The mission of Common Senses is to explore and celebrate the uniqueness and commonalities of all of humanity with a focus on arts, science, and disability acceptance. The festivities began May 10 and run through May 25 all around Omaha, Nebraska.
Founder and Director of the Common Senses Festival, Kate Noble Weitz, spoke with KIOS-FM’s Mike Hogan about the genesis of this organization and the reasons for this festival that amplifies voices, breaks barriers, and redefines what accessibility means in the arts.
Through groundbreaking performances, cutting-edge science & technology, tailored preferred interests, and thought-provoking films & discussions, the goal is to build a world where every voice is heard and valued. This festival is for everyone, for those who use technology to communicate, for those who advocate, for allies, for families, and for anyone who believes in a more inclusive future. Because the arts don’t just reflect cultural change, they ignite it.
The world premier opera is at UNO’s Sapp Fieldhouse and is called “Sensorium Ex.” It opens tonight and runs through the 25th.
"Sensorium Ex" is an ambitious new opera by acclaimed composer Paola Prestini and Brenda Shaughnessy, co-directed by Jerron Herman and Jay Scheib, that synthesizes artificial intelligence, disability, and the arts in a groundbreaking and innovative artistic work.
The visionary production pushes the boundaries of what it means to have a voice, paving the way for future artists with disabilities. “Sensorium Ex” delves deep into the essence of voice, transcending the limits of language to profoundly reimagine what it can be.
Operating at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), disability, and the arts, “Sensorium Ex” explores the fundamental question of what it means to have voice, and the nature of voice beyond language. Internationally-acclaimed composer Paola Prestini’s expansive, multi-modal work tells a dystopian tale centered on a mother and her son, a nonverbal, nonambulatory child with multiple disabilities, as they resist a villainous corporate entity's attempts to destroy what it means to be human.
More information and tickets for the opera can be found at https://commonsensesfestival.com/.
