[NEW EPISODE] I'm - Possible

Fridays 10:00am - 11:00am (EDT)

WHAT WILL THE AUDIENCE LEARN?

Hope. Together we can create systemic change. Omnium is planting those seeds in young people and families with joy and positive energy. Join the fun! See a show, bring us to your school or community, and support belonging. We are creating a template all can follow so we can all thrive.

EPISODE SUMMARY:

About Org: Circus Omnium was founded on the belief that full inclusion and representation in the arts lead to self-actualization, increased tolerance, and a better society. Through the celebration of our diverse cast, crew, and staff with multiple abilities and providing access for audiences of all abilities, we demonstrate that anything is possible-all people can achieve their greatness regardless of their challenges (physical, emotional, neurological, or societal).

About Lisa: Lisa Lewis began her career as a graduate of Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Clown College. She has a BA from Brandeis University and earned a Master’s Degree in Clown/Circus History from NYU, co-founded the Super Scientific Circus, and spent many years working with the Big Apple Circus in multiple capacities. 

Lisa’s passion for sharing the magic of the circus combined with her many years of experience inspired her to reimagine the art form of circus for 21st Century audiences asOmnium: A Bold New Circus. Sharing in the joy and excitement of the performing arts is an experience that should be available to everyone, regardless of background,race, gender or ability. Omnium makes that happen.

Name of your organization: Omnium Circus

Website: www.Omniumcircus.org 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OmniumCircus.org 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omniumcircus/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/68002371 

‍Tune in for this sensible conversation at TalkRadio.nyc or watch the Facebook Livestream by Clicking Here.

Show Notes

‍Segment 1

Segment 2‍

Segment 3

‍Segment 4

Transcript

00:00:26.140 --> 00:00:33.399 Tommy DiMisa: ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages. It's your boy, your buddy, your pal, the nonprofit sector

00:00:33.780 --> 00:00:50.320 Tommy DiMisa: connector, coming at you, not from the top of my attic. I am not at top of my house. I'm not in the attic. I'm actually uh i'm on the road. I'm traveling Um! Make a quick comment about the flight down here, because uh the flight down here i'm actually uh

00:00:50.330 --> 00:01:02.299 Tommy DiMisa: at what will forever be known as Roz and their fest two thousand and twenty-two. I'm down here, visiting some friends down here and done Woody Georgia shut up the gang from Tng the networking group. We're down outside of Atlanta, and

00:01:02.340 --> 00:01:13.659 Tommy DiMisa: this is a professional. I was going to say it's a professionals animal. I' to show Tommy this show. It's called philanthropy and focus. I mean, you did not get enough sleep over the last couple of days. Uh, I i'll tell you

00:01:14.120 --> 00:01:17.100 Tommy DiMisa: I land here in Atlanta, and

00:01:17.630 --> 00:01:34.570 Tommy DiMisa: the pilot says: Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, welcome to Atlanta, Georgia, and I got such a kick out of it, especially because of the topic. Lisa, be Lewis, Good morning. How are you, my friend? What's going on?

00:01:34.580 --> 00:01:51.580 Tommy DiMisa: It's not funny that the pilot said that because I say that all the time. And certainly we're going to talk about. I'm the in circus. I you know. I wonder if you have the I don't know why you worked in the circus. He might be an old circus guy. He might just be a guy with a good sense of humor and personality, and it could be that

00:01:51.730 --> 00:01:54.369 Tommy DiMisa: i'll tell you. I I mean, you know,

00:01:54.480 --> 00:02:05.369 Tommy DiMisa: if if if Covid has, you know, has taught us anything. Um, i'll just kind of reflect on last night's event that we had down here in in the done Moody, Georgia. If Covid taught us anything, it's that

00:02:05.760 --> 00:02:18.899 Tommy DiMisa: we can access folks around the country and be friends, and build relations with with folks around the country without ever having met them initially, at least in person. So I met a whole bunch of folks last night that I've met through the last two years

00:02:18.910 --> 00:02:32.730 Tommy DiMisa: uh through this organization we're going to call Tg: the networking group, and it's it's uh, it's just been pretty special to get to meet these people in real in the flesh, as they say in in real life. So I tell you you all that,

00:02:32.740 --> 00:02:41.520 Tommy DiMisa: and I think we'll talk a little bit about virtual today. I think, Lisa, you know what that's done, because certainly your organization has has grown up in this era in history. Right?

00:02:41.610 --> 00:02:43.340 Lisa B Lewis: Yeah, Absolutely

00:02:43.780 --> 00:02:45.280 Lisa B Lewis: so. So

00:02:45.290 --> 00:03:13.680 Lisa B Lewis: real quick before interrupt the way meeting all these people and access. And it occurred to me that we're on the radio. So people don't have an image Id of what we're looking for, of what they're imagine in their head. I know that's important for you to do so. I'd like you to do that throughout the show, and my friend Kelly and Sarini, who originally told me about you, was was said, had said, Like you're very from an inclusive perspective. You're very focused.

