Blind Youth Audio Project 2026
For the 30th year of the Blind Youth Audio Project, we welcomed blind and visually impaired students from across the state into our studios for a series of in-person music and radio theater workshops.
During the opening session of the 2026 Blind Youth Audio Project, a group of 28 students worked with Jack Straw’s artist team of audio engineers, musicians, vocal coaches, and writers to create two flash dramas and learn about the program. After all participants introduced themselves, the group listened to past Blind Youth drama and music productions. Then, the group divided into three teams to record two flash dramas, as well as original music to accompany them.
The first group produced “Service Animals Are Allowed Anywhere” in Studio 1 with engineer Ayesha Ubayatilaka and drama coach Laura Ferri. The second group worked on “The Bus Thing” in Studio 2 with engineer Daniel Guenther, vocal coach Iveliz Martel, and production intern Hailey Vaughey. The third group worked with musicians Bill Horist and Amy Denio and production intern Alex Hartman to compose and record original music to accompany the two PSAs.
For the rest of the program, students broke into two groups to work with our radio theater team and music team.
Michael and Abram created the audio drama The Tridel Trials in collaboration with Daniel, Laura, Iveliz, and production intern Hailey Vaughey.
Agatha, Caden, Cooper, Henry, Isaiah, Katie, Mary Anne, Samantha, Sofia, and Zoe combined to form the band The True Ten, and created the song “Blood Don’t Fold” in collaboration with Bill, Amy, Ayesha, and production interns Alex Hartman, Teagan Nguyen, and Hailey Vaughey.
The Blind Youth Audio Project 2026 was produced by Jack Straw Cultural Center and Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences, in partnership with the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind. Our production team included Jack Straw audio engineers Daniel Guenther and Ayesha Ubayatilaka; writer and drama coach Laura Ferri; vocal coach Iveliz Martel; musicians Amy Denio and Bill Horist; production interns Alex Hartman, Teagan Nguyen, and Hailey Vaughey; photographer Sherwin Eng; web designer Levi Fuller; and Project Director Joan Rabinowitz.
The Blind Youth Audio Project was created by founding AVIA Director Jesse Minkert and Jack Straw Executive Director Joan Rabinowitz. Special thanks to Janet George and Matthew Hines with the Washington State Department of Services for the Blind.
Our programs for youth with disabilities are made possible with support from the Agostinho Rodrigues Trust, ArtsWA, Seattle Office of Arts and Culture, 4Culture, and individual contributors.
Artists
Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences (AVIA)
Arts and Visually Impaired Audiences (AVIA) is a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation formed in 1991 by Jesse Minkert to create, operate, and promote projects that make the arts in the…
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Amy Denio
Amy Denio is a composer, improviser, singer, and multi-instrumentalist whose main instruments are voice, alto saxophone, clarinet, accordion, electric guitar, and bass. She was inducted into the Seattle Jazz…
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Laura Ferri
Jack Straw teaching artist Laura Ferri is a freelance performing artist whose work as an actor, playwright, and director has been seen in theaters across the country. She has worked…
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Bill Horist
Seattle-based guitarist Bill Horist has played on dozens of records and has performed throughout North and Central America, Europe and Japan; collaborating with numerous leading lights in a beguiling…
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Iveliz Martel
Jack Straw teaching artist Iveliz Martel is an actor, teaching artist, and journalist from Chile. She holds an MFA in Acting from the University of Washington School of Drama and…
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