Innovation, shifting perspectives anchor OZ Arts Nashville’s 2017-18 season

Amy Stumpfl , The Tennessean 

Showcasing a lineup of true visionaries from the worlds of dance, music, multimedia theatre, puppetry and even opera, OZ Arts Nashville’s fifth season promises to be its biggest and boldest yet.

And while Artistic Director Lauren Snelling does not approach programming with a specific theme or concept in mind, she often finds that “once the pieces fall into place, a distinct through line often becomes clear.”

For the 2017-18 season, that connecting thread seems to be innovation —  along with a focus on changing perspectives and how we experience art.

“What I love about this season is that we have so many strong, unique voices.”

Artistic Director Lauren Snelling

“What I love about this season is that we have so many strong, unique voices,” Snelling says. “So many of these artists have really paved the way in their respective fields. They have remained true to themselves, persevering and refusing to compromise their own vision.

“And in this day and age, that’s so important. Young people need to see that in action — society needs that.”

And that’s what OZ Arts Nashville is all about.
Since opening its doors in 2014, the contemporary arts center has played host to a variety of internationally acclaimed artists, while fostering collaborative opportunities among local creators, and finding new ways to engage audiences.

“Much of what we do is focused on the conversations surrounding art. What is art? What is my role? How are the artists and audiences interacting with or responding to each other?

“This season, we have a lot of artists that are interested in fostering really unique individual and collective experiences — whether it’s reconfiguring our space somehow, by inviting the audience to move around or participate in some way, or by opening themselves up to questions after the performance. They’re challenging us to think about art in a new way, and that’s so exciting to me.”

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