00:03:13.760 --> 00:03:21.679 Tommy DiMisa: But you're very focused on

00:03:21.690 --> 00:03:44.430 Lisa B Lewis: the inclusivity of even having a conversation like this. So I want you to. I know you want to point out who we are. What we look like. Things like that is, is I've understood it so it's pretty important. I'd love to give us a little image description. I'll do mine. I'll let you copy with yours, and that anybody who's listening to us can create a picture in their mind whether they're cited blind, low vision doesn't matter. They can create a kind of image.

00:03:44.440 --> 00:04:02.900 Lisa B Lewis: So I am a Caucasian woman, with brown hair going just past my shoulders. I have on red glasses, red lipstick, and a red shirt. Behind me is a wall. To my right is omnium circus posters. To my left is a large bookshelf full of a lot of stray papers and a lamp.

00:04:03.980 --> 00:04:21.680 Tommy DiMisa: Well, i'm just glad that this particular episode is the episode I get to describe where I am, because if there is any other Friday morning I would say, i'm behind a desk a standing desk uh, and you all will not be able to see all the messy papers that I've hidden away from outside of the cameras view.

00:04:22.089 --> 00:04:29.119 Tommy DiMisa: So I will tell you uh. So i'm i'm a white man. Um, i'm wearing a black hat not my

00:04:29.130 --> 00:04:48.109 Tommy DiMisa: sideburns are super long, and I gotta go tea, and it's I used to be all black, and now it's black and gray, Michael t that, and um, you know I I wear these wouldn't be. This is fun. I never actually explained as far. So this is fun for those folks who, you know, shout out to my friend Robert Rosner, who I just talked about. And you know, down here and done Woody and uh,

00:04:48.120 --> 00:05:04.320 Tommy DiMisa: you know he always listens to the show, so he's never watched the show on Facebook, so he could see it. Just hasn't seen it. So i'm wearing these these wooden beads that you see Lisa. But for those of you here i'll try to make some noise with them. I always wear these beads, one of them, that as long as I have a shirt and tie on it's kind of what I what I do

00:05:04.330 --> 00:05:14.079 Tommy DiMisa: um a hoodie that I just got here in Dunwoody, So that's kind of cute, so it's a new Don Woody Hoodie. It says fun woody on the back. Which Um, it's very call for Lisa. I'll show you

00:05:14.340 --> 00:05:22.980 Tommy DiMisa: so people can see,

00:05:23.300 --> 00:05:35.430 Tommy DiMisa: and i'm gonna actually have a big yellow wall behind me. There's a painting there, and there's a lamp over my um right shoulder, and we're in black hat, and it's a black Nike

00:05:35.440 --> 00:05:49.830 Tommy DiMisa: pet, and it actually says little flower golf outing little flower, twenty fifth anniversary, golf, outing little flower, one of my favorite nonprofits out on Long Island. I was gonna say out here on Long Island, but i'm not there, so I can't say that, but they're on Long Island and um,

00:05:49.840 --> 00:05:56.579 Tommy DiMisa: you know I I i'm excited to have done what we just did. You know I I I had heard. That's what you're very um

00:05:56.920 --> 00:06:22.159 Tommy DiMisa: focus on that, and it's important to Lisa to make sure inclusivity is is on Brian, for certainly what you do. So let's take that as a segue right into the conversation. But I want to read something first, so I'm. The insert omnium is circus reimagined a bold new circus, which is a unique visionary nonprofit organization that is breaking new ground in the world of circus entertainment. It is the first fully inclusive,

00:06:22.290 --> 00:06:40.900 Tommy DiMisa: include Sieve Circus Company in the country. Our goals to ensure that performers, staff and audiences reflect the ethnicities, faces, colors, abilities, values, cultures, and interest of the millions of children and people of all ages that enjoy the circus. I think there's a great place to set it up.

00:06:40.910 --> 00:06:42.570 Tommy DiMisa: So. Lisa be Lewis.

00:06:43.080 --> 00:06:44.269 Tommy DiMisa: First of all,

00:06:44.430 --> 00:06:47.509 Tommy DiMisa: let me say something different. I will gang be

00:06:47.520 --> 00:07:10.549 Tommy DiMisa: on the road with the circus at some point. It's out there now, Lisa and I've talked about it. I've set it in other forums. We're going to figure out what that looks like. Um! I did wear a tails and a top hat. Was it really tails on my wedding day? But it were top hat I had like a cane, and it was It was it's called a a breakfast suit. Lisa, if you're familiar, like a cutaway suit with sort of almost like tails. But um

00:07:10.620 --> 00:07:26.940 Tommy DiMisa: like I sort of sometimes fancy myself a Willy Wonka title Yeah, like I'm definitely love the gene Wild Willy Wonker, gene Wilder. Look, Johnny Dev i'm a big Johnny deaf. Fan. I think he does great stuff.

