Kansas - Accessible Arts, Inc.
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1100 State Avenue |
Emily Vowiell |
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Tel.: (913) 281-1133 |
Website: |
Organizational Profile:
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Full-time Staff: 4 |
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Since 2001, Accessible Arts, Inc., has been an affiliate of VSA. Accessible Arts unlocks the arts for children with disabilities and advocates access to the arts. Advocacy, education, and collaboration are essential components in accomplishing these objectives. A core belief underlying Accessible Arts programs is that through the arts, children develop critical thinking skills, take risks in a safe environment, and experience success. In recognition of its success in including children with disabilities in arts experiences, Accessible Arts received the 1998 Kansas Governor’s Arts Award for Outstanding Arts Organization, the 2005 Kansas City, Missouri, Mayor’s Award and the 2008 Coming Up Taller Award from the President’s Committee on Arts and Humanities. Accessible Arts’ constituency includes children with disabilities and those who care for them in schools, social service programs, and community programs in the metropolitan Kansas City area and throughout Kansas.
Programming Partners and Other Funders:
Kansas Arts Commission; National Park Service; Francis Family Foundation; Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation; ArtsKC Fund; Theresa Foundation; H&R Block Foundation; Curry Family Foundation, AmeriCorps GRASP, Arts Partners, USD 500, Wichita Public Schools, Kansas State School for the Blind
Educational Programs and Artist Residencies
99 Drums Music and Cultural Camp
This inclusive program offers a celebration of interactive music, dance, and visual arts workshops exploring the arts, history and customs of Brazilian, West African, Native American, and Mexican cultures. The 99 Drums program brings together an integrated group of students with and without disabilities, ages 9–15, from across the state of Kansas. During a full day of the camp, professional artist-educators present exciting workshops where students learn West African drumming, improvisational drumming and dance, Mexican dance, and Caribbean percussion music. The artist-educators also teach the history and customs of these diverse cultures. During the final performance, students and artists will collaborate to present a public performance at the Horace Mann Dual Language Magnet School in Wichita, Kansas. This year’s 99 Drums Camp took place on October 24, 2009.
Professional Development and Technical Assistance
Creating Arts for All
This professional development training will focus on Universal Design, adaptations for arts activities (music, creative dramatics, movement, and visual arts), arts integration across curricula, and strategies to reinforce classroom and Individual Education Plan goals. It is intended for classroom teachers, arts teachers, artists, special education teachers, and paraprofessionals. The training can be customized for any group of people who want to make the arts more accessible for children of all abilities. Creating Arts for All was presented at the Leadership in Art and Education and Disability Conference in Washington D.C and Johnson County Community College in August 2009, to the Shawnee Mission School District and the AmeriCorps GRASP members in Wichita, both in October of 2009, and to Discovery Trails Project teaching interns and artists in the Spring of 2010.
Cultural Access and Inclusive Arts Services
Accessibility Services
Accessible Arts maintains a statewide referral network in arts services with and for individuals with disabilities. Accessible Arts advocates access to arts venues and community arts programming for children with disabilities. Accessible Arts provides newsletters, which address programs, resources, and issues related to arts that are inclusive of children with disabilities.
Public Awareness and Outreach
The Jellybean Conspiracy Project
The Jellybean Conspiracy Project was presented in Rossville, Kansas, in November 2009 and will be presented in Grainfield, Kansas, in April 2010. This project has three components designed to provide disability awareness to students in middle and high school, as well as the broader community. First, Accessible Arts facilitates collaboration between the local high school’s theater and special education departments to produce a play with disability themes. The lead actor in each production has Down syndrome, and students from the special education department work with typical students throughout the project. The public performances help sensitize the community to the needs of people with disabilities. Second, professional artists present interactive arts workshops to students who have seen the play. Third, artists present workshops to community families. The workshops reiterate themes from the play—disability awareness, tolerance, and respect.
(F) 202-429-0868