newsletter Fall 2002

Our mission is to champion the arts for children with disabilities and advocate access to the arts.

THERE IS STILL TIME to register your child or volunteer your time for the third 99 Drums Music & Cultural Camp at the Kansas State School for the Blind, April 15-17, 2005. Children with and without disabilities, ages 9-15, are welcome for this unique weekend of drumming and dancing. The cost is only $50 if we receive your registration by April 7th or $75 after April 7th. The fee includes eleven workshops, six meals and two overnight stays! Space is limited so call for a registration form today at (913) 281-1133 or visit our website, www.accessiblearts.org

99 Drums is a weekend of interactive music and dance workshops exploring the arts, history, customs, and food of West African, Native American, Slavic, Caribbean and Hmong cultures. Workshops and performances will be presented by professional artists from the Traditional Music Society (with Bird Fleming, Artistic Director for 99 Drums), Accessible Arts, local ethnic communities and storytellers.

This camp will bring together a group of children with and without disabilities to experience music and dance in a celebration of diverse cultures in an inclusive environment. The weekend will culminate with a free public performance on Sunday, April 17th at 3:30 PM in the gym on the campus of the Kansas State School for the Blind.
Many adult volunteers are essential to the success of the 99 Drums Music and Cultural Camp. The volunteers accompany the children to music and dance workshops, assist with serving the meals and/or chaperone the children during the overnight stays. We encourage you to join us for this wonderful event. If you are interested in volunteering, please call Eleanor Craig at (913) 281-1133.

NEW ACCESSIBLE ARTS
SUMMER CAMP
JULY 11-15 & JULY 18-22
CHILDREN WITH & WITHOUT
DISABILITIES
AGES 7-13 YEARS OLD

Two one-week day camps will be offered for children, with and without disabilities, ages 7 – 13 years old. The camp will be held on the campus of the Kansas State School for the Blind (1100 State Avenue, Kansas City, Kansas). While working with professional artists, the children will have the opportunity to interact in a safe environment and to learn more about each other and other cultures of the world.

Week #1, July 11 – 15, 2005, will be dedicated to the cultures of Australia, both the Aborigine as well as the British Settlers. Week #2, July 18 – 22, 2005, will offer a fun study of the ancient culture of Japan with its many unique art forms. Each Friday at 5:00 PM, the children will present a culturally themed production for their parents. Along with drama, music and dance, visual art activities will be included and will be centered on the weekly culture and the needs of the production.

The camp fee is $250 per week. Some scholarships are available. Camp hours are 9:00 AM – 3:00 PM, Monday through Thursday and 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM on Friday. Extended hours are available for an additional fee. For more information, please call Kit Bardwell, Accessible Arts, Inc. (913) 281-1133 or download a registration form.

The ART of Learning

Workshops Coming Soon!
June 8-10, 2005
Pittsburg, Kansas - Holiday Inn Express

“This was so fun!! I learned so much and am energized to make my ideas a reality!” (Artist)

“This workshop was TERRIFIC! I have attended many workshops and this ‘event’ rated at the top 10. Your insight on the arts has been so valuable to me. You opened many doors and encouraged such growth!!” (Teacher)

The Art of Learning is a professional development workshop for teachers, artists, and community youth program providers. The workshop gives artists the tools to work in schools and gives educators the tools to work with artists. Participants have also included arts providers in senior centers, head start programs, ESL classes, and school administrators and college professors. The $75 fee includes all workshops materials, two breakfasts and two lunches.

Previous workshops have been presented in Wichita, Salina, Kansas City, Hays, and Garden City. Plan now and get your registration in early. Registration deadline is May 14. For more in-depth information or to download a registration form go to www.accessiblearts.org, request an email version or contact us at (913) 281-1133.

