KINDLING FLARES
a collection of projects across disciplines presented in socially distanced formats
HEROIC COUPLETS: 12 Poetry into Film Collaborations
Defy Film Festival x Kindling Arts Festival
Premiere Date: May 7, 2021
A unique cross-genre collaboration, Heroic Couplets paired 12 local poets with 13 local filmmakers to create cinematic works based on individual poems, mostly written in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The diverse list of participating artist includes poets Ciona Rouse, Meg Wade, Dan Hoy, and Alora Young, and filmmakers Drew Maynard, Sophia Gordon, Angell Foster, and John Warren.
Special thanks to OZ Arts Nashville for hosting the in-person premiere screenings on May 7-8, 2021!
SEVEN | Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva
A Contemporary Exploration of Fatness & Blackness
Currently in development
SEVEN is a unique interdisciplinary performance film project that confronts the intersection of Blackness and Fatness through the lens of the Seven Deadly Sins and the Seven Heavenly Virtues. By tackling these often marginalized topics through her personal experiences, renowned local actress and writer Jennifer Whitcomb-Oliva opens the field to discuss issues of mental health, sexual health, and spirituality that uniquely relate to Black women. SEVEN is currently in development, including several community engagement events throughout Spring 2021.
This project is made possible, in part, by funding from Metro Nashville Arts Commission.
Suspended Gravity | IN THE EYE
A performance film created in collaboration with Griffin R. Dunn
Premiere Date: December 3, 2020
“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, connection, and rebirth, examining the human experience in moments of crisis and joy.
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.
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
LOST NASHVILLE
Found Movement Group x Kindling Arts Festival
Public Performances: Saturdays, October 10th, 2020 and April 10th & 24th and May 8th & 22nd, 2021
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.