(above) Gigantic prehistoric birds are performed by puppeteers across Lincoln Center as watchers interact and engage. (Photo by Lawrence Sumulong).

On top of the familiar Lincoln Center steps a giant disco ball hangs while below a crowd admire birds from another era of history.

As part of the Summer for the City Festival, Big Umbrella Day 2024 took place on Saturday, July 6th with families and participants lining up for the day’s events starting at 11 am. The event was designed for and with neurodiverse audiences in mind with various art installations, workshops, safe spaces, and creative stations scattered across the Center’s campus.

Rebecca Podsednik, director of programming at the Lincoln Center explained how every year Big Umbrella continues to grow and outdo the prior year's success.

“It is a true joy for everyone involved, and we really love Big Umbrella,” Podsednik said. “All teams work for months to bring this together, and it's a true joy to be a part of.”

The year’s festival welcomed over 4,000 guests throughout the day.

The day started with a community Tai Chi class instructed by Manhattan Tai Chi founder Raymond Li accompanied by live traditional Chinese music. Participants standing arms length apart at the Karen and Richard LeFrak Lobby, slowly swaying their bodies' energies under the direction of Li.

Right outside prehistoric eerie sounds travel in all directions as Close-Act Theatre's Birdmen make their way with occasional stops for the crowd to catch the action. Three stilt-walking puppets hailing from the Netherlands invite admirers to interact with the birds as if they are living beings.

Podsednik described other installations like Optic, a series of reflective spheres that reflect light through their color panels while producing different musical sounds. On another musical note, live performances featuring disabled artists included LA-native James Ian and bionic model and musician Marsha Elle.

Ian performed his most-notable song, Spaces, bringing to light his own disability, Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) type 3. The disease was first detected days before Ian turned 15-years-old, and he explained how being disabled came with thinking he would have a miserable life or be romantically undesirable. Crediting bad representation in the media.

“I love arts and music, and once I started to develop my craft and step into my artistry, I really started to put SMA and disability at the center of everything that I did,” said Ian.

With the event stacked with different activities and spaces for guests to slow down and cool off from the summer’s heat, Big Umbrella Day would close off with a silent disco later in the evening.

Ian shared his joy to perform and bring awareness as July is Disability Pride Month in the United States along with SMA Awareness Month coming up in August.

“This didn't exist years ago and I really wish it had,” Ian said. “These events are still pretty rare and scarce in my opinion, and I hope that there are many more events like this as time goes on.”

For more information on future Lincoln Center events visit https://www.lincolncenter.org/home.

Lincoln Center hosts Big Umbrella Day, a day-long festival for neurodiverse audiences and other developmental disabilities by sharing unique approaches to sensory-based, interactive, and intimate artistic experiences. Fatima Moien reports.