Workshop presenters include: Martin English, Accessible Arts Excutive Director, and professional actor; Kit Bardwell, Accessible Arts Program Director, multi-disciplinary artist; Connie Burket, Kansas Alliance for Arts Education Director, arts infusion educator, multi-disciplinary artist; Dee Hansen, Baker University Associate Professor of Music; Joyce Huser, Kansas Department of Education Fine Arts Consultant, National Board-certified visual arts instructor and Michael Toombs, Storytellers, Inc. Executive Director, interactive arts specialist, painter, drummer, sculptor.

Arts & Disabilities Awards
Presented to Miller & Bernstein
by Beverly Johnson

The phones were buzzing throughout the Blue Valley School District in Overland Park, Kansas, when the word went out that two of their educators would receive awards. During a March 9th ceremony, the award for 2004 Educator of the Year in Arts & Disabilities was presented to Dr. Anne Meeker Miller (Olathe), and the award for 2004 Distinguished Service of the Year was presented to “Bongo” Barry Bernstein (Lenexa). Since 1983, the Kansas State Board of Education and Accessible Arts have given these annual awards to recognize the valuable work of people who include Kansas children with disabilities in art experiences. The award in education is selected by the Accessible Arts Board Committee from nominations submitted by peers. Accessible Arts staff and board select the recipient for distinguished service.

Dr. Miller is a music therapist for the Early Childhood Special Education program at Blue Valley. During her career she has taught music to students from preschool through college levels. She utilizes the intrinsically motivating power of music to engage students in their gross and fine motor development, pre-academic skills, socialization, and attention to task.

Through her company, Love Language™ LLC, Miller shows parents and caregivers how to encourage language development of young children by using music, play-based activities and picture books to teach baby sign language. She teaches Baby Sing & Sign™ classes at Shawnee Mission Medical Center, and the second edition of her book and music CD, Baby Sing & Sign™: A Play-filled Language Development Program for Hearing Infants and Toddlers, will be available in April from local booksellers and from her website, www.babysingandsign.com.

Miller piloted the music therapy program for the Olathe School District in 1980, and has advocated for the inclusion of special needs students in public school music programs throughout her career. She wrote and directed a musical revue called “Magic to Do” which integrated junior high students with disabilities and their peers, and she includes exceptional children in all of her ensembles.
Miller believes that “Children who come to believe they CAN perform, DO perform.”

Barry Bernstein (better known to area children as “Bongo Barry”) has served for the past ten years as Music Therapy Consultant in Blue Valley schools. Through his innovative work he has given children the joy of creative expression and the knowledge that to be ‘different’ is to be worthy and unique. He has collaborated with Accessible Arts on numerous programs, including the Jellybean Conspiracy, 99 Drums and Art of Learning. Bernstein’s work interjects music, rhythm, and fun as a release of energy enhancing the learning process and child development. As a music therapist he has developed programs and presented papers on the use of music therapy to treat mental and physical disorders including Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Disease, Attention Deficit Disorders, Autism, William’s Syndrome and Stroke Rehabilitation.

Bernstein is the founder of Healthy Sounds, a consulting service dedicated to spreading the word about the power of music and rhythm. Other involvement with youth includes: an interactive school assembly, Unity With A Beat! which has been featured in elementary schools from coast to coast, and at-risk youth projects through Accessible Arts and the Jackson County, Missouri Family Court.

In addition to an active international workshop schedule, Bernstein has released several recordings, including Spirals, Unwinding For Vitality and Health, (Relaxation Company), and Songs of the Spirit, Drone Tones and Remember Any Night, (Healthy Sounds). More information at Awards0801txt.html.

Accessible Arts & Healthy Sounds
Present:
Unity with a Beat!
Instrument Making & Drumming Techniques
with “Bongo” Barry Bernstein
Wednesday, June 15th, 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

This exciting workshop will be held at the Kauffman Foundation (4801 Rockhill Rd., KCMO). The fee of $50 includes lunch. Continuing Education Credit is available from Baker University (6 CMTE’s available for Music Therapists through Healthy Sounds, #P-405). Space is limited so make your reservation today by calling Beverly Johnson at Accessible Arts (913) 281-1133.

