MTC Receives an IDEA Award

Metro Theater Company is thrilled to be selected for an IDEA Award by the Arts and Culture Accessibility Cooperative’s led by MindsEye! The award recognizes institutions and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility of the Greater St. Louis cultural landscape each year. An award is given to one nominee for each of the following 5 categories:

Individual
A person who initiates and advocates for the ideals of inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility within a given community. This person may work or be associated with an organization, business, government entity, institution, or the public at large. 

Organization
The organization’s leadership team makes accessibility a priority by setting a mission-driven framework of inclusive practices. They build bridges with disability and marginalized communities and build accessibility and equity into all aspects of the organization.  

Initiative
A new plan or action designed to improve or solve a problem while bringing inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility to the forefront and incorporating those attributes into the solution.  

Supporter
A foundation, contributor, or sponsor who financially supports practices and programs that promote the full participation of all creatives pursuing their work including those with disabilities. They make accessibility a priority for funding by focusing on equity, not compliance.  


The 2021 Winners
The Sumner Recovery Plan
Metro Theater Company
Kranzberg Arts Foundation
Meredith Lehman, Head of Education, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
Ginny Sanders, A Special Lifetime Advocate Award

Artistic Director Julia Flood and Managing Director Joe Gfaller shared, “For almost 50 years, working to ensure that every child – every person – has access to the magic of live performance has been central to how we fulfill that mission. Today, that includes ensuring that productions are available for virtual streaming to enable geographic access, that select performances are available in person and streaming with pay-what-you-wish pricing to provide economic access, and that at least one in-person performance, Audio Description is available, ASL Interpreters are present, and sensory-friendly adjustments have been made to ensure people with diverse needs or sensory sensitivities can enjoy our work. In the face of the pandemic, finding new ways to provide access has been both a challenge and an opportunity to reach new audiences. MTC is grateful to MindsEye and other partners for helping us reach those audiences.”

Audio Description by MindsEye will be available at MTC’s Feb 13 at 2 pm performance of Last Stop on Market Street! Learn more about the production, the ASL Interpreted performance, pay-what-you-wish tickets, and virtually streaming performances.

MTC Artistic Director Julia Flood with the IDEA Award

Learn about Audio Description

Learn about Audio Description with Magan Harms, Art and Culture Coordinator at MindsEye. This Q&A was created during MTC’s public virtual performances of Jacked! in 2021.

This is a sample of MindsEye’s Audio Description from MTC’s virtual production of Jacked! in 2021.