OZ Arts Nashville Celebrates Local Innovation And Creativity With Its Second Annual Brave New Works Lab

Contemporary arts center OZ Arts Nashville today announced the line-up for its second annual Brave New Works Lab, a development program for innovative new artistic creations that transforms the organization's expansive warehouse into a laboratory for local artists. The performances May 18-20, 2023, feature four new interdisciplinary projects by adventurous teams of artists working in dance, music, theater, spoken word, and multimedia, including Eboné Amos, Sangeetha Ekambaram with Joi Ware, Gabrielle Saliba, and the team of Clay Steakley and Becca Hoback.

The Brave New Works Lab is designed to give local artists an opportunity to freely imagine new creations and premiere those works and works-in-progress for curious audiences. OZ supports the artists by providing them with the resources needed to realize their visions and bring their creative ideas to life in a welcoming and wondrous space. The Lab aligns directly with OZ's focus on producing and presenting the work of local artists who reflect the city's diverse society, utilize new artistic forms and technology in creative ways, and provide opportunities for meaningful engagement with audiences.

Daniel Jones, OZ Arts' Manager of Artistic Programming, stressed that "the talented, diverse artists participating in this year's Lab represent some of the most innovative local voices, and truly show the power of collaboration across disciplines and the value of contemporary forms." Mark Murphy, OZ Arts' Executive & Artistic Director, added that "the Lab values risk and experimentation, which are two of the most important ingredients in the process of creative invention."

Encouraging multimedia experimentation and collaboration, this year's program features four unique performance pieces, selected from over 50 proposals, from local artists working across multiple disciplines, including dance, theater, music, and multimedia. The 2023 artist line-up includes:

Sangeetha Ekambaram and Joi Ware | Peripheral Convergence

The soaring voice of soprano Sangeetha Ekambaram gives life to an eclectic menagerie of art songs, while Joi Ware's riveting choreography explores themes of transformation and rebirth in this alluring performance. Staged against evocative projected imagery by digital artist Juniper McGerald, the collaboration also features pianist and conductor Jennifer Quammen McGuire, vocalist Bakara Nkenge-Hinds, actor Ashley Wolfe, and dancer Emma Morrison.

Eboné Amos | Girl, Gurrl, Gworl - iterations of freedom

Surrounded by ghostly images that evoke controversial tropes that have haunted generations of Black women, incisive writer and choreographer Eboné Amos conjures a wry and immersive theatrical experience that confronts (mis)representations of Black womanhood and the power of self-definition as resistance. An improvised jazz piano score by gifted keyboardist Alex Dolezal and production design by Barry Jones set the tone for Amos' theatrical journey.

Clay Steakley and Becca Hoback | The Fire Cycle: Stone Sutra

Virtuosic dancer and choreographer Becca Hoback joins forces with expressive poet and musician Clay Steakley to create a theatrical performance celebrating the body, community, and compassion. Their inviting and sublime blend of movement, music, and spoken word is both a resplendent ritual and a winsome reflection on timely anxieties. Hoback is joined on stage by celebrated local dancers Lenin Fernandez, Spencer Grady, and Phylicia Roybal.

Gabrielle Saliba | Ride

Compelling choreographer Gabrielle Saliba harnesses the collaborative energy and insights of her A-team performers, including Shabaz Ujima, Thea Jones, Richard Harrison, Jr., and Alex Winer, to explore the poetic intersection between turbulent movement and poetic stillness. Saliba is a Nashville native who has coached and collaborated with some of the region's most innovative and admired performing artists, serving as a self-described "movement midwife."

OZ Arts will present Brave New Works May 18-20 in its expansive creative warehouse. Tickets start at $15 and are on sale now at the following link. Artist applications for the next edition of Brave New Works Lab will open in the fall of 2023.

This performance is made possible with generous support from donors and grants, including funding from The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, the Metro Nashville Arts Commission and the Tennessee Arts Commission, and media sponsorship by the Nashville Scene. To learn more about upcoming performances at OZ, please visit www.ozartsnashville.org.

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