In the first half of this workshop, participants will explore the joy derived from building their own drums and shakers. We will construct 3 different drums using a variety of materials including a flowerpot, tuna can, and scrap wood. All instruments produce a good musical sound when completed! We will also explore the physics of drums and other percussion instruments. Participants will take home their finished products. All other materials are included in the workshop fee.

During the afternoon, Barry will use his music therapy and group facilitation background to lead the participants in a program that utilizes our natural rhythmic abilities by accessing language and movement. This creates a holistic learning experience that is accessible to everyone regardless of previous musical training.

While using the experiences for team spirit building, Barry demonstrates how to use music and rhythm experiences to address students’ learning outcomes in the class. These include math, science and social studies. Different learning styles are addressed during the presentation. Techniques for playing hand drums and a variety of percussion instruments will be addressed.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

Participants will develop an understanding of how rhythm can be used in the educational setting to achieve many different goals including learning enhancement, character education, and physical development.
Participants will develop an understanding of the group dynamics of drumming and basic group facilitation skills.
Participants will develop skills for playing hand drums and percussion instruments.

Thank You to All Our Generous Sponsors & Donors!

The past couple of years have been fruitful for Accessible Arts. We have expanded our programing and continue to explore new collaborations that enable us to champion the arts for children with disabilities and advocate access to the arts. Without the financial and in-kind assistance of many friends and supporters, none of these things could have happened. The major programs that have benefited from generous individuals, corporations, foundations, and agencies include: The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel, Discovery Trails, 99 Drums Music & Cultural Camp, Accessible Arts Center & After School Arts Club, Art of Learning Professional Development Training, and Accessible Arts Auction. In addition to the many individuals who provide financial support, especially through our annual Holiday Appeal, the following corporations, small businesses, foundations and agencies have together enabled us to provide high quality training and programming. The Staff and Board of Accessible Arts extend our heart-felt thanks to all.

99 Drums

Curry Family Foundation
Faultless Starch/Bon Ami Co.
General Motors
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Kansas Arts Commission
Kansas City Community Foundation
Kansas Gas Service
Mad Jack’s Fresh Fish
Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation
Oppenstein Brothers Foundation
George F. Porter & Sons, Inc.
Security Bank & Trust
State Street Foundation
Theresa Foundation
VSA arts

Program & Operational Support

Deluxe Corporation Foundation
Francis Families Foundation
Greater Kansas City Community Foundation
Harrington-Scanlon Roofing Co.
Heart of American Chapter SDP
Jewish Heritage Foundation
Kansas Arts Commission
Kappa Chapter Phi Tau Omega
Jeannette & Miller Nichols Foundation
Overland Park Lions Club
Sigma Alpha Iota
VSA arts
Wyandotte Lions Club

Discovery Trails

Farmers Insurance Company
Grandview Lions Club
Jr. League of Wyandotte & Johnson Counties
Kansas Arts Commission
Kansas City Community Foundation
Kutak Rock LLP
Lenexa Lions Club
National Park Service
Overland Park Lions Club
PEO
Sprint Foundation
Turner Lions Club
US Fish & Wildlife Service
VOICE
VSA arts
Women’s Foundation of Greater Kansas City

The Art of Learning

Kanssas Arts Commission
VSA arts

The Return of the Scarlet Pimpernel

Jr. League of Wyandotte & Johnson Counties
Kansas Arts Commission
Muriel McBrien Kauffman Foundation
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
State Street Foundation
Theresa Foundation
VSA arts

Accessible Arts Center &
After School Arts Club

Executive Hills Management
H & R Block Foundation
Junior League of Kansas City Missouri
Overland Park Lions Club
John Tait Foundation
Vornado Air Circulation Systems, Inc.
Wyandotte Lions Club

