VSA arts International Conference
CALL FOR PRESENTERS
June 10–12, 2010, Washington, DC
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: MAY 29, 2009
2010 International VSA arts Festival
The 2010 International VSA arts Festival is a multicultural event celebrating the accomplishments of
people with disabilities in arts and arts education. The festival, which brings together artists,
educators, and researchers from around the world, will be held in Washington, D.C., June 6–12. It will
feature performances and exhibitions by prominent artists at the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, the Smithsonian Institution’s International Gallery, and other venues throughout
Washington, D.C. Additionally, the 2010 International VSA arts Festival will once again serve as a
convergence of knowledge and practice in the arts, education, and disability through the VSA arts
International Conference.
VSA arts International Conference
To compete in our global knowledge-based economy, education systems around the world need to
move toward inclusive education and bring the skills and competencies that are needed in the 21st
century to all children, and also to promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. VSA arts recognizes
the arts as vital to all three: creativity as inclusive practice, arts learning as fundamental to everyone’s
education, and the arts as a viable career path for people with disabilities.
With these objectives in mind, the VSA arts International Conference will address advancing
inclusive education and 21st-century learning skills through the arts including a career
development forum for artists with disabilities, which will take place at the downtown Grand Hyatt
Washington, June 10–12.
Speakers
Kenneth Eklindh is the head of the UNESCO program “The EFA Flagship on the Right to Education
for Persons with Disabilities: Towards Inclusion.” Eklindh will discuss the right to education, aiming at
full inclusion in society in the context of the UN Standard Rules and the Salamanca Statement.
Dame Evelyn Glennie is the first person in musical history to successfully create and sustain a fulltime career as a solo percussionist. She is now an international motivational speaker and after 20
years in the music business, Dame Glennie has begun teaching privately, which allows her to explore
the art of teaching and the world of sound therapy as a means of communication.
Sir Ken Robinson is an internationally renowned expert in the field of creativity and innovation in
education. Sir Ken advocates around the world on the changing needs of education in the new global
economies, and the strategies to apply for innovation and cultural transformation.
Advancing inclusive education and
21st-Century learning skills through the arts
Education systems worldwide are facing many challenges as they move toward inclusive education
and develop the skills and competencies needed in the 21st century. The arts have a strategic role to
play in meeting these challenges, as well as providing children and adults access to quality
education. The arts in education offers a unique approach to developing cognitive and social skills,
promoting innovative thinking and creativity, and encouraging behavior and values that underlie social
tolerance and respect for diversity. With this framework, VSA arts invites key policymakers,
educators, artists and teaching artists, school and program administrators, and researchers to
share their expertise, experiences, most effective research-based methods, lessons learned,
and innovative practices.
Proposed presentations should reflect the following themes, be evidence-based, and linked to any
environment that supports and encourages inclusive learning experiences. This includes
successful arts education programs within the regular school day, arts integrated curriculum across
the general curriculum, and extracurricular arts activities beyond the regular school day.
The Arts and 21st-Century Skills
Understanding the skills children need for the 21st-century workforce
and the value of the arts in developing them:

Learning and Innovation Facilitated Through Creativity and Imagination

Inclusive Practice and 21st-Century Skills

Life and Career Skills Developed in and Through the Arts

Creativity Through Information, Media, and Technology
Inclusive Arts Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Understanding, developing, applying, and evaluating successful arts learning strategies and methods
in an inclusive setting. Approaches can include:

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Integrating Understanding by Design (UbD) and Differentiated Instruction (DI)

Response to Intervention (RTI)
Creating and accessing high-quality and pertinent pedagogical art
resources for teachers:

Evidence-based inclusive, arts-integrated curriculum resources

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for arts learning

Knowledge sharing and professional learning communities
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC
Career Development
for Artists with Disabilities
Essential to a full, lifelong education in the arts is the opportunity to pursue a career as an artist.
Artists with disabilities face many challenges as they advance their careers. Among these are limited
opportunities for training and education, financial disincentives, and access to cultural venues. The
career development forum will address these issues and provide an environment to acquire
knowledge and develop appropriate skills for those interested in supporting artists with disabilities or
artists who are pursuing a career in the arts. With this framework, VSA arts invites all artists,
educators, program administrators, self-employed artists, arts organizations representatives,
and researchers to share their expertise, experiences, most effective research-based
methods, lessons learned, and innovative practices.
Proposed presentations should reflect the following themes, be evidence-based, and linked to any
environment that supports and encourages career development of artists with disabilities.
Increasing the skills, knowledge, and opportunities of people with disabilities who aspire to careers in
the arts:

