Need Friday Night Plans?

The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region (The Arc NCR) hosts the Sprout Film & Art Festival on Friday, November 13, 2015 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Water’s Edge Events Center in Belcamp, MD. The festival is a better deal than a night out at the movies! Each ticket includes refreshments, access to an art display from local artists of all abilities, an hour of entertaining Sprout films and a modern performance by ReVision Dance Company.

“The level of talent in the artwork, short films and dancing is astounding,” says CEO of The Arc NCR, Shawn Kros. “You will leave with a deeper understanding of the wide range of abilities EVERYONE shares.”

The art display includes over 20 pieces of varying mediums by artists throughout the northern Chesapeake region. Many of the pieces will be available for sale. The short films are from Sprout, an NYC-based non-profit organization dedicated to bringing innovative programming to people with developmental disabilities. These films feature a variety of differing abilities and bring not only educational awareness, but highlight the astounding talents of their real-life stars.

For example, you’ll see “Chimes for Tyler,” a story about a boy with autism named Tyler Doi who loves wind chimes. Tyler has been classified as an autistic savant, and as such, he has an exceptional skill in a very specific area. In Tyler’s case, he can distinguish the sounds of the entire inventory of Woodstock’s chimes. And he can do this all by sound alone, without having to see the chimes (synopsis courtesy of Sproutflix).

The festival ends with a beautiful modern dance performance. For the first time in Harford County, watch ReVision dance company, a resident company of Washington, DC’s Dance Place! Led by Artistic Director Shannon Quinn, enjoy “Just Be,” a modern demonstration of the positive power of dance. This amazing performance will challenge your preconceptions and explore the life experiences of people with differing abilities.

The Sprout Film & Art Festival’s title sponsors are Raven’s Nest No. 1 of Harford County and the Center for the Arts. Additional event sponsors are the Harford Business Roundtable for Education and First National Bank.

Tickets are available for $12 a person online at www.arcncr.org or by calling 410-836-7177. Ticket includes light refreshments, and a cash bar will be available. All proceeds benefit The Arc NCR. To learn more about the Sprout Film & Art Festival, contact the Development office at 410-836-7177, email development@arcncr.org or visit www.arcncr.org.

About The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region: For sixty-two years, The Arc Northern Chesapeake Region has empowered people with differing abilities to live, work and play in the community by providing support services and advocacy to adults, children and their families in Harford and Cecil Counties. For more information, call 410-836-7177 or visit www.arcncr.org.

About Sprout: The Sprout Film Festival was founded in 2003 and is programmed and supported by Sprout, a NYC-based non-profit organization dedicated to bringing innovative programming to people with developmental disabilities. For additional information, visit www.gosprout.org.

About ReVision: ReVision is a Resident Company of Dance Place in Washington, DC, teaching and performing both locally throughout the Greater Metropolitan area and internationally. In addition, ReVision is a part of the Washington Performing Arts’ and the Montgomery County Public Schools’ artist rosters. For more information, contact Artistic Director Shannon Quinn at 202-269-1600 or visit www.danceplace.org.

Photo caption: Tyler Doi, star of “Chimes for Tyler.” Photo courtesy of Sprout.