Accessible Arts Auction

American Century Investments
JPMorgan
Hallar Gallery
Les Bourgeois Vineyards

In-kind Donors

American Heartland Theatre
Andre’s Confiserie Suisse
Apple Market
Café Sebastienne
Canyon Café
Civic Opera of Kansas City
Classic Cup Catering
Dean & DeLuca Catering
Eagle Talon Brotherhood
Edy’s Ice Cream
Fiesta Mexicana
First Hmong Baptist Church Women
Frondizi’s Ristorante
Guys foods
Kansas City Repertory Theatre
Kansas City Symphony
Kansas State School for the Blind
Keebler’s Sunshine Biscuits
L&C Foods
Lee’s Printing
Lyric Opera
McCleary’s Snacks
Mission Hy-Vee
Multi-Foods
Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
O’Dowd’s Little Dublin
Paul Messner Puppets
Pelathe Center
PF Chang
Pizza Hut (Wyandotte County) Pizza Hut (Overland Park)
Roberts Dairy
Sisters Three Catering
Sophie’s
Spanish Gardens
St. Paul’s Saturday Breakfast
Tatsu’s French Restaurant
The Blue Room
The Capital Grille
The Coterie
The Pillsbury Company
Turner Lions Club
Unicorn Theatre
Webster’s Catering
Whole Foods Overland Park
Wyandotte Lions Club

Intrepid Teens from Kansas and Across the United States
Invited to follow the Donner Party
by Eleanor Craig

“As many as eight young men, of good character, who can drive an ox team, will be [hired] by gentlemen who will leave this vicinity about the first of April…The first suitable persons who apply will be engaged.”

So advertised George Donner in the Springfield, Illinois, newspaper of 1846, as he prepared to take his large family to California. In 2005 Accessible Arts is seeking as many as fifteen teens of adventuresome character, who can stand the outdoor rigors of the Trail, to accompany experienced Trail hands from AAI and the Kansas State School for the Blind on a 1500 mile trip along the California Trail.

Early this summer, fifteen teens with visual impairments and an equal number of adult companions will follow the 1846-47 trail of the ill-fated Donner Party and the resolute Mormon emigrants from Kansas City to the Valley of the Great Salt Lake. These two groups of pioneers were renowned for taking uncompromising and unconventional stands, so our trek will develop the theme “Taking a Stand” as we follow the pioneers’ trail across the Great Plains and over the Rocky Mountains.

From May 27th through June 11th, 2005, we will immerse ourselves in the pioneers’ daily trail experiences, sometimes tedious, sometimes delightful, sometimes dangerous. We’ll do what they did, have the adventures they had, and face the limits they faced. We’ll explore the challenges that stretched the pioneers’ resources--the physical challenges of crossing rivers, pulling up long hills; the social challenges of whom to follow, which “short cut” to take; the moral challenges of life and death. We’ll examine the way individual pioneers met these challenges, the stands they took, and the consequences that followed.

Five artist-educators will accompany our wagon train, to lead teens and adults alike in creative activities that awake and inspire our imaginations and bring us in touch with the pioneer in each of us. We’ll encourage one another to reflect on where each of us would stand on issues that concerned the pioneers. The artists will invite us with music, drama, sculpture, and handcraft arts to explore the challenges that teens today face in “taking a stand”. During an arts weekend in October, 2005, trail teens will reassemble to create individual and group artistic works on the theme “Where I Stand”-- works they will use to share their Trail experiences with school and community groups.

This year’s trail teens will return to Salt Lake City in July 2006 to present their creative work and their trail adventures at an international conference of professionals and families who work and live with individuals who are blind—The Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired and The National Association for Parents of Children with Visual Impairments.

The Discovery Trails Program is a unique opportunity for teens with visual impairments to engage every sense in both extensive outdoor activity and intensive artistic activity, two areas of purposeful, creative endeavor often missing from the lives of blind teens.

