Today we’d like to introduce you to Emma Kent.
Hi Emma, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Unmask The Arts came to be when I decided to merge my two lifelong passions into one. I begun dancing when I was four years old at Flat River Dance Company. I knew from a young age that I wanted to become a professional dancer. When I graduated from High School I continued my education at Grand Valley State University as a Dance Major graduating in 2023. From there I trained with Wellspring Dance Company for a year and am now in my second season as a company member. I have always had a passion for accessibility and inclusion, specifically in regards to individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. In college I took a Dance Pedagogy class and did all of my student teaching with organizations that offer art classes for individuals with disabilities. I interned with Artists Creating Together and learned so much from their amazing program.
Post graduation, I begun looking for additional work to support myself while I pursued my career in dance. I found an organization that offered training to be a Behavioral Technician and work with children on the spectrum. I work with my clients in the evenings after rehearsals. This has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling experiences of my life. I am so honored to see my client grow and develop more confidence and independence each day.
I never planned to create Unmask The Arts, but through my work as a BT I discovered a need. My client’s mother expressed how nervous she would be to bring her two children with Autism to a Dance concert or Theater production. This conversation brought to my attention how inaccessible the theater was to individuals with autism and/or intellectual disabilities. I went home that day and begun researching what it would take to begun creating and hosting sensory friendly concert experiences that would be welcoming to audience members of all different backgrounds. With Unmask The Arts we are creating concert environments to not just accept audience members with disabilities, but to celebrate their individual identity and needs.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
UA begun growing a lot faster than I expected, and it was all brand new territory for me. On September 7th I sent out a few emails to local arts organizations and programs for individuals with disabilities. I wasn’t even sure if this was an idea anyone else would be interested in. I had immediate interest from performers and audience members to make this happen. By the 15th I was a registered NonProfit and began fundraising for my first collaboration with Wellspring Dance Company with our event taking place that upcoming November. I had about two months to fundraise, market, solidify ticketing, collect sensory-tools, and make adjustments to the concert to be more accessible and sensory-friendly. At first I was terrified! I hadn’t taken on a project by myself like this in my life and I was afraid of letting everyone down. I was doing this on top of working two jobs and taking a few college classes at night. I was beautifully surprised by the way that everyone in my life supported this dream. Wellspring was so receptive to all of my ideas and really trusted me a long the way. People from all different parts of my life begun following on social media and supporting my fundraisers. My closest friend, Kayla Hatten, became the person I routinely came for to ask advice. Kayla is a social worker who works as a support coordinator for children on the Spectrum. Her support really gave me the confidence I needed to believe in UA. Kayla quickly joined as the organization’s Vice-President. I am so grateful for the way my community stepped up and supported me and Unmask The Arts. I truly could not have done it without them.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
When I first created UA I was very particular to only focus on accessibility within the audience. There are so many wonderful organizations in Michigan’s major cities (Grand Rapids, Detroit, Kalamazoo, Grand Haven), that offer opportunities for individuals with disabilities to create art. I never wanted to put myself in competition with organizations I respected so deeply. However, I didn’t want UA to overlook the wonderful artists in our community with disabilities. Starting this upcoming April, UA will be hiring artists from accessible arts programs to open at our shows. Our organization wants to create space to lift up artists and audience members of all different abilities. Unmask the Arts is cultivated from collaboration and accessibility. We are creating unique environments were mainstream arts organizations and disability arts organizations can come together and connect through their shared passion of performance and art.
How do you think about luck?
I feel very lucky with how Unmask the Arts has come to be. A lot of things fell into place to make the organization possible. While it took a bit of luck, it also took a lot of hard work. I started UA with the mindset of “why not.” I decided to take the risk and just started before I knew if it would work out or not.
Pricing:
- UA fundraises to make our concerts as accessible as possible. Tickets are free to individuals with disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorder and their family/Support team .
Contact Info:
- Website: https://unmaskthearts.org
- Instagram: unmask.the.arts
- Facebook: Unmask The Arts
