This week, Imagination Stage’s Access Team has been attending the International VSA Festival and Education Conference, taking place in Washington, DC.  This event celebrates the intersection of arts and disability and welcomes over 2000 participants from around the globe and features dance, music, theatre, visual art exhibitions, films and literary readings.  There is also an education conference with more than 70 workshops and panels. 

We’ve been busy as a result of all this activity right in our backyard!   The week is not over yet, but here are some highlights so far:
–Several Imagination Stage staff members attended the Festival Opening Ceremony last Sunday hosted by Marlee Matlin, and featuring amazing performers from China, South Africa, and the US.
–All week, Imagination Stage staff members have taken in other festival performances at The Kennedy Center and other venues throughout DC.
–On Wednesday, I participated in a panel discussion following Synetic’s production of Othello.  The panel, “Staging without Words,” also featured Willy Conley (Gallaudet U), Tim McCarty (Quest), Paata Tsikurisshvili (Synetic Theatre), and was moderated by Greg Anderson (deaf actor and Synetic company member).  The panel looked at the future of visual theatre and the blending of deaf and hearing artists to create art.
–On Thursday, my colleague Elizabeth Broder-Oldach and I were joined by Torrie Dunlap (of Kids Included Together) to present a workshop, “The Art of Inclusion in the Theatre Arts Classroom,” which was very well received.  We will present this workshop several times this summer as we begin to think about how to disseminate inclusion best practices in the theatre arts.

Festivals and conferences like this offer not only inspiration and an opportunity to network with others in the field, but a chance to challenge ourselves and ask the tough questions about access and inclusion.  We are honored to be part of such an amazing event.  Stay tuned for more updates later this week!
               –Diane Nutting, Director of Access and Outreach

Tags: Access and Inclusion