Attention, fourth and fifth grade teachers within fifty miles of Kansas City: You could have the teen pioneers of the Discovery Trails Project come to your classroom to teach Trail history through a hands-on art activity early in November, 2005. Interested? Call Trails Coordintor Eleanor Craig 913/281-1133.

Students 14-19 years of age, who are blind or visually impaired are invited to join our wagon train. The cost to families for the summer trek is $250 for Kansas residents, $350 for non-residents. For further information call Trails Coordinator Eleanor Craig at 800/682-9469.

Psssst! Pass it on!
Once in a Generation a Chance like this Comes Along

Theater and Music for Children, Adults, for Everyone
Delightful Programs Exploring themes of Tolerance, Respect, Diversity

It’s a Conspiracy that could be coming to your community

Accessible Arts can bring The Jellybean Conspiracy to your home town—a three part program of theater, music, movement that is fully participatory, universally accessible and, unforgetably delightful.

In 2006 and 2007 Accessible Arts will facilitate a unique collaboration among the high school drama and special education departments, the middle school students, the families of school children, and the arts agencies of your local community. The result is The Jellybean Conspiracy: a play, arts workshops, and a professional development seminar…a unique experience of diversity, a celebration of the gifts of persons with disabilities, a foray into a world accessible to all.

Psssst!!! Let the Conspiracy begin…in your Community!

For more precise details and to get your town on the list of conspirators, call Accessible Arts Executive Director Martin English today! (913) 281-1133

This column (helpful tips and top-notch topics) is for and by teachers, caregivers, etc. who champion the arts for children with disabilities.
We invite your contributions for future inclusion.

As a baby boomer, I remember those good old days when the neighborhood kids would get together and do a play in someone’s backyard. We did the classics. Sleeping Beauty and Little Red Riding Hood were some of our big hits. The only requirement was that there was a clothesline tall enough to hang a bedspread for a curtain. Today you will find the neighborhood kids inside playing video games where they digitally act out the fantasies of wizards, warriors and imprisoned princesses.

What follows is a step by step approach to creating a “Backyard” theatrical production through the use of structured improvisation. With this approach children of all abilities can participate since there is no script to read or memorize. The spirit of structured improvisation allows for changes that make it possible for everyone to participate, regardless of ability or talent—and it comes with a guarantee!

Providing StructureFirst things first! It is vital to have structure for improvisations. For example, if you ask a class of first graders to act like monkeys, it would create chaos. However, if you ask them to act like monkeys eating bananas or act like monkeys while moving forward four steps and then back two, you have created a structure for their improvisation. The structure of the improvisation is how you will accommodate various disabilities. Herein lies some of the most creative work.

The Process
Select and Tell the Story: Be sure to select a story that has enough parts for everyone. Instead of reading the story from a book, try telling it from your own memory. It will make the story seem more immediate. Purpose: Introduce tale to participants and engage their imaginations.

Introduce Concept of French Scenes: The use of French Scenes is a convention where you divide the story into sections based on when a character enters or leaves a scene. In Little Red Riding Hood, the first scene begins with her mother asking her to go see Grandma and ends when Little Red Riding Hood leaves to do this. Using pictures and words, have the children help you divide the story into French Scenes. Purpose: Reviews tale and, by dividing the story into small segments, you create a form of structure that will allow the students to work on the story in smaller segments.

Musical and Movement Explorations: Explore the opportunities to add music and movement into the story. Purpose: To provide additional opportunities for children to express themselves through other art forms.

Scene Improvisations: Have the participants divide into groups to experiment with an improvised French Scene from the tale. Purpose: Develop listening and presenting skills and to further engage in ‘make-believe.’

Select Roles: There are a number of ways to do this. Since the script is improvised, the students can take turns playing different parts. Usually they gravitate to one role and keep it. If there are two or more children who want the same role, then rewrite the story to accommodate this. Purpose: To help develop consistency and ownership by the children.
Add Narrators: Write short narratives to be read at the beginning of each scene.
Purpose: To provide opportunities for individuals who enjoy reading aloud. Provide clarity for the audience.

