Friday, October 08, 2021
Lincoln Center’s free ‘Passport to the Arts’ offers virtual and in-person events for people of all ages with disabilities
DC Metro Theater Arts: Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ annual Passport to the Arts returns for its Fall 2021 season, running October 16-December 19, with free classes, performances, and custom-designed experiences for children, teens, and adults with disabilities and their families. The programming, both online and in-person, offers an accessible introduction to the performing arts from partners across the iconic Lincoln Center campus and beyond, with families remotely participating in dance, music, or drama classes with renowned artists, seeing behind-the-scenes content from Lerner & Loewe’s My Fair Lady, attending exclusive live matinee performances of Cinderella and The Magic Flute, and meeting performers.
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6 comments:
I’ve never heard of this program before, but it is great to see Lincoln Center show that accessibility to theatre is something that needs attention. There are so many other issues in theatre like racism and sexism that sometimes we don’t realize we are leaving out an entire group of people. There are so many facets to accessibility. Firstly as this article highlights, theatre should be more available to those with disabilities, they have every capability to perform in theatre if accommodations and changes are made. Unfortunately, productions don’t want to put in the effort to make those accommodations so that all performs are able to work to their own full range. Another important aspect, though not mentioned in this article is the accessibility to theatre financially. The cost of things like tickets or even clothing and supplies for auditions can really add up. But hopefully, in the future, more programs such as this one will be held so that everyone can enjoy the joys of the arts.
Accessibility has constantly been an issue in performing arts. From ticket costs to venue transportation to physical accessibility, performing arts only started caring when they were legally required to provide some accommodations, and even now it is not a big concern for venues. That is why I am so excited to see this Passport for the Arts return this season! Free classes with professional artists, content designed around people with disabilities, and exclusive performances catered to their needs? It gives our medium a much wider audience that otherwise would not usually be able to participate. Lowering the price makes it more accessible to people without the money to otherwise do this, virtual classes to reach out across the globe and keep immunocompromised people safe, and creating content with disabled people in mind instead of an afterthought. Especially because of Covid, we as an industry need to make sure that we can adapt when more stuff like this happens, and I think this is a great way of doing it while also being inclusive instead of exclusive.
Ah, always happy to see a venue strive towards accessibility and inclusion. Coming from an industry that regularly has issues with physically inaccessible venues, astronomical ticket prices, and a history of doing the bare minimum to actually cater to those with disabilities (my old university was especially bad about this, our wheelchair seating was practically nonexistent and our hearing assist system was ancient and barely worked), this is really quite the wonderful thing. I will say that it's certainly easier to do this with most activities presented being virtual, but that should not take away from the opportunities the Lincoln Center is providing (especially because they DO have in-person opportunities). Quite the incredible lineup of organizations too! I appreciate the inclusion of supplementary materials to prepare families for each performance, which I think is a practice that many more theaters should start implementing. Actually, everything happening here should be something that many more theaters should implement.
This is a really exciting program. I think it is a pretty big step towards a larger more accessible theatre community. Lincoln Center is a theatre that is easily seen as one of the most prolific in all of America if not the World. By putting this program into place, it will set a precedent for all theaters, creating a ripple effect until theater accessibility is at least an extremely lessened problem if not completely eradicated. I had large swathes of time in which I was in a wheelchair or could not walk very far or up stairs when I was younger due to a birth defect. I know that if my local theatre had not had an accessible house and theater, I likely never would have even considered going into it as a career. I understand what it feels like to be excluded from what you want to do because you just can’t do what everyone else can. It is a terrible feeling and I commend Lincoln Center for taking steps to open itself up to an even greater audience.
I think the program is an amazing resource for those in need. I’m particularly interested in the free lessons that are offered for kids with disabilities. Personally, I believe that the younger generations should have access to performing arts courses frequently just like how they have normal school lessons, because these courses can teach children many soft skills and help them develop a sense of appreciation for different art forms. I hope those with disabilities will find these classes, performances and the special little experiences helpful and enjoyable. One thing I wish for happening more is for parents or schools to know that there are programs like this for kids in need. By raising awareness, the resources can be best utilised and more children can have the opportunity to enjoy the shows. I also agree with what Bunny said about the affordability of performances. I think a lot of reasons that people can’t get into theatres is largely due to pricing, but I also understand that it’s hard to find the balance between revenue and economical pricing.
Programs like these make me really happy. Exposure to the arts as a kid is so important, and I think it's a huge part of why I'm in the arts now. Even my siblings who are studying and working in different fields have a deep appreciation for theatre, music, etc. I was lucky enough to attend a lot of children's theatre and children's arts classes, but I know it comes with a significant expense, especially for larger families. I appreciate that this program is free of cost--especially at such a large venue like Lincoln Center. It makes me wonder how other arts organizations can give back to their communities. Like for example, what happens in Broadway theatres during the hours before a performance once a show is up and running? Are productions reaching out to schools/after-school programs--like "Hamilton" did that one time--to expose their community to theatre? I feel like there's so many opportunities to give if people put some thought into it.
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