Tosha Marie is a trained dancer and the owner of TMProductions, a unique performing arts campus dedicated to equitable access to the arts and supporting the creative community. TMProductions provide a safe space to house and create work in celebration of race, culture, gender expression, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. Tosha is truly building something that is putting the creative’s needs first, from price to access and physical space to create.
How did TMProductions come to be?
Tosha, a Nashville native, started her dream in a 600-square-foot studio and has grown TMProductions, which now fills a 6,000-square-foot space with dancing companies, podcasts, performances, choreographers, physical therapy, massage therapy, and more. “The fact that I wasn’t invited to the table at all of these established companies, despite my experience was really frustrating. So I was like, I’m just gonna open my own thing and paved the way for me and other people of color to actually have an opportunity to work in the city.”
How TMProductions is serving the community?
“I want this place to be a hub, you know, like a hub of just really like the hub of black arts and culture, because you know, there is the podcasting space and there is office space and there is a co-working space. So even in the spaces in isolation, like they can definitely be used at a maximum for us.”
TMProductions currently rents space to Nashville Repertory Theater, Found Music Group, who also provides choreography lessons, physical therapists, podcast hosts all while offering community classes in various forms of art including dance. They just did their first theatre performance of Pippin in the space. “It was our first fully produced musical.” shares Tosha. All of the actors and actresses were paid which is huge. There’s so many community theaters where people don’t get paid for their skills. We also had the first black Pippin.”
“The ultimate goal is to eventually be able to build our own facility”, Tosha shares. This would be a community space for rehearsal rooms, dance studios as well as a separate performance venue that would be accessible to the community at large. As we learned, it can be difficult for minority groups to have access to the arts and her goal is to create a space where everyone is welcome to create.
How to get involved
If you are a creative in Nashville looking to take classes, rent space, and be a part of a hub for arts and culture, definitely check out TMProductions. Their rates are intentionally set to allow for accessibility and their talented instructors are one of a kind.
Learn more about TMProductions here
Photos: Elle Danielle
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