GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass. — Community Access to the Arts (CATA) announced its 2025-2026 season of arts workshops at the nonprofit's Great Barrington studios.

 

CATA's arts workshops are designed for individuals with a wide range of abilities and disabilities—including developmental and intellectual disabilities, autism, and brain injuries— and are offered in many art forms, including painting, drawing, sculpture, acting, dance, singing and songwriting, drumming, creative writing, photography, juggling, yoga, and more.

 

Registration is now open and no prior experience is necessary to participate. CATA works with every person to make sure that cost is not a barrier; no one will be turned away because of financial need.

 

For questions or to register for workshops, contact Kara Smith, CATA Program Director, at Kara@CATAarts.org or (413) 528-5485. A complete list of workshops is available at CATAarts.org/joincata.  

 

CATA has expanded and deepened its studio program schedule, offering more workshops in painting, sculpture, animation and illustration, dance, theater, drumming, singing and songwriting, photography, creative writing, and more. In addition to studio workshops, CATA also brings year-long arts programs to 67 partner organizations across the Berkshires, including disability agencies, public schools, residences, and nursing homes.

 

"We've heard from people with disabilities, their families and caregivers, and from our disability partners, about how critical CATA programs are—now more than ever," says CATA Executive Director Margaret Keller. "In response, we're digging deep to offer even more high quality arts programs to more individuals with disabilities. We've added several brand new workshops in to our schedule, where people with disabilities can discover talents, express who they are, and find belonging."

 

CATA's arts workshops are led by professional teaching artists, who CATA trains in trauma-informed teaching, autism-sensitive approaches, disability arts, anti-ableism, and Universal Design for Learning. CATA Faculty incorporate a variety of ways for participants to engage in each artform. Adaptive art-making tools and musical instruments, as well as other accommodations are always available, and CATA offers workshops with specific adaptive and sensory-friendly elements.

 

This year, CATA welcomes new faculty artists including Lucie Castaldo, who joins as full-time Resident Visual Arts Faculty to teach photography, printmaking, and costume design, as well as Francesca Baron who joins as part time dance faculty. Additionally, CATA announces a new partnership with the internationally acclaimed Pilobolus dance company. With support from CATA staff and faculty, Pilobolus company members Derion Loman and Emily Kent will teach CATA's mixed-ability dance ensemble The Moving Company, and will guide the creation of the ensemble's performance piece as part of CATA's Annual Performance at Shakespeare & Company in May 2026.

 

CATA works with each person to ensure that cost is not a barrier to participation. CATA invites people to participate on a Pay-What-You-Will basis as needed, and also provides a 50 percent discount to EBT, WIC, and ConnectorCare card holders as part of the "Card to Culture" program. CATA fundraises in the community to fill in the gap and subsidize costs so that every person is able to participate.