ASHTABULA — The Ashtabula County Board of Developmental Disabilities hosted its first-ever talent show Friday evening at the Ashtabula Arts Center.
The talent show featured 11 dance, song, music and other performances by 17 people supported by the Board of DD.
ACBDD Community Outreach Specialist Haylee Mott said many of the performers have loved the art center and have come for “The Nutcracker” and other events.
“They’ve wanted to be on stage so ... they’re ready to be up there,” she said.
The show gave people supported by the board the opportunity to come out of their shells, Mott said.
“There were some people that signed up that surprised me a little bit,” she said. “I run a lot of our events, so I get to know a lot of the people, some of the people that are going up there, it’s a little out of their comfort zone.”
Mott said she was happy to see people try something outside their comfort zone.
Wyatt Mayle performed “Come Back Song” by Darius Rucker, and said he has been listening to the song since he was seven years old.
“My favorite music is hip hop, but I listen to country, because country music is good for everyone,” he said.
The acts included a larger performance by the Ashtabula County Special Olympics Cheer Team, Mott said.
She said they recently got silver at the state’s winter olympic games.
Katie Shaughnessy, performer on the team, said she was nervous about the event but excited about performing with her friends.
She said she wanted to show people her routine and have fun.
The show was not a competition, Mott said.
“We just wanted to see how many people would come out and stuff,” she said. “Everybody is going to get a certificate for doing it, because I know I would not want to go up there and sing. I’m not that brave.”
The talent show was something long requested by board staff, advocates and Service Support Administrators, Mott said.
“It’s taken about a year or two, but we finally got one going,” she said.
The date for the show was partially chosen to be close to March, which is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, she said.
Seats were open to 200 people, including family and friends of the performers and board staff and affiliated people, Mott said.
Admission was free to the public, she said.
Board of DD Director of Quality and Community Outreach Manda Jackson said she worked closely with Mott on planning the show.
It was hard to pick which act she looked forward to the most, she said.
“The energy has been very contagious this last week,” Jackson said. “Everybody [was] so excited for this event.”
The board of DD hopes to have an annual event in years forward, she said.
The arts center was a great partner and made planning the show much easier, Mott said.
While watching the talent show’s rehearsal, arts center Executive Director Lori Starling said she found everyone’s energy very authentic and was excited to see every final performance.
The arts center and the board of DD often collaborate on events and projects, she said.
Part of the center’s mission is to make the arts accessible for everyone, Starling said.
The arts center hosts sensory-friendly performances for people supported by the board, she said.
“Those sensory performances are a little bit earlier in the day,” she said. “If there’s epilepsy, if someone’s on the autism spectrum and has sensitivities, they can come.”
The board of DD also funded the installation of an inclusive bathroom with a universal changing table at the arts center, she said.
“We definitely don’t want to create any barriers when it comes to accessibility,” Starling said.
She said she hopes talent show performers audition for the arts center’s straw hat season of outdoor theater performances.
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