Achieve-Ability: How Charlotte-Mecklenburg Arts Organizations are Demonstrating Inclusion and Opportunity in Programming
By Michael Solender
Several local arts and cultural organizations are using their programming to explore and expand upon the amazing contributions differently abled children and young adults make to the social fabric of our community. Here’s a closer look at how three ASC 2023 Cultural Vision Grant recipients are celebrating the special gifts each of us bring to the world.
Three Bone Theatre
Intentionality is at the core of the decision-making process when it comes to play selection for Three Bone Theatre. The small Charlotte company, focused on adult contemporary plays, was established more than a decade ago and enjoys a reputation for producing engaging productions that create community dialogue and serve as a platform for exploration of cultural issues.
“We read 50 to 60 scripts a year to pick the four that we’re going to produce,” says Three Bone co-founder, artistic and operations director, Robin Tynes-Miller. “We’re looking for stories that are not going to be seen on other stages in Charlotte. We’re interested in bringing new perspectives and new voices to the center of the conversation in theater, which historically has not been an inclusive space.”
When Tyne-Miller and the team at Three Bone read Lindsey Ferrentino’s “Amy and the Orphans” early last year, they knew they wanted to bring the story to Charlotte. The play, being produced here with a male lead as “Andy and the Orphans,” is an emotionally charged telling of three adult siblings―one with Down Syndrome―who connect over the death and funeral of their father.
“Lindsey’s been on our radar for a long time,” Tynes-Miller said, noting the company produced the American playwright’s, female war veteran drama, “Ugly Lies the Bone,” just before the pandemic put Three Bone on pause in 2020. “When we saw the script come up with the opportunity to highlight disability in the arts and to work with an actor with Down Syndrome, we were intrigued and excited to have this as part of our season.”
Tyne-Miller cast a wide net for the lead role, described by the playwright as “a strong-willed young woman/man with Down Syndrome.” While finding an actor locally proved to be challenging, the company ultimately found their perfect “Andy” with New York-based Edward “Eddie” Barbanell. Barbanell created the role of Andy serving as an understudy in the original off-Broadway production, where actor Jamie Brewer played the lead “Amy” role.
“As a small regional company with limited resources, finding the right actor took some time for us,” Tynes-Miller said. “When we met Eddie, we fell in love with him. It was well, this is our guy.”
Three Bone is using its 2023 ASC Cultural Vison Grant to offset expenses associated with performance fees, travel expenses and accommodations for Barbanell. The company also engaged Raleigh-based Arts Access Inc., a nonprofit organization working to provide those with disabilities full access to arts programs and facilities, to conduct inclusivity training.
“We want to make sure that everybody has shared knowledge, vocabulary and that we’re all starting from a place of understanding,” Tynes-Miller said. “Our entire cast participated along with members of our leadership and design team. There’s not very many opportunities for actors with Down Syndrome or disabled actors in general. The training was phenomenal and led to some really great conversation about our industry and how we can all be better advocates for artists like Eddie. We also want to share and celebrate Eddie and his accomplishments and those of his peers, because there are so many disabled artists out there doing amazing work.”
Three Bone’s mission of engaging the community is being furthered through this production and its focused outreach working with organizations like Best Buddies International (North Carolina). The nonprofit organization provides one-to-one friendship, integrated employment and leadership development programs for individuals with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“We have a community partner for each of our shows,” Tynes-Miller said. “This serves as a direct call to action to our audiences and our artists with ways to get involved locally. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Best Buddies and others with this show.”
Andy and the Orphans, by Lindsey Ferrentino, runs Feb. 10-25. Additional information, including tickets, are found here.
Playing For Others
Building meaningful connections between children and adolescents with different backgrounds and abilities often happens organically―as long as the right ingredients are present. That’s the special domain where Jen Band and the nonprofit Playing For Others (PFO) delivers for Charlotte-area youth.
Band founded the organization in 2006 after a year-long post college graduation volunteer project working with disabled teens wouldn’t loosen its grip. Band, PFO’s executive director, subsequently established PFO with programming that combines leadership training with arts and community service.
PFO operates both Teen (8th-12th grade) and Buddy (young people with disabilities) Programs with custom designed arts and educational after-school programming designed by skilled adult artists. Program components include workshops, community outings and pop-up opportunities where shared experiences between teens and buddies provide meaningful collaboration and inclusion in a supportive environment.
“If you think about kids on the playground,” says Band, “oftentimes they don’t see differences in each other, they just see another kid playing, often in a world of make believe. And oftentimes play is what brings different communities together―it happens when we’re immersed in that sense of play. When we pair up teens with children with disabilities or their siblings for a year-long experience and everything is wrapped in play, they develop these beautiful, authentic relationships that take them back to those playground days. It’s [nourishing] for everyone.”
PFO is using its ASC Cultural Vision Grant to support arts programming for its forthcoming season.
An example of a program component Band spoke to allows for peer-to peer exchange and important discovery. “Our deep dive monthly dinners,” says Band, “are where we explore a topic like grief. It’s often fascinating and revealing. This is all done in a safe, nonjudgmental space which everyone appreciates. Throughout each season, the kids are participating in different activities where they’re learning and practicing true acceptance and inclusion with everybody.”
Band finds affirmation that PFO is making a difference in the community in some very special ways. She loves to tell the story of a parent who reached out to her to share how her child, a PFO Buddy program participant, posted a photo of himself with a teen friend he’s made at his bedside.
“The child touches the photo each night before he climbs into bed,” says Band, “and smiles and says to his mom, ‘That’s my friend.’ That’s full acceptance, inclusion and a space that’s accessible, and accessible, physically, emotionally, and socially. The arts are such a great bridge to make that happen. Ultimately, it’s about what the bridge does and not the bridge itself.”
More information: Playing For Others.
Friendship Circle of Charlotte
When Friendship Circle of Charlotte held its grand opening of its 6,000+ sq. ft. Inclusion Fun Zone a few weeks back, two very special members of the band commissioned to celebrate the event got to show off some newly developed musical skills. The organization, formed in 2009, is a place where children and teens with special needs create genuine friendships and enjoy inclusive social experiences. The newly developed Fun Zone is an indoor park designed with the abilities and interests of special needs children in mind.
“To have two of our special friends who’ve been part of our music program play at our reception was great,” says Bentzion Groner, executive director of Charlotte Friendship Circle. “One young lady plays the drums and one young man plays piano and guitar. After working with our music teacher for weeks, they were thrilled to be part of the celebration. It was very exciting for them.”
Groner explains for most young people with special needs, the journey of engagement and the safe space to explore interests with others is as important as the destination.
“For a child with special needs,” Groner says, “the opportunity to explore their specific interests, talents, or hobbies often get overlooked and can limit the child’s ability to pursue extracurricular opportunities such as creating art. Friendship Circle is focused on social opportunities that come from playdates, birthday parties, and extracurricular programs like art and music. We see the need for these children to explore creativity, explore interests and hobbies and do it in a way that doesn’t present unrealistic expectation in terms of timeframes or results. We’re simply about the fun.”
It’s to those goals―art and music programing and instruction―where Friendship Circle of Charlotte looks to deploy funds from its 2023 ASC Cultural Vision Grant.
“Our primary goal with our arts programing is for our kids to have a blast,” says Groner. “We want them to explore areas of creativity and expression that they may not have had before. This grant allows our professionals to develop curriculum components and expand our offerings within that journey. Our instructors are there to provide the environment, materials, and the support for individuals to explore, be themselves, and focus on what they want to achieve.”