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Big Umbrella Festival Returns April 12–14, 2024!

Build your own festival experience by booking the individual events below!

Big Umbrella Festival returns this April as we welcome kids, teens, and young adults for a weekend of programming, designed with and for neurodiverse audiences. Launched in 2018, the Big Umbrella Festival centers our audiences by sharing unique approaches to multi-sensory, interactive, and engaging artistic experiences. This year's events include a collaboration with ReelAbilities Film Festival, the largest festival in the world dedicated to showcasing ground-breaking films by and about people with disabilities; a thrilling interactive dance piece with music, Playful Tiger; Motus' TREE, A World in Itself, a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence; a piano concert by award-winning artist Lachi; and Architects of Air’s Daedalum, an experiential labyrinth for guests to explore with winding tunnels and colorful domes.

 

 

Stop by Damrosch Park from 11:00 am–6:00 pm for Architects of Air's Daedalum

Bring the whole family to experience a gigantic, whimsical labyrinth for three weeks at Damrosch Park, including during the Big Umbrella Festival on April 12–14! Daedalum is formed out of 19 egg-shaped domes, twisting and turning into the tunnels of a maze. Passing through the maze, the visitor discovers two original features—an incredibly intricate rainbow-colored tree and a cavernous dome. Learn more about the experience 

Build Your Own Festival

April 06 at 7:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York

Celebrating Disability Through Film

Lincoln Center Presents

April 06 at 7:30 pm

Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse

Join us for the largest festival in the world dedicated to showcasing ground-breaking films by and about people with disabilities.

April 09 at 7:00 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

ReelAbilities Film Festival: New York

Access:Horror Presents: Tropes and Traps for Filmmakers

Lincoln Center Presents

April 09 at 7:00 pm

Virtual event

How does a lack of representation and repetition of the same tropes in horror and documentary allow damaging cultural attitudes to persist around disability.

April 12 at 11:00 am

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

TREE: A World in Itself

By Théâtre Motus

Lincoln Center Presents

April 12 at 11:00 am

Samuel Rehearsal Studio

TREE: A World in Itself is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence; created for neurodiverse audiences.

April 12 at 2:00 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

TREE: A World in Itself

By Théâtre Motus

Lincoln Center Presents

April 12 at 2:00 pm

Samuel Rehearsal Studio

TREE: A World in Itself is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence; created for neurodiverse audiences.

April 12 at 3:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Playful Tiger

Lincoln Center Presents

April 12 at 3:30 pm

Clark Studio Theater

A sensory, inclusive dance-theatre performance made especially for and with neurodiverse young people aged 7 and up.

April 13 at 11:00 am

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Lachi

Lincoln Center Presents

April 13 at 11:00 am

David Rubenstein Atrium

Share a moment with award-winning recording artist and personality Lachi with a piano concert of her critically acclaimed songs.

April 13 at 11:00 am

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

TREE: A World in Itself

By Théâtre Motus

Lincoln Center Presents

April 13 at 11:00 am

Samuel Rehearsal Studio

TREE: A World in Itself is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence; created for neurodiverse audiences.

April 13 at 12:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Playful Tiger

Lincoln Center Presents

April 13 at 12:30 pm

Clark Studio Theater

A sensory, inclusive dance-theatre performance made especially for and with neurodiverse young people aged 7 and up.

April 13 at 2:00 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

TREE: A World in Itself

By Théâtre Motus

Lincoln Center Presents

April 13 at 2:00 pm

Samuel Rehearsal Studio

TREE: A World in Itself is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence; created for neurodiverse audiences.

April 13 at 3:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Playful Tiger

Lincoln Center Presents

April 13 at 3:30 pm

Clark Studio Theater

A sensory, inclusive dance-theatre performance made especially for and with neurodiverse young people aged 7 and up.

April 13 at 5:00 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Philharmonic Playdates: Games and Toys

Lincoln Center Presents
New York Philharmonic

April 13 at 5:00 pm

Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse

Imagine having a playdate with the orchestra—where musical instruments are toys and songs become games; for neurodiverse audiences ages 7+.

April 13 at 7:00 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Lachi

Lincoln Center Presents

April 13 at 7:00 pm

David Rubenstein Atrium

Share a moment with award-winning recording artist and personality Lachi with a piano concert of her critically acclaimed songs.

April 14 at 11:00 am

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

TREE: A World in Itself

By Théâtre Motus

Lincoln Center Presents

April 14 at 11:00 am

Samuel Rehearsal Studio

TREE: A World in Itself is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence; created for neurodiverse audiences.

April 14 at 12:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Playful Tiger

Lincoln Center Presents

April 14 at 12:30 pm

Clark Studio Theater

A sensory, inclusive dance-theatre performance made especially for and with neurodiverse young people aged 7 and up.

April 14 at 1:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Creative Workshops: Animals in Motion

Lincoln Center Presents

April 14 at 1:30 pm

Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse

In these joyful, active workshops, participants of all ages and abilities are invited to join us for mask making and movement.

April 14 at 2:00 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

TREE: A World in Itself

By Théâtre Motus

Lincoln Center Presents

April 14 at 2:00 pm

Samuel Rehearsal Studio

TREE: A World in Itself is a multi-sensory, interactive universe enveloped in soft light, music, and silence; created for neurodiverse audiences.

April 14 at 2:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Creative Workshops: Animals in Motion

Lincoln Center Presents

April 14 at 2:30 pm

Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse

In these joyful, active workshops, participants of all ages and abilities are invited to join us for mask making and movement.

April 14 at 3:30 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Playful Tiger

Lincoln Center Presents

April 14 at 3:30 pm

Clark Studio Theater

A sensory, inclusive dance-theatre performance made especially for and with neurodiverse young people aged 7 and up.

April 14 at 5:00 pm

Big Umbrella Festival
Kids, Teens, and Families

Creative Workshops: Animals in Motion

Lincoln Center Presents

April 14 at 5:00 pm

Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse

In these joyful, active workshops, participants of all ages and abilities are invited to join us for mask making and movement.

Thanks to Our Supporters

Lead support for educational programming is provided by Anonymous

Major support for Big Umbrella Festival is provided by Esme Usdan and James Snyder and by public funds facilitated by New York City Council’s Autism Awareness Initiative