Workshops

VSA Vermont presents art-making and instructional workshops for the public at conferences, schools, community celebrations and for organizations seeking professional development for their staff members.

In recent years, VSA Vermont has provided arts activities to raise public awareness about inclusive arts at the Sara Holbrook Festival of Cultures, for the Imani Cultural Center’s annual family celebration, for the MS Society of Vermont’s annual walk-a-thon and at the Special Olympics. VSA Vermont's Awareness Theater Company director, Emily Anderson, has presented workshops on engaging people who are non-verbal or who have developmental disabilities in theater on college campuses such as Goddard College and Burlington College. VSAVT’s Start With The Arts Training Coordinator, Peggy Rainville, and VSAVT’s Executive Director, Judith Chalmer, co-presented a workshop on working with program partners for the annual Vermont Collaboration Conference.

“The experience was inspiring, entertaining and deeply moving.”

Awareness Theater Company workshop at Burlington College

Workshops in conjunction with VSA Vermont performances allow audience members to engage in an interactive way with the material presented. For instance, each performance of the VSA Vermont tour of Gail Schwartz’s one-woman show, “Crazy,” included a discussion and creative expressions workshop. After one performance and accompanying workshop Yasmine Ziesler, Coordinator of Academic Services at Community College of Vermont said, “The breadth and depth of student engagement during the performance and follow-up discussion and workshop was the strongest I’ve ever seen.”

VSA Vermont also offers workshops in conjunction with partner organizations to individuals for professional development. In recent years, artists, health care providers and individuals with disabilities have had the opportunity to participate in workshops by the Axis Dance Company and dancer Maureen Fleming in conjunction with performances at the Flynn Center for the Performing Arts. Organizations seeking to partner with VSA Vermont to include people with disabilities in their workshops and to promote skills for community inclusion with workshops can contact us.

To book a workshop by a VSA Vermont artist, board or staff member, contact us.