Process to Product: Bring group improvisations together to present the entire tale. Purpose: To provide a sense of accomplishment as well as the experience of fun and engagement in ‘make-believe.’

The Guarantee: After spending the past twenty-plus years working with children and engaging them in this form of theatrical ‘make-believe,’ I have never had a student shed a tear or even get the least bit nervous. The children participating have always had complete ownership of their play and through their eyes the audience could see only what the children saw, the beauty and magic of theatre.

In August 2001, a group of twenty-eight participants in the Accessible Arts, Inc. (AAI) Cultural Access Training Seminar descended on Kansas City Repertory Theatre. The “Rep,” along with the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art, had volunteered to be the guinea pigs for the novice group who were learning how to assess accessibility in local arts venues.

Kansas City Repertory Theatre received good ratings. For example, they offered assistive listening devices, Braille and large print programs. However, the areas where they could make improvements were noted for future changes. Those changes have now been made. Last fall Kansas City Repertory Theatre opened with a new look for the disabilities community. They have added 6 companion seats and 5 fully accessible, removable seats that have movable armrests. These are in the back row of the center section, in the first one-third of the theatre. They also have the original accessible seats, with companion seats, in Section B at both ends of one row.

House Manager Kelly Cooper said, ‘The doors in the ramp from the lobby into the theatre have been replaced, so they are now up to code for accessibility, and rails along the entry ramp have been replaced to meet access requirements.”

The Cultural Access surveys are intended to be an aid to facilities-planning and an effective marketing tool for arts venues as they reach out to a significant potential audience of persons with disabilities. AAI Executive Director Martin English said, “Our goal was to work with arts venues to build an awareness of effective marketing to this community and to show facility management where changes could be made that would make their programming more accessible to that community.” The results of the surveys to-date can be found on the AAI website under Cultural Access from the Home Page.

Saturday April 30, 2005
9:00 AM - 12:30 PM or 2:00 - 5:30 PM
Kauffman Legacy Foundation Center
4801 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110

Parents, teachers, therapists and family members will learn:
• Basic components of providing positive behavior
supports
• How implementation can benefit children
• How to prevent, respond and replace problem
behaviors
• The process of addressing behavior under IDEA

$10 per person
Registration Deadline: April 20, 2005
Call 913-384-4848
or visit www.kcdsg.org

Families Together, Inc.
Parent Training & Information Centers for Kansas Families Together, Inc. is a statewide organization that assists parents and their sons and daughters with any form of diability. The program mission is to encourage, educate, and empower families to be effective advocates for their own children. Families Together toll free numbers:

Wichita........ 1-888-825-6364
Topeka.........1/800-264-6343
Kansas City...1/877-499-5369
Garden City...1/888-820-6364
Spanish line...1/800/499-9443
NC Region.....1/866/788-7710 or

...1-866/279-6760
NW Region....1-866-775-7710
SE Region.....1-877/948-3049
SC Region.....1-866/884-8810

Accessible Arts is proud to be an Arts Partner and a Kansas City Promise Site

We are happy to continue sending our newsletter to all persons who wish to receive it. If you would like to remain in our database as a consultant, artist, etc. but no longer wish to receive the newsletter, please let us know. Our new database will allow us to make this distinction. However, if you no longer want to remain in our data base, please help us by letting us know. We will immediately remove your name from our list. If you have any changes or updates for our mailing list, please notify us. You can e-mail us at accarts@accessiblearts.org or drop us a note at Accessible Arts, Inc., 1100 State Ave., Kansas City, KS, 66102-4411 or feel free to call us at (913) 281-1133. We also welcome feedback about our programming, the content of our newsletter, and our web site. Thank you for your help in this matter.