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{Rich Text}Author: Mike Lacy
Reading deeply into words and events to unfold the layers of meaning in them to find out: "How did we get here?" Produced by Mike Lacy in Nashville, TN, this podcast started with a particular local political crisis around arts funding but is interested in much more than pointing fingers. What can we learn about the ways that power, class, and race interact when we read deeply into the {Rich Text} around us? I'm also going to bring up Tom Cruise as often as possible. Language: en Genres: Science, Social Sciences Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Strings Attached: Part II, The Fall of Summer Lights
Episode 3
Friday, 19 July, 2024
After a long hiatus, I'm excited to bring you the next installment of "Strings Attached: The History of Metro Arts and the Nashville Symphony." In this episode, we delve deeper into the intricate history of Metro Arts and its complex relationship with the Nashville Symphony. This project has been a labor of love, a dedication to preserving the historical record, and it has brought about a range of emotions, especially given the current political climate both nationally and in Nashville. The task of dissecting the politics and power dynamics of an era as old as I am can feel both irrelevant and eerily topical. In today's episode, we confront the challenges and controversies that surrounded Metro Arts funding 30 years ago. In a time when political violence and leadership uncertainty are rampant, and our city is becoming a haven for public hate speech, examining the past can feel like a misuse of time. Yet, it's essential to explore these stories, not to sensationalize, but to understand the systems at play. Through the lens of Systems Theory, we'll explore how human systems, like Nashville’s arts community, often produce outcomes not because of individual intentions but because of the relationships between people within those systems. This episode will highlight the importance of viewing these dynamics with empathy and a holistic perspective. We'll revisit the early years of Metro Arts funding, the privatization efforts that derailed sustainable arts support, and the fallout from those decisions. From the inception of the Summer Lights Festival to the financial struggles and political maneuvers that led to its demise, we uncover the layers of this rich history. Join me as we continue this journey into the past to better understand the present, and perhaps, find ways to shape a more equitable future for the arts in Nashville.
