Lydia Zanetti
Lydia Zanetti (they/them) is experienced in the arts and festival scene in Aotearoa and internationally. They produce artists through their company, Zanetti Productions, and are Executive and Artistic Director of Nelson Arts Festival, an annual celebration of exciting arts experiences from Aotearoa and beyond.
Zanetti Productions presents work that invigorates social change, celebrates otherness and sends audiences out into the world with a spark in their hearts. It has toured in UK, Australia, Singapore, Vancouver, New York and throughout Aotearoa – and in 2019 alone had 51 opening nights and won numerous awards at home and abroad. Lydia directed Auckland Fringe (2017-2019). They initially trained as a contemporary dancer and maker, and their interest in power structures, queer and gender diverse voices, and art as a form of activism remains at the core of their mahi.
What does leadership look like to you?
Lydia: Visioning 30 years in the future, finding action now. Holding and prioritising people first. Being a step ahead while staying connected to what came before. Looking out, looking in, looking far, looking near. Taking risks, daring to dream, challenging.
How does your community show up in your practice?
Lydia: Community shows up in discomfort. Community shows up in safety. Community shows up embodied, making music, dancing, spitting words. Community shows up in resource. Community shows up quietly behind the scenes. Community shows up between our organs. How do we endeavour to show up for community? Hold space, actively see them, shout from the rooftops.
