LMDA's 2022 International Performing Arts Conference Announces New Accessibility Partnerships

LMDA's 2022 International Performing Arts Conference has announced a series of broader accessibility initiatives for this summer's in-person and online Conference. They've partnered with local, national and international organizations and funders to support access initiatives intended to center the pressing needs of today's performing artist.

"We began conversations with our constituency 18 months ago. While some of their specific needs shifted as the pandemic progressed, the complex conversations around art access and making remained a core priority of the community," says Conference Chair Jacqueline Goldfinger.

For over 20 years, LMDA has been at the forefront of creating connections, building bridges, and supporting the rigorous exchange of ideas across the performing arts in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. While LMDA was originally an organization for literary managers and dramaturgs, it has bloomed into an in-person and virtual platform that supports all dramaturgically-minded performing artists and administrators - no matter how they identify in terms of artistic labels or where they live.

This year's Conference is themed "Performance Outside the Proscenium" and features a wide variety of artists from the world of live performance including: Circus, Digital Opera, Site Specific, Burlesque, Cabaret, Online Performance, Museum Performance, Educational Theatre, and more. This short video created by Almanac Dance Circus Theatre highlights the theme: https://youtu.be/QKtY7zow_6s In order to facilitate the inclusion of more artists this year, LMDA has partnered with PlayOn Shakespeare and Hands Up Productions to provide 30 hours of ASL interpretation during their Zoom Day on July 21 as well as over the weekend of July 23-24 at the in-person Conference. They also partnered with United Airlines to provide free airline tickets to artists around the country who otherwise would not be able to afford to attend the in-person Conference, and tripled their scholarship fund thanks to the generous support of Yards Brewery and individual donors.

LMDA donors also supported an English-Spanish, Spanish-English translation process which will allow for bilingual video-sharing during the Digital Conference. Participants will be able to select no subtitles, English subtitles, or Spanish subtitles for over 20 async videos that span topics from Opera Burlesque to Working with Indigenous Communities to the Dramaturgy of Circus Performance. For parents and caregivers, LMDA partner Parent Artist Advocacy League (PAAL) will provide stipends that reduce the cost of babysitting and other care needs. These stipends will be available on the Conference App after participants register. In addition, all Conference spaces are ADA Accessible and there will be quiet rooms at the Conference Hub for nursing mothers and anyone who needs a break from the flurry of activities. Designed after conversations with LMDA's own Disability Affinity Space (DAS), ArtReach, and the Philly Autism Project, this is LMDA's first foray into neurodivergent support. They look forward to learning more about how to shape this resource this summer, and implement a revised plan next year.

To keep the conversation going beyond the Conference, LMDA partnered with the Network of Ensemble Theaters (NET), Directors Gathering (DG), and the Theatrical Sound Designers and Composers Association (TSDCA). Participants in the 2022 LMDA Conference will have the opportunity to activate a free individual membership to each organization. This free membership will help conversations continue across the nation, and also provide an opportunity for greater resource sharing. Goldfinger has also "added a 'unique needs' section to our registration form so if there is a need that you don't see addressed by our programming, you can reach out and we will work with you to address your needs or offer additional resources where you can go to have your needs met. These initiatives do take a bit more time and footwork than what we think of as 'normal' Conference planning, but it is also vital if we intend to continue a progressive evolution of live performing arts." For more information on the Conference: www.lmda.org/2022-conference

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