Peak Performances Honored as Innovator in Arts Accessibility by NJ Theatre Alliance
Posted in: Department of Theatre and Dance News
On June 18, 2015, the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts will present Peak Performances at Montclair State University with a Cultural Access Network (CAN) Innovator Award for its innovation and commitment to increasing access to the arts for people with disabilities.
In its announcement of the awards, New Jersey Theatre Alliance said, "Dedicated to engaging audiences as well as artists with disabilities, Peak Performances featured three innovative productions in its 2014/15 season. In Robert Whitman’s Swim, each audience member had a distinct experience, employing all the senses – not just sight and sound. Working with consultant Emilie Gossiaux, a blind visual artist, Whitman crafted a performance of sounds, movement, smells, activities, and events in which the visual was only one part of the experience. Heidi Latsky’s Triptych featured dances with various physical disabilities, and Liz Lerman’s dance piece Healing Wars featured a Navy veteran who lost his leg in the Iraq War. Healing Wars inspired a workshop with the choreographer in conjunction with Atlantic Health System in which medical professional caregivers explored movement. The staff of Peak Performances developed new audience-services and marketing protocols such as braille programs, resources for transportation options to and from the theater, buy-one-get-one ticketing for patrons needing companion assistance, and sensitivity training for ushers and staff."
The Cultural Access Network is a project of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance and the New Jersey State Council on the Arts. Since its inception in 1994, it has facilitated accessibility among the state’s cultural community through training, workshops, and a variety of online services. CAN’s innovative programs and services have earned national recognition and have framed New Jersey as a model state in the cultural access field.