If you ever find yourself in Fort Wayne, Indiana, take some time to visit the historic Arts United Center. Designed by influential American architect Louis Kahn in 1973, it is the only theatre Kahn ever designed and is unlike any other arts center in the country. Because of this theatre, Fort Wayne attracts much interest from the international architectural community.
This past October, Arts United reopened after completing a multi-year renovation. Miriam Morgan, VP of Operations and COO for Arts United, tells us, “Arts United was founded in 1955 to meet two objectives. First, downtown Fort Wayne was going through a period of suburbanization and change that needed to be addressed, and second, the fledgling arts organizations of the time needed a home for them to continue their craft.” As plans were made for the renovation, it was important that it remain true to the original Kahn design, while becoming more accommodating to the community.
In addition to this historical theatre, Fort Wayne is also known for its work with various disability organizations. It was incredibly important to the stakeholders that the Arts United renovations take universal design into consideration wherever possible. Morgan shares, “We discussed the updates with our disability advocacy coalition and advocates out in the field to make sure the components we were integrating into this remodel really met their needs. We kept asking, is there a better choice that maybe doesn’t require additional expense, but just a different thought process?”
While many venues claim to be accessible and accommodating, Arts United went above and beyond to ensure they are. Studio spaces that had previously been accessible only by stairs now have elevator access. Affordable wheelchair-accessible seating is located within the main auditorium area instead of far off to one side or tacked onto the back, as is the case in many auditoriums. A cane trail enables those with visual impairments to follow a tactile path around the entire venue, from the parking lot to the restrooms to the theatre. This includes the stage door and backstage areas, which is rare for a venue like this. “The theatre community is a diverse group, and making sure all of these spaces are available is something I’ve always felt strongly about”, Morgan says. She’s quick to explain that universal design has always been a core value of theatre in some way. Modifying a set of stairs to make wheeling in road cases easier is the same as adding a ramp for a wheelchair user or a parent with a stroller. Adding high-visibility nosing to auditorium stairs is similar to adding glow tape to backstage stairs. Making a venue more accessible doesn’t need to be expensive or difficult.
While many theatres are making great strides in accessibility for the audience and lobby spaces, few are working to make the backstage areas equally as accessible. Arts United is setting an example for what is possible, and ETC is honored to play a small role.
Luke Holliger, Senior Director of Production Operations at Arts United, spent ten years working in elementary special education before working at Arts United, and is passionate about finding more ways to bring more people into theatre. “I came from a family of educators and grew up knowing what could be possible. There are so many people who cannot participate in the arts because of something as simple as a lack of a ramp. Or someone with autism who isn’t able to sit still and wasn’t accepted or welcomed into what is normally a quiet place. I’ve watched so many families and kids not be able to participate, so I’ve made it my mission to make sure they have that opportunity.”
The goal for Arts United has been to give people a space where they can be most successful with the least amount of outside assistance. “We as individuals within the arts communities, and even as human beings, have a responsibility to open the door for the disabled community for them to feel safe and comfortable to self-advocate and ask for what they need. There is no barrier to being kind to someone. There is no cost associated with being patient, and helpful, and kind to someone who comes into our space. It doesn’t matter if they are in a wheelchair, are pushing a stroller, or have a hearing or visual impairment. They are part of our community, and we should be making them feel welcome in our facility,” says Holliger.
As Arts United worked through the renovation, they knew it was important to ask questions of as many disabled people in the community as possible. “ADA is the minimum requirement in a building. And it was easy enough to check those boxes. But Arts United has four floors with thirteen changes in elevation, which means there are stairs everywhere,” Morgan says. “We did not want to make any assumptions about what might be most helpful to anyone.”
One of Holliger’s goals was to have the most handicapped accessible scene shop in the nation. “We’ve done that by paying attention to every single tool and asking questions of many different scene shop users.” Two wheelchair users who’ve had a lot of input into the backstage spaces are Conner Rittenhouse, a sophomore at The Ohio State University majoring in Theatre and Design, and Carissa Dahlia, a freelance scenic carpenter in New York City.
“I’ll never be able to use a table saw to cut a 4x8 sheet of plywood, but that doesn’t mean I can’t use some other saw to achieve the same results,” says Rittenhouse. “It’s all about rethinking the task and finding a different process.”
Holliger started by asking how they could make workspaces usable for everyone, including stage manager stations and the automated rigging controller desk. “We worked really closely with ETC starting about five years ago at USITT. Asking so many questions back and forth between ETC and another company about everything from joystick ergonomics to font sizes on a user interface. Through those conversations, ETC realized there was a need for a more adjustable desk and partnered with Arts United to make it a reality. “We chose to work with ETC because of the flexibility, innovation, and customer service,” says Holliger.
The local WindSwell Foundation (formerly the AWS Foundation) donated funding specifically to bring ETC’s automated rigging system into Arts United, creating an opportunity that would not otherwise have existed for impaired stage technicians.
“Seeing automated rigging for the first time was an eye-opening experience,” says Rittenhouse. “In high school, there were only counterweight systems, which would never have been an option for someone in a wheelchair like me.” Universal design means being able to bring the desk to people who work at every height, no matter if they are standing or sitting. With ETC’s automated rigging system, that has become the reality for Arts United.
“Universally designed scenic shops are one of the rarest backstage spaces. It’s so exciting to see what is possible when something is built correctly from the beginning,” says Carissa Dahlia. “Other people in the community see Arts United accommodating disabled actors and technicians and think, I didn’t know that was an option for me. I didn’t know I could do that. People like Luke at Arts United are making backstage work an option for people like me.” Dahlia is quick to say, “There is no reason in theatre for there to be access issues. We are creative people, and our entire job is problem-solving. You can do a lot with gaff tape and a dream.”
It’s apparent that Arts United set a very high bar for what a community arts venue can be by asking the questions up front, engaging the community in the conversation, and taking feedback to heart. “If you want to work or perform here, we will get you to that stage. Not just a physical path, but we have really tried to break down every barrier possible,” says Holliger. “Sometimes people see cost as a barrier to do this in their own theatre, but we’ve seen that the backend of that investment is the new people who will come into your space. It becomes worth it to the community.” That sentiment really embodies Arts United Center – a whole lot of love for the arts and the community.