Hello ABLE Community,
Seven years ago, I filed the paperwork to establish A.B.L.E. as a nonprofit organization. I never could have imagined all that we’d accomplish together over that time. Way way back, when we first started the program that would become A.B.L.E., we had just 7 actors in our little drama club. To date, 63 actors with varying disabilities have taken part in our ensembles, collaborating to produce a wide range of projects, and we’ve reached even more through our outreach programs. In total, we’ve led more than 600 rehearsals, workshops, and trainings for our community. We've sold close to 4000 tickets for our events produced with generous community partners, and reached thousands more audience members around the globe through streaming productions. And, with your support, we’ve implemented initiatives that truly set us apart from other organizations, like:
transforming leadership opportunities for people with disabilities through our Program Advisory Council and offering meaningful employment for our Creative Associates,
removing barriers to our work through our Tech & Travel Assistance Initiative and pay-what-you-can registration and ticketing
investing in accessibility for our audiences
committing to an organization-wide living wage so no one who works for us needs to choose between a career in the arts and paying their rent.
I am constantly amazed by the power of our community at A.B.L.E. Some of you have been with us since the beginning and some of you are just joining our circle. But I want to say “THANK YOU” to each of you because none of our work is possible without people. And the people at A.B.L.E. are what make this community such a joy to lead. They are consistent, strong, and inclusive - like a circle. That’s part of why we chose “Circle Up” as our theme for this year’s annual campaign.
A circle is consistent, it is inclusive, it is continuous. That is what we strive to be for all of the people who take part in our programs - not just our actors, but their families, our volunteers, our staff, and you, too.
But we also know “circle up” might bring a different connotation to mind - that A.B.L.E. is “circling the wagons.” And, if that’s the first thing you thought of, frankly, you’re not wrong. Having fun is one of our top priorities at A.B.L.E., but we are not immune to the challenges that are facing arts organizations across the country right now. Costs are rising. Audiences aren’t coming back. We were so excited to return to live performances after 3 years of only being online, but RECONNECT only sold 56% of our available tickets. Donations have declined. Enrollment is fluctuating. Everything is unpredictable.
I understand why. You are burned out. We have all been through the ringer, and we can’t pretend otherwise. Maybe you lost someone you loved. Maybe you moved. Maybe you changed jobs - out of want or necessity. Or maybe you’re just tired. I’m tired too. But A.B.L.E. really needs you right now. With the continued economic uncertainty, we are facing some tough decisions that would mean turning people away who may desperately want or need a place to connect and to create.
This is truly a defining moment for us, and the success of this campaign will determine if we need to scale back, or if we get to keep growing and evolving our work to meet the needs and dreams of our community.
In January, we gathered our community for a collaborative strategic planning session to map out a vision for our future. That vision includes:
Adding a new tier to our ensemble program - Upstage - to offer a deeper level of engagement for our longtime actors
Growing our outreach programs with new partners to help us reach new participants and audiences AND give more work opportunities to our Creative Associates with disabilities
Establishing new venue hubs in different neighborhoods to expand our reach and make sure our programs are accessible and available to more people.
But we can’t make any of these dreams happen without your continued support. So, today, on our 7th birthday, please consider making a donation to support A.B.L.E. And please tell others what this community means to you, and ask them to #CircleUpWithABLE too. Together, we can make space for everyone to share who they are and all they are ABLE to do.
Thank you for being part of our circle,
Katie Yohe
A.B.L.E. Founder and Executive Artistic Director
