Register for the 2025 Very Special Arts Festival!
May 2, 2025
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center
Arts & Science Unite!
The Music Center's Very Special Arts Festival is an annual free, inclusive event celebrating the artistic achievements of students with all abilities. The festival features student and professional performances, visual and performing arts workshops and a student art exhibit created around a theme that is introduced to the students each year. Presented in partnership with the Los Angeles Unified School District and the Los Angeles County Office of Education, the Very Special Arts Festival is open to all grade levels.
2024 Study Guide
2024 Virtual Student Art Gallery
Choosing Words With Dignity
What you write and say creates images and perceptions about people with disabilities. Using negative words encourages stereotyping. Positive, constructive words can enhance the dignity of people with disabilities and promote positive attitudes about their abilities. Avoid negative terms such as "victim," "cripple," lame," stricken" or "afflicted by" (disability). When talking to or about people with disabilities, refer to the person first rather than the disability.
Some appropriate phrases include:
* Person (or child or student) who is visually impaired
* Person who is deaf
* Person who uses a wheelchair
* Person with developmental disabilities
* Person who has muscular dystrophy
It is no longer appropriate to use the term "handicap" when referring to a disability. The appropriate terminology to use is "disability." Avoid using education or medical jargon and acronyms (e.g., "OH" or "SED") to describe students. Positive descriptions include, for example, "child with physical disabilities" or "student with severe emotional disturbances."
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Special Thanks to Our Partners
TMC Arts
When we speak of our vision to deepen the cultural lives of all Angelenos, we turn to the work of TMC Arts. This team champions the diverse voices and communities of Los Angeles, fostering connection, creativity and enrichment. TMC Arts programs connect people, offering us the chance to get creative and to learn as we discover something new or enjoy something familiar. Many programs are free and low-cost; they take place outdoors on Jerry Moss Plaza at The Music Center and in Grand Park, inside The Music Center's theatres and in schools and neighborhoods all across L.A. County.