ABLE - Artists Breaking Limits & Expectations

Ensembles: Actors with disabilities collaborate with a team of teaching artists and volunteer facilitators to create theatre and film projects. Each ensemble serves a maximum of 12 actors with intellectual and developmental disabilities ages 13+. Ensembles meet for 90-minute each week over the course of a 6-week or 12-week semester. A.B.L.E.'s 2023-2024 centered on the theme of Journeys, with a range of performances and public events including Twists & Turns - a devised show featuring original monologues, scenes, and movement pieces by the ensemble which played to a sold-out crowd at The Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, the world premiere of our original digital film Into the Underworld, and vibrant adaptation of The Odyssey produced in partnership with Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier.Showcases - ABLE's 6-week ensembles each worked to present a 30 minute showcase of scenes and monologues shared in October and April. All public events are sensory friendly and offer tools such as social stories, sensory support tools, and a designated audience movement zone. Open captioning and dual ASL translation is also provided. Program Metrics: -Total Virtual Sessions = 21-Total In-Person Sessions = 60-Total program hours = 140-Total enrollment = 79 -Total Live Streamed Performances = 6-Audience = 1,063

Outreach: ABLE shares our methodology through one-time workshops and longer residencies for community organizations that serve individuals with I/DD and professional development training for those who support them. In addition to our public masterclass series, in FY24 ABLE was contracted by The Chicago Park District, Roosevelt University, The Saints of Chicago, DisFest, and Misericordia Home. All Outreach sessions are co-led by A.B.L.E.s Creative Associates - staff members with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Program metrics:-Total Sessions = 9-Total program hours = 15-Total enrollment = 240Across all programs, A.B.L.E. was served by 37 volunteers who gave a combined total of approximately 1120 hours in our rehearsals and public events. This does not include our volunteer board of directors.