When it comes to creating performances for children with autism, Lincoln Center in New York City doesn’t mess around. From April 10 to May 6, the performing arts center will host the Big Umbrella Festival, an arts festival specifically designed for autistic kids and their families.
Each Saturday and Sunday the festival will feature multiple theatrical performances adapted to meet the needs of kids on the autism spectrum. These interactive shows include Up and Away, a show in which the actors and the audience are paired in a one-to-one ration and which combines puppetry, live music, and a hot air balloon kids can climb aboard; Light Show, a multisensory experience that guides audience members from a day at the beach to a moonlit wonderland; and Oddysea, an immersive, multisensory play set in an undersea world. Tickets for each show are $25 per person.
A free Kickoff Event on Saturday, April 14 features Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Brady Rymer, who plays favorite pop and rock songs on the accordion, and the Actionplay Chorus, a group of young autistic singers who perform their own music. Throughout the festival you can also bring kids to a number of adapted, relaxed performances by Lincoln Center mainstays like the New York Philharmonic, Chamber Music Society, and the New York City Ballet.
To learn more about the festival and see the complete schedule, visit bigumbrellafestival.org.
