Kindling Arts is Nashville's radically unique independent arts incubator. Founded in 2018, Kindling exists to embrace exciting original and experimental artistic experiences developed outside existing institutions.
With an emphasis on innovative process, the Kindling Arts Festival is a multi-day annual event that showcases interdisciplinary collaborations in surprising spaces, defying genre and cultivating authentic new aesthetics. The Festival empowers diverse local performers with the space and supporting resources required to take daring creative risks and explore challenging ideas.
KINDLING FLARES
a collection of projects across disciplines presented in socially distanced formats
Suspended Gravity | IN THE EYE
A performance film created in collaboration with Griffin R. Dunn
Premieres Thursday, December 3rd at 7pm CT
“You can dance in a hurricane / but only if you're standing in the eye”
- Brandi Carlile
Join Nashville circus arts collective Suspended Gravity as they explore the journey to find peace and balance in the midst of turbulent times. This visually stunning new performance film, IN THE EYE, features original compositions that speak to the artists’ individual struggles as they navigate an often tumultuous world in a year that has drastically altered plans and changed so many lives. These works delve into themes of loss, anxiety, connection and rebirth, examining the human experience in moments of crisis and joy.
FEATURING
Bailey Freeman // Patrick Martin // Heather McAlister
Paige Muirhead // Tiffany Smith // Michael West
The film will premiere at 7pm on Thursday, December 3rd via the Kindling Arts YouTube channel and will run approximately 30 minutes.
This event is free to view. To make a donation that directly supports the artists creating IN THE EYE, please consider making a gift of any size to Kindling Arts Festival via the Arts & Business Council's website.
SWEET RELIEF
DANCES FOR THE WASH ROOM
Premiere Date: July 17, 2020
Four solos, one duet, and a group number created by six Nashville choreographers for their bathrooms in the middle of quarantine 2020. Utilizing sinks, bathtubs, mirrors, toilets, and some very creative camera angling, these dances explore the stir-craziness, isolation, and rollercoaster of emotions caused by being cooped up for months on end. This endlessly creative series of dances provides a glimpse into the highs and lows of times of self-reflection and the beauty that can be achieved with simplicity.
FEATURING
Megan Carvajal // David Flores // Hannah McCarthy
Amanda Reichert // Sarah Salim // Shabaz Ujima
Edited by Griffin R Dunn Videography
Produced by Daniel Jones
LIL AMANDA IS A POTTY MOUTH
Premiere Date: August 13, 2020
In this theatrical crossover event, Lil Amanda finds herself grounded for an indefinite period of time after behaving like a potty mouth. Lucky for her, she just met the whimsical creative guru Maddie who whisks her away into a world of wondrous creativity and puppetry. Together, the two discover the power of being an artist and expressing yourself authentically, even if you're stuck at home. Featuring appearances by your favorite personalities, including Aloha Hamster, Ladybug, and Potty.
Presented in partnership with The Barbershop Theater
Created, Written, Performed, Directed, and Edited by
AMANDA CARD & MADELEINE HICKS
Special Editing provided by Dycee Wildman
Produced by Daniel Jones
LOST NASHVILLE
Found Movement Group in partnership with Kindling Arts Festival
Public Performance: Saturday, October 10th
Assembling Found Movement Group's talented community of dancers, musicians, performers, and other artists, Lost Nashville offers audiences an elevated scavenger hunt experience to explore the city's hidden gems. Original choreography devised by the collective plays out in theatrical scenes at memorable locations around the city such as music clubs, art galleries, boutique hotels, and outdoors parks. The experience is part “choose-your-own adventure,” part performance art crawl, and uniquely Nashville through and through. Lost Nashville provides an unforgettable experience that exposes the rich, unseen, and sometimes forgotten pieces of the city.