Access to Theatre

Presented by the BCA

In residence at the BCA Cyclorama: July 7 - 25
Performance July 25, 2 pm & 7:30pm
VSA Art Exhibit in the Cyclorama Salon: July 21 - 25, 9:00 - 5:00pm
Public Reception July 25, 5:00 - 7:15pm
Free: Donations welcome

The BCA joins Partners for Youth with Disabilities, Until Tomorrow Productions, and VSA arts of Massachusetts (VSAM) to present original performances created and performed by the participants of the Access to Theatre on Friday, July 25, 2008, at 2 pm and 7:30 pm, in the BCA Cyclorama, 539 Tremont Street. Access to Theatre (ATT) is an inclusive program, created by and for young people with and without disabilities. It provides fully accessible participatory theater arts experiences for youth ages 13-24, to develop creative expression, self-esteem, friendship and leadership skills.

As part of the summer institute, hosted and co-facilitated by the Boston Center for the Arts since 1997, participating youth from the Boston area work together with professional artists to meet group and individual goals, and create original theater productions that are presented to the public at the end of the program, creating the performance theme, accompanying music, and acting in high-quality polished performances. "Access to Theatre is an important program in the arts community in Boston," says acting BCA President and CEO Lisa Giuffre. "We are proud to host this remarkable collaboration with Partners for Youth with Disabilities and Until Tomorrow Productions, who have been with us since 1997. It never fails to be a moving experience for everyone involved.”

Access to Theatre will be in residence at the BCA from July 7th to July 25th and will culminate in two performances of an original production on Friday, July 25th at 2pm and 7:30pm. Through these productions, participants will explore movement/dance, music, spoken word and the countless combinations that can be created in an artistic experience that will be influenced by the audience.

All performances are wheelchair accessible, ASL interpreted and Audio Described. Performances are free and open to the public; donations are gladly accepted.

An exhibition by the artists of VSA will be shown in conjunction with the Access to Theatre in the Cyclorama. An Artists’ Reception, which the public is encouraged to attend, will feature music by Tunefoolery.  

About Partners for Youth with Disabilities (www.pyd.org) Partners for Youth with Disabilities empowers youth and young adults with disabilities to reach individual goals through participation in one-to-one, group, and online mentoring programs.  The Access to Theatre Summer Institute is one of its most successful programs.

About Access to Theatre/Access Arts

  ATT is supported  in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education Award #H128J060102 and by  Massachusetts NEA, Cultural Council, YouthReach Program, VSA arts of Massachusetts,  Hot Topic Foundation, the Walter J. Noonan Trust, Carl & Ruth Shapiro Family Foundation, CVS Charitable Trust, First Night Boston, and the United Way of Massachusetts Bay.

About VSA arts of Massachusetts (www.vsamass.org)

VSAM promotes inclusion of people with disabilities in our communities and develops effective arts-based teaching strategies that allow students with and without disabilities to learn together. VSA arts of Massachusetts is part of an international network of organizations founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith and affiliated with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.