As a follow up to Arts Access’ presentation at Roxbury High School last fall, students came to the arts center this week to get an in depth look into the Arts Access Program and our unique facilitation process.

The day began with a brief tour of the building and discussions about how accessibility was considered throughout the planning of the space, from the wide corridors and gentle sloping floors to the fully accessible theatre in which every seat can be adjusted for use by either wheelchair users or ambulatory visitors.

After the tour, the students watch the Art Without Boundaries video, which shares direct experiences from several Arts Access artists, and then met Jess Evans, who performed her dance “In My Daughter’s Eyes,” a loving tribute to her late father, live on stage. One of the kids was so moved by Jess’s performance that she made a sketch for Jess, which she graciously accepted later that day.

For the rest of the afternoon, the students focused on hands-on workshops about facilitation. The students split into two groups; one went to the studio to learn more about painting facilitation while the other moved onto the stage to learn about dance facilitation.

In the studio, Andrew (the Arts Access Logistics Manager) began with an overview of how facilitation works, how different clients communicate in different ways, and how the chart system enables them to communicate their choices. The students then paired up to add shapes to a canvas using the facilitation method. In each pair, one student modeled the facilitator role, while the other student modeled the client role. The students in the client role were given a piece of paper with a shape, color, brush type, and other details that they needed to communicate to the student in the facilitator role, who was only allowed to ask yes/no questions.

On the stage, Alyssa (the Arts Access Dance Facilitator) gave a similar overview of facilitation, but with more focus on how dance facilitation works. She explained how the dance charts are not static images, like the painting or writing charts, but a collection of video clips that show different movement and position options for choreographers. The students then gathered together for a group movement session, with Alyssa demonstrating all of the options clients have to consider when building choreography. Several of the students took turns leading the group movement while their peers followed along with the spontaneous choreography. At the end of the day, the students regrouped to reflect on what they had learned. Throughout the day, the students were highly engaged, asked insightful questions, and listened intently to the discussions with the Arts Access staff.

Thank you to everyone from Roxbury High School and Common Grounds for helping to organize this exciting day. It was such a pleasure to spend the day with the students and share what makes Arts Access so special!