South Bend Civic Theatre Hosts Access & Ability In The Arts Symposium

On Thursday, October 24, 7:30PM, South Bend Civic Theatre will present a Symposium: Access and Ability in the Arts. The event will be a combination of performance and panel discussion and will feature participants sharing their personal journeys and discussing the ways in which the arts (specifically theatre) can be more accessible to those who are blind, d/Deaf, non-neurotypical, as well as intellectually and/or developmentally disabled. The conversation will encourage audience input, will cover both arts patronage and participation, and will feature ASL interpretation.

The symposium is designed to prepare our community for the CIVIC's November production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a thrilling new mystery featuring the adventures of Christopher Boone, a young man diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The symposium will include a rehearsal montage and short performance from this piece as well as scenes from both a deaf-integrated production of Into the Woods and a play focused on the importance of mental health. The stellar group of panelists will be:

• Dr. Feranmi Okanlami: doctor, educator, disability advocate
• Candus Griffin: educator, d/Deaf community advocate
• Dr. Joshua Diehl: Logan Center Chief Program Officer for Child & Adolescent Services
• Jeffrey Wallace: Choreographer/Fight Director, parent of child with an ASD diagnosis
• Wyatt Gautier: Young CIVIC volunteer with an ASD diagnosis
• Leah Isabel Tirado: Chicago-based artist, mental health advocate
• Natalie MacRae-Waggoner: Civic artist, special education educator, and event moderator

Tickets $5. All proceeds will support the CIVIC's efforts to increase access to upcoming productions including ASL interpretation and sensory-friendly performances.

The event is sponsored by The Rafat And Zoreen Ansari Charitable Foundation.