Creating Funding Opportunities for Artists with Disabilities
Sunday, October 29, 10:00am – 11:30am
Organized and moderated by Beth Bienvenu, Accessibility Director, National Endowment for the Arts.
Presented by Matt Bodett, Visual Artist; Lane Harwell, Executive Director, Dance/NYC; and Lisa Hoffman, Executive Director, Alliance of Artists Communities.
The current conversation about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the arts has most often addressed inequity in terms of race, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status. But is our field truly inclusive if the conversation does not address disability? Artists with disabilities are producing work across all art forms that reflects both talent and a unique voice, but they continue to face numerous barriers to working in the arts, including inaccessible spaces and programs, barriers to training and education, and misperceptions about ability and talent. Three funders will share how they have addressed these barriers through targeted funding opportunities for physically integrated dance companies, disabled playwrights, and artists and writers with spinal cord injuries. Panelists and participants will discuss how funders can further their progress toward diversity, equity, and inclusion by providing opportunities for artists with disabilities.