Very Special Arts
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| Non-Profit | |
| Founded | 1974 |
| Founder | Jean Kennedy Smith |
| Headquarters | Washington, D.C. |
| Website | http://www.kennedy-center.org/education/home.html?detailheader=Access#Access |
VSA, is an international organization on arts, education and disability, which was founded in 1974 by former U.S. Ambassador to Ireland Jean Kennedy Smith, and is headquartered in Washington, DC. In 2011, VSA became the Department of VSA and Accessibility at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The purpose of VSA – which started out as Very Special Arts – is "to provide people of all ages living with disabilities the opportunity to learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts." A primary focus is on arts education opportunities for young people with disabilities and to "promote the inclusion of people with disabilities in the arts, education and culture around the world." Each year, people of all ages and abilities participate in VSA programs, which cover all artistic genres—music, dance, visual arts, theater and literary arts. This is accomplished through a network of affiliates in 52 countries and VSA state organizations across America.
On September 28, 2005 the Board of Trustees of the Kennedy Center and the Board of Directors of VSA arts – as the organization was known at the time – announced their formal affiliation, effective October 3, 2005. The stated purpose of this action was to "enable both organizations to expand and strengthen their arts education programs to better serve children, families and all people with disabilities around the world." Other reasons cited were to allow for the sharing of resources and programming between the two organizations. The affiliation became a full merger in 2011.
The four principals which guide VSA are that:
Moreover they state that
Inclusion teaches us that all means all. Everybody. No exceptions. The arts invite people to leave familiar territory, explore new questions, and seek answers. The arts offer a means to self-expression, communication, and independence. By learning through the arts, students become lifelong learners, experiencing the joy of discovery and exploration, and the value of each other's ideas. VSA is committed to driving change thru the arts – classroom by classroom, community by community.
Each year VSA sponsors many notable programs such as the "International Young Soloists Program," "Playwright Discovery" program, Call for Children's art, internships across the nation for students with disabilities. VSA/VW call for art program offers an exhibition opportunity for emerging visual artists with disabilities in the U.S. ages 16–25, including $60,000 in cash awards (among the largest in the nation) with a $20,000 grand prize.
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