The University Musical Society (UMS) and the City of Ypsilanti continue their exciting partnership with a four-week residency in September 2023 featuring expanded programming for Ypsilanti residents, families, and schoolchildren.
A community-informed programming process is the catalyst for this dynamic residency in an effort to continue activating the unique and historic civic space for performances, arts learning and participation, and creative exploration. Additional residencies are being planned for April 2024 and September 2024.
A successful pilot residency week in April 2023 featured nine unique programs — all free or Pay What You Wish — and brought together multi-generational audiences from Ypsilanti and beyond, with enthusiasm and energy from artists and audiences alike.
These residencies are a natural extension of UMS’s engagement in Ypsilanti over the past several years. At the Freighthouse, UMS presented the International Contemporary Ensemble in a Secret Show in 2018 and dancer Caleb Teicher in 2019, as well as an interactive event related to Parable Path A2Ypsi, which was developed in conjunction with the theatrical presentation of The Parable of the Sower by Toshi Reagon in March 2022. Additional partnerships have included free You Can Dance workshops at the Riverside Arts Center, a post-pandemic series of workshops for teens with Corner Health, and providing dance instruction for summer camps at the Parkridge Community Center in 2022 and 2023.
Cayenne Harris, UMS Vice President of Learning and Engagement noted, “On the heels of our April pilot residency we are buoyed by the extraordinarily warm response from the Ypsilanti community to our initial offerings. This September we’re back for a month of arts programming at the Freighthouse, developed in response to feedback from residents.”
As part of the Freighthouse residency, UMS will prioritize access for Ypsilanti residents through both early registration for free ticketed events and a pay-what-you-wish structure for live performances. A full schedule of the September residency follows; tickets and registration will be available on Tuesday, July 25, 2023 for Ypsilanti residents, and will open up more broadly on Tuesday, August 15.
“The City of Ypsilanti is thrilled to welcome UMS back to the Freighthouse. We continue to support this work and build a lasting partnership that will support the Ypsilanti arts community”, said Frances McMullan, Ypsilanti City Manager.
The Ypsilanti Freighthouse residency is made possible with support from Menakka and Essel Bailey, Matt and Nicole Lester, and the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan. Family programs are sponsored by C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.
For the lineup and more information, click HERE
