14 Aug CATA’S ANNUAL POETRY READING BRINGS POWERFUL WORK OF WRITERS WITH DISABILITIES TO THE MOUNT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEAugust 8, 2018
Contact: Chris Watford
(413) 528-5485
Images available upon request
CATA’S ANNUAL POETRY READING BRINGS THE POWERFUL WORK OF WRITERS WITH DISABILITIES TO THE MOUNT
GREAT BARRINGTON, MA—Community Access to the Arts (CATA) presents its Annual Poetry Reading—a vibrant celebration of CATA writers with disabilities—on September 12 at 5:30pm at The Mount, located at 2 Plunkett St. in Lenox. The evening will feature local luminaries, alongside CATA writers and friends, in a dynamic reading of works created in the CATA Writers’ Workshop, a nine-month class where writers with disabilities hone their craft and express their unique perspectives.
“We’re thrilled to partner with The Mount for our third year to share the powerful work of our writers,” says CATA Executive Director Margaret Keller. “In our weekly workshops, CATA writers tap into their individual style and express their creative voices. By sharing this work in a dynamic program at The Mount, we get to spotlight talents and perspectives that many people would not otherwise have the chance to encounter. The range of our writer’s work is incredible–it’s heartfelt, funny, and deeply moving, and it reveals the common experiences that connect us all. We’ve had full houses for this event the past two years and hope to once again have an enthusiastic crowd, ready to be enlightened and entertained!”
Since 2005, writers with disabilities have explored creative and expressive forms through CATA’s weekly Writers’ Workshop, developing their talents in poetry, haiku, autobiography, and short stories. CATA’s writing faculty includes Janet Reich Elsbach and Rachel Siegel—both talented local writers as well as gifted teachers. They offer an inventive curriculum to help writers tap into their own style, with prompts aimed at amplifying each individual’s voice. As needed, some CATA writers work with “scribes” to help them put their ideas on paper.
Reservations are required for this free event. Please call CATA’s office at 413-528-5485 to reserve your seat by September 5. CATA’s Annual Poetry Reading is made possible by Canyon Ranch, Berkshire Magazine, Massachusetts Cultural Council, and other generous supporters.
About Community Access to the Arts:
Now in its 26th year, Community Access to the Arts (CATA) nurtures and celebrates the creativity of people with disabilities. Through dynamic arts workshops and public events, CATA artists tap into their potential, explore new talents, and share their unique points of view with the wider community. CATA collaborates with 49 partner organizations to bring visual and performing arts programs to 700 people with disabilities across Berkshire County, Massachusetts and Columbia County, New York. Learn more at CATAarts.org.
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