[Note: ASI’s 7th Annual Spark Awards has been rescheduled to Monday, November 16, 2020.]
Unique Theatre Company, finalist for this year’s Spark Award for Arts Organization of the Year, offers a safe and inclusive place for people of all abilities to have a true theater experience. It offers creative workers the opportunity to assist with the entire spectrum of theater—from scriptwriting and storytelling to costume and set design. All of Unique Theatre Company’s plays are original works, with most written by people living with disabilities.
After finding that many people who dream of acting, writing, or simply being behind stage are ultimately too afraid to try, and that this fear is especially significant for people living with disabilities, Unique Theater Company set out to invite people of all abilities and backgrounds to give their interests a shot. The company teaches aspects of theater like costume design and set design, and provides critical guidance for those working to have their stories performed on stage.
All of Unique Theatre Company’s plays are original works, with most written by people living with disabilities.
The Spark Award for Organization of the Year honors a nonprofit or for-profit arts organization for its achievements in the preceding year. Late in 2019, Unique Theatre Company created a chorus group with the same mission in mind: offering those who would like to sing the chance be in a chorus. Uniquely Arranged held its first chorus on stage in December with the performance of an assortment of holiday songs, and after the night’s huge success, the group was invited to sing at the GiGi’s Playhouse Grand Opening this spring.
For more information on ASI’s seventh annual Spark Awards, visit the Spark page of our website.
Learn more about ASI’s 7th Annual Spark Awards.
[Please note that ASI is closely monitoring the outbreak of COVID-19 and its potential impact on this year’s Spark Awards on November 16. In the meantime, we still feel it’s important to spotlight the important work of our many honorees.]
Spark Awards 2020 Honorees & Finalists
We are excited to announce the 2020 Spark Awards honorees and finalists:
Arts Organization of the Year Finalists
1891 Fredonia Opera House Performing Arts Center
O’Connell & Company
Unique Theatre Co.
Artist of the Year Finalists
JoAnn Falletta
Chris J. Handley
Edreys Wajed
Arts Integration
The Children’s Guild Foundation Autism Spectrum Disorder Center at Oishei Children’s Hospital
DEC Program of the Year
Lewiston Council on the Arts’ Iroquois Market
Lifetime Achievement
Vincent O’Neill, Irish Classical Theatre Co.
Rising Star
West Falls Center for the Arts
Supporter of the Cultural Sector
Joel Feroleto, Buffalo Common Council Member, Delaware District
Trailblazer of the Arts
Michele Agosto, Buffalo Public Schools
Unsung Hero
Beth Pedersen, Buffalo Society of Artists