Join local and national voices celebrating artists from the disability community this spring through the Disability Arts Festival at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.
The UAB Disability Arts Festival will provide a platform for people with disabilities to share their stories and perspectives and highlight the work of nationally recognized artists across all genres who are members of the disability community. The goal is to promote understanding and accessibility, raise awareness of health disparities, and invite policymakers to discuss issues that affect quality of life for disabled individuals across Alabama.
UAB’s Center for the Arts, in partnership with local and state organizations serving the disability community, will host the UAB Disability Arts Festival. There will be art exhibitions, performances, artist talks, expert panel discussions and more through May.
Featured will be “From Where I Sit.” This new, original stage work engages individuals with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis from across the country to share their stories of challenge and triumph. “From Where I Sit” incorporates movement, music and monologues based on these stories. The culminating performances will take place in Birmingham, Alabama, on May 8 at the Lakeshore Foundation and May 10-11 at UAB’s Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center.
“From Where I Sit” is created and directed by renowned choreographer Suzanne Costello, artistic co-director of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater. This new work grew out of Costello’s ongoing partnership with UAB Arts in Medicine: In 2020 and 2021, she created and directed “Raising Our Voices.” The original dance work, which featured Birmingham community members impacted by cancer and was shaped by their stories, was performed at UAB’s Alys Stephens Center.
UAB Disability Arts Festival schedule of events:
Thursday, March 6: 
Alie B. GorrieUAB’s Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts presents Victoria Dugger
Dugger, who lives and works in Athens, Georgia, is a visual artist whose practice spans painting, mixed media works and sculpture. Dugger’s selected works will be on display and she will speak about her work at 6 p.m. in AEIVA, 1221 10th Ave. South.
Sunday, March 9: “Cockeyed Optimist”
Performance by Alie B. Gorrie, 6 p.m. in UAB’s Alys Stephens Center, Reynolds Kirschbaum Recital Hall. Through advocacy, storytelling and song, Gorrie will share her experience navigating the professional theater industry (and the world) with low vision. Seats to this event are currently sold out. Request a place on the waiting list online.
Monday, March 17: UAB Arts in Medicine Virtual Mental Health Monday
Victoria Dugger“UAB Disability Arts Festival Spotlight on Jessica Blinkhorn and Victoria Dugger,” noon. Discover how disability drives creative innovation in this compelling discussion with interdisciplinary artist Jessica Elaine Blinkhorn and visual artist Victoria Dugger. Together, they will discuss the challenges of access in creative spaces, art as a catalyst for change, and reshaping traditional aesthetics to prioritize accessibility and welcoming spaces. Register online.
Mondays and Thursdays in April: Inclusive Musical Theatre Workshop
This workshop, for all abilities, will culminate in a performance with Tony Award-winner Ali Stroker and participation in the Community Arts Festival. Classes will be held at the Levite Jewish Community Center. Register.
Monday, April 21: UAB Arts in Medicine Virtual Mental Health Monday
“Stories from the Stage — Creating Community and Connection through Artistic Expression”
Discover the transformative power of storytelling and hear from community cast members of upcoming storytelling and movement performance “From Where I Sit,” created by Suzanne Costello, artistic co-director of Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater. Cast members will discuss their experiences, from crafting their narratives all the way through the rehearsal process. Register online.
Sunday, April 27: Ali Stroker
Ali Stroker presented by UAB’s Alys Stephens Center
Multitalented star of stage and screen Ali Stroker won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Ado Annie in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “Oklahoma!” and made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway and to win a Tony Award. She has performed her one-woman show all over the country, and her mission to improve the lives of others through the arts is captured in her motto: “Turning Your Limitations Into Your Opportunities.” 7 p.m. in UAB’s Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Tickets are $35-$45. Buy tickets.
Thursday, May 8: UAB Arts in Medicine presents “From Where I Sit”
Written and directed by Suzanne Costello. This new performance project engages individuals with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and spina bifida from across the country to share their stories of challenge and triumph in an original stage work. Inspired by a writing program for people with spinal cord injuries, the project includes participants from across the country and is based on the cast members’ personal stories. Costello, artistic co-director for Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, created this new work incorporating movement, music and monologues based on these stories through a residency at UAB. 2 p.m., at The Lakeshore Foundation. Free.
Saturday, May 10: UAB Center for the Arts Disability Arts Festival celebration and resource event
Join UAB Center for the Arts for a vibrant celebration of creativity and community at the Disability Arts Festival. Engage, connect and celebrate the incredible art and performances that shape our world. The day will kick off with a resource fair at noon in the lobbies of the Alys Stephens Center, offering valuable information and services alongside a dynamic art exhibit featuring local artists. At 1 p.m., enjoy the Community Performance Showcase in the Alys Stephens Center’s Sirote Theatre, highlighting the diverse talents of the Birmingham community. The festival culminates at 7 p.m. with the powerful performance, “From Where I Sit,” also in the Sirote Theatre. Reserve tickets.
*A livestream of this performance will also be available; register online.
Sunday, May 11: UAB Arts in Medicine presents “From Where I Sit”
Written and directed by Suzanne Costello. This new performance project engages individuals with spinal cord injury, multiple sclerosis and spina bifida from across the country to share their stories of challenge and triumph in an original stage work. Inspired by a writing program for people with spinal cord injuries, the project includes participants from across the country and is based on the cast members’ personal stories. Costello, artistic co-director for Stuart Pimsler Dance & Theater, created this new work incorporating movement, music and monologues based on these stories through a residency at UAB. 2 p.m. in UAB’s Alys Stephens Center, 1200 10th Ave. South. Free. Reserve tickets.
*A livestream of this performance will also be available; register online.
Anthology Project
As part of the UAB Disability Arts Festival, an anthology will be co-created and edited by Salaam Green, Write to Heal study facilitator, Birmingham Poet Laureate and UAB AIM artist in residence. South Wales-based poet, writer and artist Regina Beach will contribute to the book’s artwork and design, alongside writings and art from Write to Heal study participants since 2020. The collection will also feature contributions from the “From Where I Sit” performance group, whose 22 members have spent the past year developing a script and will perform at the festival.
The “From Where I Sit” project and Disability Arts Festival are made possible by support from The National Endowment for the Arts, The Nielsen Foundation, the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, and UAB.
The UAB Disability Arts Festival Community Advisory Committee includes Bob Lujano and Hasaan Hawthorne, National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability; Daryl Coleman from the original cohort of Write to Heal; Lorenzo Brown, executive director, Is-Able Center; Alie B. Gorrie, inclusion and accessibility consultant and musical theater artist; Jessica Blinkhorn, interdisciplinary artist, activist, educator and Guggenheim Fellow; Ingrid Pfau, filmmaker and lead digital media producer, NCHPAD; Tosha Gaines, occupational therapist and photographer; Lauren McCartney, vocational rehabilitation counselor, Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services; Gina Beach, writer and yoga teacher; Mark McColl, engineer, philanthropist and former chair of Lakeshore Foundation; Jen Allred, Lakeshore Foundation; Elizabeth Vander Kamp, writer, artist and Write to Heal facilitator; Michael Fitts, UAB Libraries; and Kimberly Kirklin, director, and Lauren Edwards, program coordinator, UAB Arts in Medicine.