of the Vice Provost. Additional support is provided by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, The Hagerman Foundation, and the Ruth Mott Foundation. Additionally, the Community Foundation of Greater Flint has provided invaluable support as a convening partner.