AICA Partners with Kennedy Center to Support Apprentices with Disabilities
Date
October 3, 2024
The Theatre Lab and the team behind the Arts Institute for Creative Advancement (AICA)–our workforce development program in technical theatre–are thrilled to announce a partnership with The Kennedy Center’s Office of Accessibility/VSA to support training young adults with disabilities to become theatre tech professionals. The Kennedy Center received a 10M five-year grant award from the U.S. Department of Education under the Disability Innovation Fund (DIF) program, $600,000 of which will go to AICA to support our work promoting competitive, integrated employment (CIE) so that young adults with disabilities are paid real wages for real jobs, while creating pathways to some of today’s most in-demand fields.
In its first two years, AICA has a proven track record for helping young adults with and without disabilities attain livable wage employment in the field, with average starting wages of $22-$25/hr. 87% of AICA graduates were working in professional theatres within one month of graduation.
Special thanks and congratulations to our partners in the AICA: The Capitol Hill Arts Workshop, Life Pieces To Masterpieces, and the DC Arts Education Alliance.