After celebrating Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month in March, R.I.S.E. Arts Center of Baltimore will host its first community event in nearly five years on April 5 to support and provide fun activities for people on the autism spectrum.
Kammeran Giggers, the executive director of R.I.S.E., founded the organization in 2019 to support people with autism and their families. The program aims to help participants “develop confidence, responsibility [and] communication skills” through the arts.
“They’re capable of so much more and the need for services for people with disabilities are often overlooked,” Giggers said. “This year, we decided to do something on our own that really just celebrated autistic individuals and their families, as well as our autistic individuals who are artists.”
The community event, happening from noon to 4 p.m. April 5, will feature art competitions, an exhibition, dancing, sensory walks, a drum circle and a silent disco.
“There’ll be a DJ…. Loud music can be tough for some of our friends who have sensory challenges, and so they can put on the headphones, adjust the music to how they want, and participate in the silent disco,” Giggers said.
The organization is close to its $5,500 fundraising goal for the Autism Society, a non-profit that provides resources for the autism community.
“The importance of just highlighting people with disabilities, people on the spectrum, and giving them more opportunities to showcase who they are, showcase their differences and also bring awareness and acceptance to communities are super duper important,” Giggers said.
The event is free and will take place at the Patterson Park Baseball Field at 2601 E. Baltimore St. More information can be found on the organizations website.
