Art Wire 2020-21 Season Fellowship

OZ Arts Nashville presents Art Wire: an ongoing collaboration between OZ Arts and The Porch in which 10 writers (5 adult writers and 5 teenage writers) experience the OZ Arts season and respond to each presentation with original writing that is personal, playful, and deeply engaged. The OZ Arts 2020-21 season will offer Art Wire Fellows a diverse array of socially distanced, multimedia events, prioritizing health and safety, while delivering quality experiences across artistic disciplines.

While season planning is still underway, the OZ Arts 2020-21 season is slated to offer Art Wire Fellows a dynamic selection of inspirational artists including multimedia artist Miwa Matreyek, local composer Dave Ragland, local dance artist Becca Hoback, and internationally-acclaimed choreographer Ronald K. Brown, just to name a few. Presentations will prioritize health and safety with virtual or socially distanced formats based on CDC and Metro Nashville recommendations. Art Wire Fellows will not be expected to attend a socially distanced event if they are uncomfortable; virtual viewings may be required if offered.

Applications for Art Wire 2020-21 are now open.
Writers of all experience levels are encouraged to apply.
Application Deadline: Sunday, September 27, 2020

Fellowship Description
Art Wire is now in its third year, providing 10 writers with the opportunity to experience the OZ Arts performance season and to respond to the presentations through original literary, critical, and experimental writing. Once selected, Art Wire Fellows work closely with The Porch co-founder Susannah Felts and Porch youth director Joe Kane. Group discussions and critique sessions throughout the season will help shape individual pieces of writing-in-process.

OZ Arts is unique in the region for its commitment to ground-breaking interdisciplinary forms. With an emphasis on contemporary dance, performance and media art, OZ Arts welcomes diverse artists from Nashville and beyond, including influential artists throughout the region, throughout the country, and across the globe.

Join us on a journey through this season's captivating performances and the dynamic and lyrical writing they’ll no doubt inspire.
As an Art Wire Fellow, you will have the opportunity to create and share the following writing:

Original Literary Works
Informed by and in response to the performances, Art Wire Fellows generate original writing that draws upon performance elements ranging from image to subject matter to thematic content. The collection of original work showcases a variety of literary genres: poetry, prose, hybrid forms, spoken word, and more. We are interested in discovering what the experience of OZ’s season provokes in our league of writers, inspiring them to adapt their responses into language-based forms on the page. All writing will be archived, but strong samples will be featured on the Art Wire website. 

Short Responses, Reflections, and Reviews
In addition to penning original literary works, Art Wire writers give voice to the OZ experience through brief responses shared immediately following each performance. These brief responses can take many forms, one or two sentence reviews, poetic impressions, or other snappy forms of your choosing. These responses serve as a megaphone for the season, sharing distinctive and authentic impressions with the art-going community. 

How to Apply:

To capture the flavor of this type of inspired writing, watch the video below. Miwa Matreyek is an LA-based multimedia artist previously featured at OZ Family Day last summer. This year, OZ Arts will welcome Miwa back to Nashville to showcase her newest, most innovative work. 
The application form (linked below) is divided into three sections: 
Personal contact information, statement, and bio
A short piece of original writing in response to the video experience.
Creative short answers inspired by the video content

More about the original piece of writing:
Miwa Matreyek’s Myth and Infrastructure captures her whimsical style and singular aesthetic. Watch this short piece, and compose a short creative response in the genre of your choice. Remember, your work need not be about the content in the video; instead, use what you see to inspire something wholly unique and entirely yours.

Maximum word count: 250 words

Deadline: Completed application must be received by 11:59PM Sunday, September 27, 2020
APPLY NOW