Technical and/or business skills for artists and arts organizations—
includes portfolio development, business plans, marketing,
technology (Internet)

Cultural access and accommodation—collaboration, awareness, and
self-advocacy skills

Training/credentialing—higher education (post-secondary training or degree programs);
mentoring, job shadowing, internships

Benefits planning—including health insurance, SSI/SSDI

Funding—both locating and managing financial support
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC
Submit the completed form and all required materials by May 29, 2009, to:
MAIL SUBMISSION (postmarked by May 29, 2009):
VSA arts International Conference
818 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
USA
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION (received by May 29, 2009):
Please visit www.vsarts.org for instructions on submitting this form and other required materials
electronically
Late or incomplete proposals will not be considered in the review process.
 The proposals will be read and scored by a review committee, starting June 1, 2009.

All applicants will be notified by June 29, 2009, with a final status of their presentation
proposal.

The conference registration fee will be waived for presenters in lieu of honoraria.
REVIEW CRITERIA
A review committee will select proposals based on the following criteria, while taking also into
consideration the conference program balance:

Relevance, quality, and value of presentation to the conference’s thematic tracks;

Valuable, clearly stated, and measurable learning outcomes and objectives;

Relevance to target audience;

Expertise of presenter(s) on topic;

Content and scope of presentation are appropriate with proposed format (i.e., panel/
workshop); and,

Level of participants’ involvement.
ACCESSIBILITY
Content and delivery of all presentations must be geared toward the full inclusion of all participants
and audience members. Presenters must provide audio description for visual images and charts and
supply summaries/handouts of audible information as necessary. VSA arts is committed to access
and encourages presenters to review the DO-IT guidelines as part of their proposal design process,
available at: http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Programs/equal_conf.html.
Presenters must provide VSA arts with an electronic version of presentation handouts and summaries
of visual images and charts by April 9, 2010. VSA arts will provide electronic and hard copies of the
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC
materials, as well as create alternative formats (Braille, large print, CD, etc.) for distribution at the
conference.
ALTERNATIVE FORMATS OR QUESTIONS?
If you would like an alternative format of this brochure, or have any questions regarding the
conference, please contact Géraldine Simonnet at 1-800-933-8721, 1-202-628-2800 (voice), 1-202737-0645 (TTY), or via e-mail at conference@vsarts.org.
AGREEMENT
By submitting a proposal, the presenter agrees with the following terms and conditions:

Submitted materials will not be returned.

The presenter(s) grants permission to publish the presentation, the presenter’s biography,
including mention of disability, abstract or full content of the presentation, and presenter’s
photograph for promotional and education purposes, including broadcast, print, electronic
media, and the Internet.

The presenter(s) grants permission to film, and/or photograph abstract or full content of the
oral presentation for promotional and education purposes, including broadcast, print, electronic
media, and the Internet.
PRESENTATION FORMAT
All presentations will be 90 minutes and must be in one of the following formats:
Panel (Information sharing or knowledge building)

Includes one facilitator and 2–3 presenters

Presentation, followed by a facilitated discussion
Roundtable (Information sharing or knowledge building)

Includes one facilitator and 3–4 presenters

Presentation, followed by a facilitated discussion
Lecture (Information sharing or knowledge building)

Includes 1–2 lecturer(s)

Presentation, followed by a facilitated discussion
Workshop (Skill development)

Includes a workshop leader and/or 1–2 presenter(s)

