Meet Brandon Kazen-maddox | American Sign Language Artist and Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA)

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brandon Kazen-maddox and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brandon, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The most important factor behind my success is recognizing that everyone deserves a place in this world where they feel safe to be creative, thrive and be their most authentic self, and when that place doesn’t exist for a specific person or a group of people, it is my passion to create it.

As a hearing Grandchild of Deaf Adults (GODA) whose first language is American Sign Language, there are not many places that currently exist in the entertainment industry for me to fully express myself artistically and creatively, and I have had to carve my own path in order to be able to express my own, unique voice.

The bravery and risks that I have had to take in this endeavor have led me to a life that is full of creation, innovation, activism and joy. I am grateful for being able to recognize that in this life, if I feel that there is no place for my gifts to shine, I must create that space myself, and actively work to ally myself with people who also want to make space for those gifts, in a loving, respectful and cherished way.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am an American Sign Language Artist and my passion is rooted in bringing the magic of theatre, dance, stage makeup, costuming, aerial arts, acrobatics, music and haptics technology to ASL. I started my journey as a gymnast from ages 4-10, a student and performer of dance throughout my adolescence, became a cheerleader in college, and studied Chinese Acrobatics in circus school in my 20’s. I was a professional acrobat for 7 years and, through my love of circus and performance, began each of these elements around 2012, through ASL music videos. In 2019, I graduated from New York University with my MFA in Dance and New Technology, and co-founded an arts and media production company called Up Until Now Collective in 2020.

The field of the Arts is not for the weak of heart, but rather, greatly designed for the strong of spirit. There are a great deal of challenges that come when we strike out on our own and create original ideas. There will always be people who have opinions about the work that I make, but I cannot base my decisions on what I believe needs to exist in the world off of the opinions of others; I must instead trust my gut, and my chosen family to help me navigate the creative waters of life.

Our company, Up Until Now Collective, is a New York City-based Artist Collective Co-Founded in 2020 by Brandon Kazen-Maddox, Kevin Newbury, Jecca Barry, and Marcus Shields. Committed to inclusive, accessible, and equitable working environments, UP UNTIL NOW develops and produces new interdisciplinary work that explores empathy, intimacy, and connection, and seeks to challenge the status quo by building new structures for artistic creation.

I have also embarked on a journey as a Collective Speaker, where I travel the world, telling my story, using ASL, dance, film, theatre, recorded text, music and aerial arts. If you are interested in bringing me to your community, please check out my Collective Speaker website at https://collectivespeakers.com/speakers/brandon-kazen-maddox/.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
One of my favorite places in NYC is Riverside Park. At 104th street and Riverside Highway, you can find an old, stone staircase that leads you down to a beautiful, verdant Riverside Park. If you pull to the right at the fork in the road, you will be led to Ellington in the Park, a riverside restaurant that overlooks the water. If you head there for dinner and drinks, you can then continue south on the tree-laden path, until you see a road that curves to the right, toward the Hudson River. Take this path under the overpass and you will be led to a gorgeous riverside promenade. Walk south until you get to a series of piers that jut out into the Hudson. There, you will find food, beverages and beautiful views of NYC. Best experienced during the summer as the sun sets in order to see the bright lights of NYC and NJ reflected on the Hudson River.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I want to dedicate my personal and professional growth to my life and romantic partner, Director Kevin Newbury. Kevin is a world-renown film, theatre, opera and television director and co-founder of our production company, Up Until Now Collective. Kevin is the smartest person I know, the most empathetic and caring human I’ve ever met, and one of the greatest leaders of our time. His dedication to caring for the emotions of others, for the craft of theater and directing and his love for bringing ideas to life has brought me joy, peace and a deeper understanding and acceptance of myself as an artist and a partner. I am forever changed because of this man, and I can’t wait to see what amazing things come his way. Kevin also just finished directing a new opera, called “The Righteous”, which premiered at Santa Fe Opera this summer, libretto by Tracy K. Smith and composed by Gregory Spears, and to witness the reflection of his love through the professionals on and offstage was the privilege of a lifetime. I love you, my love!

Website: www.upuntilnowcollective.com, www.brandonkazen-maddox.com, https://collectivespeakers.com/speakers/brandon-kazen-maddox/

Instagram: @bkazenmaddox, @upuntilnowcollective

Linkedin: Brandon Kazen-Maddox

Twitter: @bkazenmaddox

Facebook: Brandon Kazen-Maddox

Youtube: Brandon Kazen-Maddox

Image Credits
I can send photo credits in a follow-up email