Join us for an engaging symposium exploring the intersection of arts and entrepreneurship at Stamps Auditorium at the University of Michigan on March 19, 2025. Refreshments will be served at 6:30pm followed by the event at 7:30pm.
The symposium features a talk on navigating the global arts industry, a Q&A session moderated by Mark Clague, U-M Arts Initiative Executive Director, and a live-streamed Zoom conversation with international artists and creative entrepreneurs, Nadine Baboy, Jonathon Sawdon, & Alexandria Wood. The event culminates with the presentation of the 2023 Emerging Artist Award in Dance to Briana from the SMTD Alumni Society.
Registration:
Click here to RSVP for the Symposium.
Or…
Unable to attend in person? Click here to see the livestream.
Learn more about our invited panelists below:
Jonathon Sawdon – Actor, Voice Coach, Drama Teacher, Writer
A love for performing at an early age in school shows, nativities and pageants led Jonathon on a path to becoming an actor. Originally from the UK, he is now based in Brussels, Belgium, and works widely across Europe in international productions and events. After graduating from university with a BA in English/Theatre Studies he trained at the (now- defunct) Poor School in London (1988-1990).
The next couple of years were spent honing his skills in front of the most demanding of audiences – children – performing in TIE productions and pantomime across the UK. Since then he has worked in just about every medium from film, TV and theatre to corporate videos, internet presentations, theme park stunt shows and live presentations. He is also an experienced voice over artist with numerous commercial and corporate credits to his name . As well as performing on stage and in front of the camera, he is an experienced role-player on business training courses. Jonathon is also a regular collaborator with the Bridge Theatre in Brussels where he runs the voice workshops and is the resident drama teacher at the International School, Belgium (ISBe) where he writes and directs the annual school production.
Learn more about Jonathon on his website and on IMDB page.
Nadine Baboy -Choreographer, dancer, poetress, actress
Nadine Baboy is a multidisciplinary artist and entrepreneur active in the performing arts, audiovisual, writing, and music. As founder of the company I’M HEARTIST, her vision is to serve art that sets the heart free. Her hybrid artistic universe is rooted in dance and poetry, and she wears many hats as a dancer, choreographer, poet, actress, author, composer, and performer.
She creates, produces, writes, directs, and performs award-winning original works for stage and screen. Her portfolio includes dance-theater pieces such as Désintégration Culturelle (Brussels Bijou Award 2017). Her first short film Un-spoken Words of a Heartist, released in 2021, won the Best Dance Film award at the Bruges International Film Festival in 2022, and was nominated at several international festivals.
Beyond performance, Nadine Baboy is also committed to transmission. She has developed the Body Language concept, a form of body expression coaching designed to release the body through movement. Dance is revealed as a therapeutic tool for releasing words, emotions, and narratives through movement.
Alexandria Wood – Audio engineer and motion graphics artist
Born in the U.S. and raised in England, she studied audio production and studio art at American University before moving to New York City to pursue a career in live sound. With a diverse background in sound and visual production, she worked at renowned venues like Brooklyn Bowl and Knitting Factory before touring internationally with artists such as Tank and the Bangas and Sondre Lerche.
In 2019, she relocated to Brussels to embrace European culture and further her dream of learning French. When the COVID-19 pandemic halted live music, she pivoted to motion graphics, freelancing for clients like The Belgian Pride and Eurakor.
Beyond technical expertise, Alexandria brings a deep understanding of sound, emotion, and creative collaboration. She sees herself as a facilitator of artistic expression, helping artists feel supported and prepared to share their work with the world.
Learn more about Alexandra on her website.
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Thanks for reading,
Briana
“Have patience in the difficult times and know that the Universe is conspiring in your favor, even though you may not understand how.” – Paolo Coelho “The Alchemist”
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