Hands-on experiential or learning activities
Although the primary language at the conference will be English, presentations in other
languages will be considered. The number of presentation slots for non-English presentations will
be contingent on availability of funding.
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC
PRESENTATION PROPOSAL FORM
Please complete a separate form for each presentation you are proposing.
Proposals need to be submitted in English.
Submit the completed form and all required materials by May 29, 2009, to:
MAIL SUBMISSION (postmarked by May 29, 2009):
VSA arts International Conference
818 Connecticut Avenue NW
Suite 600
Washington, DC 20006
USA
ELECTRONIC SUBMISSION
(received by May 29, 2009):
Please visit www.vsarts.org for instructions on submitting this form and other required materials
electronically.
Late or incomplete proposals will not be considered in the review process.
The person listed as the presenter will be the contact person for the presentation.
Are you a current VSA arts affiliates?
(Does not affect your proposal review)
Presenter’s First Name:
Presenter’s Last Name:
Title/Credentials:
Institution/Organization:
Mailing Address:
City:
Zip:
Day Phone:
Cell Phone:
TTY:
Fax:
E-mail:
Web Site(s):
Co-Presenter’s First Name:
Co-Presenter’s Last Name:
Title/Credentials:
Institution/Organization:
Mailing Address:
Yes
No
State/Province:
Country:
Evening Phone:
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC
City:
Zip:
Day Phone:
Cell Phone:
TTY:
Fax:
E-mail:
Web Site(s):
State/Province:
Country:
Evening Phone:
PRESENTATION GENERAL INFORMATION
Thematic Track (check one):
The Arts and 21st-Century Skills
Inclusive Arts Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Career Development for Artists with Disabilities
Presentation Title (six words maximum; will be used in conference materials):
Presentation Format (check one):
Panel
Roundtable
Lecture
Workshop
Language of Presentation
(non-English presentations will be contingent on availability of funding):
Age of Group Addressed in the Presentation (check one):
Preschool through Kindergarten (Up to 5)
Primary education (Grade 1–6/Age 6–12)
Secondary education (Grade 7–12/Age 13–18)
University
Adults (21 years and above)
All ages
Target Audience of Presentation (check all that apply):
Educators
Artists and Teaching Artists
Program Administrators
Researchers
Policymakers
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC
Level of Content (check one):
Introductory (for participants with limited prior knowledge/experience)
Intermediate (for experienced participants with prior knowledge/experience)
Advanced (for highly experienced participants with significant knowledge)
Open to all (topics does not depend on level of knowledge or experience)
Presentation Style (% should total 100%):
____% Lecture (didactic presentation, discussion limited to questions and answers)
____% Interactive/experiential (verbal and/or physical participation of attendees with presenter’s
direction/guidance)
Materials/Handouts
Will you have handouts or other materials for the participants?
Yes
If yes, please describe.
No
Has this proposed presentation been made at any other professional conference?
Yes
No
If yes, please tell us where and when.
Please submit with the form the following materials:
 Presentation Abstract (75 words maximum in English; will be used in conference materials)
 Presentation Description (300 words maximum in English)
The presentation description should address the following questions, keeping in mind
the proposal review criteria presentation format and conference program.

Which content area is reflected in your presentation?

What are the learning objectives and outcomes to be gained by the participant
(knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes) for the proposed presentation?

How will the presentation be interactive and accessible to all participants,
including people with various disabilities and learning styles?
 Presenter’s Biography (150 words maximum in English; will be used in conference materials)
 Co-Presenter’s Biography (150 words maximum in English; will be used in conference
materials)
 Presenter’s Resume (in English)
 Co-Presenter’s Resume (in English)
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC
VSA arts is an international nonprofit organization founded 35 years ago by Ambassador Jean
Kennedy Smith to create a society where people with disabilities learn through, participate in, and
enjoy the arts. VSA arts provides educators, parents, and artists with resources and the tools to
support arts programming in schools and communities. VSA arts showcases the accomplishments of
artists with disabilities and promotes increased access to the arts for people with disabilities. Each
year millions of people participate in VSA arts programs through a nationwide network of affiliates and
in 55 countries around the world. VSA arts is an affiliate of the John F. Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts. For more information, please visit www.vsarts.org.
(202) 628-2800 (Voice) • (800) 933-8721 (Voice)
(202) 737-0645 (TTY) • (202) 429-0868 (Fax)
VSA arts International Conference - Call For Presenters - June 10-12, 2010 - Washington, DC