Casting Society of America to Offer Free Workshops for Actors with Disabilities

The Casting Society of America (CSA), in partnership with the Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts, will hold a series of free workshops in February and March for Actors With Disabilities. The event is the next in the "Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion in Casting Initiative," a series of conversations and workshops designed to effect concrete change in how actors in historically underrepresented communities are afforded access to job opportunities. The series began in September with a Town Hall gathering of artists and casting directors.

The Workshops will take place as follows, and advance signup is required. Space is limited.

· The Business of Acting 101: Tuesday, February 2, 2016 from 7pm - 9pm, at the Actors' Equity Building in New York, 165 W. 46th Street entrance, 14th Floor. Doors will open at 6:30pm. RSVP necessary; please respond with your name and any specific accommodation information we should be aware of to: CSADiversityNY@gmail.com. You do not need to be a member of Actors' Equity to attend.

· On-Camera Audition Technique, Commercial Audition Technique, Theatre Audition Technique, and Musical Theatre Audition Technique: Saturday March 19 at Telsey + Co., 311 W. 43rd Street, 10th Floor, New York. Time slots are limited to 15 people per class. Please RSVP to CSADiversityNY@gmail.com with the following:

o Name

o Any accommodations needed (ASL Interpretation, Advance Access to Material, Wheelchair Access, etc.)

o Which class or classes you would like to take (maximum TWO classes per person)

o Which time slot you would prefer: 10AM-1PM, or 2PM-5PM

The goals of these workshops are:

1. To level the playing field for Performers With Disabilities by offering educational & career advancement opportunities to which they may have been denied access due to their disabilities;

2. For Casting Directors and their Associates to continue to deepen their knowledge of this untapped pool of talent; and

3. For Casting Directors and their Associates to develop a more nuanced understanding of how we can accommodate Performers With Disabilities and insure them equal opportunity to be considered for all roles.

Casting Society of America is committed to increasing access to casting opportunities for actors who have been historically overlooked in the entertainment industry--from actors of color to actors with disabilities. In working with our creative and producing teams we will champion our core values of diversity and inclusion, by engaging in thoughtful and informed discussions and by introducing and advocating for qualified actors. CSA and its individual members are committed to doing our part to expand perceptions and to creating a rich fabric of representation in storytelling across all media that reflects our society.

Inclusion in the Arts promotes and advocates for the full inclusion of artists if color and disabled performers at all levels of production in theatre, film, television and related media. It offers consulting services to writers, directors, producers, studio executives, casting directors and disabled artists. Inclusion in the Arts' work also extends to audiences, including those belonging to underserved and historically excluded communities. www.inclusioninthearts.org