Victory Gardens Theater
Chicago, IL

Main Website: http://www.victorygardens.org

Accessibility Web Page: http://www.victorygardens.org/content/about/access_project

Point of Contact

Sandy Shinner
Associate Artistic Director
Co-director, Access Project
Email Address: sshinner@victorygardens.org
Phone: 773-549-5788 ext. 2139
TTY: 773-871-0682

Michael Ervin
Co-director, Access Project
Email Address: information@victorygardens.org
Phone: 773-549-5788
TTY: 773-871-0682

Overview

Founded in 1974, Victory Gardens Theater is a not for profit, Tony Award recipient, dedicated to playwrights and their works. Emphasis is placed on the development of an ethnically and culturally diverse community of artists. Programs include five main stage productions; classes in all aspects of theater; outreach and educational activities serving the Chicago public schools by providing arts integrated curriculum units and authentic arts experiences; the access project; second stage productions and extensive rental and mentoring to developing companies; as well as playwright development programs such as readings, workshops and commissions.

Victory Gardens Theater presents productions in its new home, the recently renovated Biograph, which seats 299, and its former home that has two, 60-seat black box studios and one 192-seat main stage. The theatre's overall budget is approximately $3.1 million, and yearly attendance is 98,000.

Strategic Planning

A key program of Victory Gardens Theater is the access project, which encompasses all of the theater's services for people with disabilities. Now in its 14th season, this project's overarching goal is to create a truly barrier-free theatrical experience. This includes assistive technologies, a deep, institution-wide commitment to physical accessibility in terms of facility design (including backstage and dressing areas) and staff training, and ongoing performance programs that feature compelling, important, vital and diverse stories of and participation by persons with disabilities.

Professional Development

The co-director of the access project leads annual workshops for front-of-house staff and periodically for all staff and board members. This training is based on a manual written by access project staff and reviewed by people with disabilities.

Community Engagement

Victory Gardens Theater's access project represents a community partnership in which participants with disabilities play an active role in program design. All assistive services receive input from community members with disabilities. The access project is co-directed by Michael Ervin, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a wheelchair, and whose background as a disability playwright is ideally suited for access programming that represents both audience- and artist-centered activities. The co-directors of the Access Project each speak to community organizations that serve people with disabilities. Additionally, Victory Gardens maintains involvement among artists and audience members with disabilities in the form of an advisory council. The theater solicits feedback from community members and the advisory council as needed.

Victory Gardens Theater was one of the leaders in creating an arts access committee at the League of Chicago Theaters (LCT), and in organizing the disability arts festival, Bodies of Work: the Chicago Festival of Disability Arts. In addition, Victory Gardens has trained most of the audio describers in Chicago through three annual workshops. The theater also loans its captioning equipment to other theaters in the community. As part of the transformation of the Biograph movie house to a state-of-the-art main stage for Victory Gardens, staff contracted with an architect who uses a wheelchair to review the facility's physical accessibility.

Programs and Services

Victory Gardens Theater is accessible to audience members and artists. Services include:

• Artist development workshops that teach the art of playwriting and performance to individuals with and without disabilities
• Play development opportunities for original works dealing with disability issues or written by playwrights who have disabilities
• Touch tours
• A series of performances, readings, movies and other events that promote, explore and celebrate disability culture
• Word-for-word captioning
• Concierge-style, open box offices with counters at varying and adjustable heights
• Access and inclusion information on all printed materials
• An access newsletter that reaches more than 2,000 individuals

Evaluation

Evaluation is conducted through surveys and focus groups with audience members, artists and members of the disability community. Victory Gardens also tracks ticket and subscription sales, and both of these have grown for access service performances and Crip Slam. In addition, the advisory council assesses the success of the theater's programs as it helps plan new and guide existing services.

Tips for Success

• Include members of the disability community in the creation and design of all access services.
• Make a long-term commitment to access and inclusion and make it an integral part of your organization.
• Ensure that your access services are professional; for example, if you have professional actors, then you need professional audio describers.