Families liken it to “falling off a cliff” when a loved one living with a disability turns 18 and effectively ages out of support programs – including the arts.
“There’s a lot of support in early years if you have a disability. There’s a lot built into public school systems, but once you age out of a lot of programming at 18, it can be really, really isolating,” Liviya Mendelsohn, manager of accessibility and inclusion for the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, told Global News.
That’s where the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre’s partnership with artist collective Ahuri Theatre comes in. They have created an inclusive arts program for young adults with mental and physical disabilities aged 18 to 30.
It’s called What Dream It Was, inspired by Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The interactive playground showcases the arts, and it’s all led by a group of 16 young adults with mixed abilities.
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Under a canopy of lights, Toronto’s Al Green Theatre transforms into a magical forest filled with shadow puppets, potion making, drama and music.
“We invite the audience into the magical forest of play, and it’s designed to be accessible to people of different abilities,” said artistic director Dan Watson from Ahuri Theatre.
Providing creative outlets for adults with disabilities is very important for Watson. His oldest son, seven-year-old Bruno, was born with cerebral palsy.
Although there are programs and services available to Bruno now, Watson and his wife are concerned those supports will disappear when Bruno becomes an adult.
“After 18, it drops off and there’s not a lot of programming that’s available for young adults,” Watson said.
So he helped launch the interactive arts project geared towards adults with physical or intellectual disabilities. Participants worked together for months – brainstorming, collaborating and rehearsing – to create What Dream It Was.
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Beginning Feb. 16, the installation is open to the public in the Miles Nadal Jewish Community Centre, a centre fittingly dedicated to promoting inclusiveness and diversity.
For participant and actor Ken Harrower, the experience was transformative.
“Being part of an acting group, it builds up your confidence, and it gives us something to look forward to each and every week,” he said.
That confidence didn’t come easily for Harrower. He was born with a rare disorder that affects his joints and requires him to use a wheelchair. As a baby, he was abandoned, and then lived in a series of foster homes.
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Although he dreamed of acting since childhood, Harrower said there were times he thought it would never happen.
“Because of lack of confidence in my abilities… I thought I could not make it as an actor, but I’ve been slowly, slowly building it up, and I’m happy I’m finally following something that I’ve always wanted to do,” Harrower said.
He has starred in an award-winning film and also been developing his leadership skills through What Dream It Was.
“Every person has something to contribute to society,” Harrower told Global News.
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