ABOUT ASC LINKS

ASC MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

• ACT Roxbury Consortium
• ArtsBoston
• The Art Connection
• ArtistLink
• Arts & Business Council of Greater Boston
• Boston Dance Alliance
• Boston Singers’ Resource
• Cultural Access Consortium
• The Fenway Alliance
• StageSource
• Urban Arts Institute
• Volunteer Lawyers for the Arts
• VSA arts of Massachusetts

VSA arts of Massachusetts (VSAM)

MISSION

Leveraging access for people with disabilities through the arts.

VSA arts of Massachusetts (VSAM) promotes inclusion of people with disabilities in our communities and develops effective arts-based teaching strategies that allow students with and without disabilities to learn together. We advance systemic change in the quality and accessibility of cultural and educational resources through programs, resources and advocacy. VSAM provides leadership and forges partnerships with individuals, organizations and institutions. VSA arts of Massachusetts is part of an international network of organizations founded in 1974 by Jean Kennedy Smith and affiliated with The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. VSAM was awarded the COMMONWEALTH AWARD by the Massachusetts Cultural Council in recognition of "Model arts education programs provided throughout the state that allow children with and without disabilities to achieve their highest potential." VSAM has also qualified as a Creative Schools Partner with the Massachusetts Cultural Council. VSAM has a contractual partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Education to support the inclusion of student with disabilities through arts-based education programs throughout the state. VSAM also participates in the U.S. Department of Education's Art in Education Program as the local affiliate of VSA arts.

PROGRAMS / SERVICES

VSA arts of Massachusetts leads through a consortium of school systems, cultural institutions, universities, and human service agencies to creatively leverage programs, services, policy, and events in three program areas:

• Create art programs in the schools to integrate students with and without disabilities
• Create sustainable opportunities in the arts for people with disabilities
• Create programmatic and physical access to cultural and other public facilities

VSA arts of Massachusetts pursues this mission with programs in two broad areas, Education and Cultural Access.

Our education programs help teachers and students use the arts to improve instruction and learning for all students. With our assistance schools can effect substantial and cost effective improvements.

• Artist Residencies serving 3500 students and 115 teachers in 55 schools
• Professional Development programs for 250 artists and educators
• Over 4000 educators using our guide to arts-infused instruction, The Multi-Arts Resource Guide

VSAM's cultural access programs create new opportunities for people with disabilities to take part in the full measure of their community's cultural life and, at the same time, increase the potential audience of participating organizations. Recent accomplishments include:

• Collaboration with Show of Hands Theater Company to produce the region's first Deaf Theatre Festival
• Publication of a six state directory of accessible cultural venues, Access Expressed! New England and maintaining a national database of accessible cultural facilities and programs at www.AccessExpressed.net.
• Presenting in association with the Massachusetts Cultural Council the region's first Forum on Careers in the Arts for People with Disabilities titled Putting Creativity to Work
• Creation of Universal Design in the Performing Arts, a videotape to introduce cultural program designers to the principles of Universal Design featuring John Hockenberry of NBC's Dateline as narrator.