Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series Returns to Live Events
On March 24, 2022, the Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Speaker Series will return to live, in-person events at the Michigan Theater in downtown Ann Arbor.
Established with the generous support of alumna Penny W. Stamps (1944−2018), the speaker series brings respected leaders and innovators from a broad spectrum of creative fields to Ann Arbor to conduct weekly public lectures and engagements.
Three in-person events will commence March 24 and complete the current season offering compelling speakers from diverse backgrounds sharing insights and innovations. All events begin at 5:30pm on Thursdays at the Michigan Theater and are free to attend. The line-up includes:
March 24: Lydia Lunch with Joseph Keckler
Lydia Lunch is a writer, musician, photographer, controversial spoken word artist, and one of the primary instigators of the “No Wave” movement of the late 1970’s in New York City. Her work typically features provocative and confrontational noise music delivery (she was the lead guitarist and singer of Teenage Jesus and the Jerks, an influential No Wave band), and has maintained an anti-commercial ethic, operating independently of major labels and distributors.
Lunch will be interviewed by Joseph Keckler, a former U‑M Witt Artist, musician, and writer.
March 31: Pamela Z
Pamela Z is a composer/performer and media artist who works primarily with voice, live electronic processing, sampled sound, and video. A pioneer of live digital looping techniques, she processes her voice in real time to create dense, complex sonic layers. Her solo works combine experimental extended vocal techniques, operatic bel canto, found objects, text, digital processing, and wireless MIDI controllers that allow her to manipulate sound with physical gestures.
April 7: David Droga
Rounding out the series is David Droga, chief executive officer and creative chairman of Accenture Interactive. Appointed to his role in August 2021, David brings unrivaled creativity to the heart of the business. He is also a member of Accenture’s Global Management Committee. Prior to that, David founded Droga5, a creative and strategic agency headquartered in New York with offices in London and Tokyo. Founded in 2006, Droga5 has been named Agency of the Year more than 25 times, Ad Age A‑List Agency of the Year in 2021 and was named Adweek Agency of the Decade in April 2020 and December 2019. Droga5 has been part of Accenture since being acquired in 2019.
Chrisstina Hamilton, director of the speaker series, notes that the signature event continued on through the uncertainties of the pandemic with online offerings. She is pleased that both speakers and audience members will have a chance to interact together beginning March 24.
In her words, “We are thrilled to return the series to its home at the Michigan Theater and gather together again to share an experience in real time and space. While we have found many new methods of connecting during the pandemic, there is no substitute for the vitality, spontaneity and cultural bond created in the live theatrical moment.”
For more information on the speaker series, visit pennystampsevents.org.