P
E P
Professional
Enrichment Program
MISSION
The mission of PEP is to increase the participation and professional development
of performance artists and theatre workers from under-represented groups,
especially those with disabilities. PEP promotes integrated, accessible, and affordable classes, programs, training
materials and other opportunities to improve the skill level of participants and
to facilitate productive, collaborative working relationships with theatre
workers from all experience levels, both disabled and non-disabled.
PEP strongly emphasizes
the need to promote accessibility for both artists and audience members. By encouraging diversity we hope to enrich both the quality
of performance work and the theatre community itself. PEP serves as a national model of inclusion, with projects and
materials designed to be easily replicated.
HISTORY OF PEP
PEP was born in 1997 at a conference sponsored by The Association for
Theater Accessibility (ATA). Three
people met at that conference: Rica Anderson from Theater Bay Area (TBA),
Deborah Cullinan from Intersection for the Arts, and Pamela Walker from The
National Arts and Disability Center (NADC).
Pamela also had her company, Talent Bridge, an arm being a talent agency
for performers with disabilities in the Bay Area. These three people left the
conference full of ideas and networked often over the next few years. Liane
Yasumoto, Executive Director of The Corporation on Disabilities and
Telecommunication (CDT) and board member of ATA, was added to the PEP mix.
The
PEP networking became formalized in 1999 after an attempt to find performers
with disabilities for a production at the Magic Theatre. Disabled and
non-disabled performers were auditioned over 2 full days.
Not only was the disparity in professionalism extremely evident, but also
there were less performers with disabilities cast than could have been if the
pool been larger and more competitive.
OBJECTIVES
--Coalition partners meet monthly to network and to
develop collaborative projects.
--Each coalition partner defines three manageable objectives to accomplish each
year.
--The coalition identifies and implements one joint project each year.
Disability
Focus
Since people with disabilities (PWDs) encounter many
barriers to integrating into the theatre industry, attention will especially be
paid to recruiting and providing support to PWDs.
Some obstacles to integrating people with disabilities into
theatre work include transportation barriers, financial barriers, social
barriers, lack of understanding the need to develop one’s craft, disability
related needs, fear, isolation, lack of information (i.e. about accessible
workshops), and internalized oppression (i.e. that being an artist is not an
option if one is disabled).
Examples
of Gaps
--lack of access to classes, physically and attitudinally
--difficulty moving from doing solo performance work to doing assembly work
--A lack of understanding terms [What is “blocking” and
“the Method”?]
--can't afford to visit theatre (i.e. programs for reduced tickets don't work well if
wheelchair seating or
interpreting is needed)
--learning how to take individual work and generalize it
Other Notes:
--PEP addresses issues related to theatre workers (writers,
directors, cast, crew, etc.); therefore, all
coalition partners work in the area of theatre.
--PEP
is about advancing the careers of professionals with disabilities; therefore,
PEP activities are designed to support PWDs already working in theatre, not
beginners.
--PEP is primarily located in the San Francisco Bay area, but serves as a
networking model for other geographic areas.