00:07:26.950 --> 00:07:34.919 Tommy DiMisa: That was a little darker, as it would be with Johnny Devon, you know, but different story, but fun fun nonetheless. Um,

00:07:35.440 --> 00:07:36.620 Tommy DiMisa: So

00:07:36.850 --> 00:07:51.860 Tommy DiMisa: tell me about this circus. Tell me about your background. What? Where does this even come from? Like you know, I know you spent some years working with the big apple circus. Take us on that journey, as I always say, and I talk. We talked earlier in the week. I want to hear about Lisa, your background. What! What

00:07:51.870 --> 00:07:58.240 Tommy DiMisa: catalyst said to you? I need to create this circus, and then what the circus is all about and like, I say,

00:07:58.350 --> 00:08:04.419 Tommy DiMisa: fortunately or unfortunately, we will run out of time before we know it. But I want to make sure you get to tell as much of the story while we're here together.

00:08:04.880 --> 00:08:13.220 Lisa B Lewis: Yeah, so it's. It's interesting. It's not like There was sort of one lightning bolt that hit me on the head. Um, but it did

00:08:13.400 --> 00:08:25.649 Lisa B Lewis: so for many years I started my career as a young person um in college, going majoring in indecision, which is what people do at liberal arts, universities, or at least did in my day.

00:08:25.730 --> 00:08:33.530 Lisa B Lewis: Um! And one of my friends said, Hey, ringing is coming through town. You don't know how to juggle. Why don't you go at the audition. They'll teach you to juggle.

00:08:34.390 --> 00:08:38.710 Lisa B Lewis: So I went, and I was bitten by a circus bug and have never left.

00:08:38.740 --> 00:08:47.060 Tommy DiMisa: Wow! Wait a minute, So so I have a friend of mine, Joe Carrillo. Um! He's an attorney he is um.

00:08:48.580 --> 00:08:51.499 Tommy DiMisa: The same day he found out he got into law school.

00:08:51.510 --> 00:09:12.969 Tommy DiMisa: Um, I to say Joe is an attorney. It's just such an understatement. He he's an attorney. It's a very successful turn. He was a judge. He um the day he found out he made it to law school. He also found out that he made it to Clown College. He accepted into Clown College any, and he did both, and he worked at Hershey Park for a number of years, like as a clown and juggly. Use it. Hell of an entertainer. So

00:09:13.280 --> 00:09:25.300 Lisa B Lewis: you know It's funny like. So you went there. And what happens you You' to juggle? I did learn to juggle. Actually. Um, many of yeah, of course. Okay. Oh, yeah, absolutely.

00:09:25.400 --> 00:09:43.419 Lisa B Lewis: So I did that. Um did go to Clown College, and my career moved forward. I ended up coming back into New York and working in schools. Um working with the big Apple circus working in hospitals. I did fifteen years inpatient um in pediatrics awards

00:09:43.600 --> 00:09:53.439 Lisa B Lewis: uh school shows worked with um children what in New York we call district seventy-five, which is the district where you classify anybody who has an iep

00:09:53.450 --> 00:10:09.459 Tommy DiMisa: it's It's not a geographic district. It just means you happen to have an Ip, which is Let's just pause on that one second to that kind of hit. Some folks in iep Individual education plan. It's a It's what happens when you need to learn outside of the box,

00:10:09.540 --> 00:10:12.659 Lisa B Lewis: because our the school systems are set up to

00:10:14.180 --> 00:10:19.720 Lisa B Lewis: Lisa. We just I just hit your mute button by accident. All good.

00:10:19.730 --> 00:10:39.129 Lisa B Lewis: Some schools are programmed, obviously because they need to educate large numbers of people to teach in a certain way, and if you learn a different way, or need different accommodations, then you get what's called an Ip, an individual education plan. So in New York they call it district seventy-five, and those can range anywhere from a child who's really neuro diverse

00:10:39.140 --> 00:10:43.530 Lisa B Lewis: a child who has a physical hand uh disability?

00:10:43.580 --> 00:10:48.570 Lisa B Lewis: It could be anything I mean I who knows? Who even knows, Anyway,

00:10:48.580 --> 00:11:08.940 Lisa B Lewis: did that work with that um. I started working with the big Apple circus creating access. They had a program called Circus of the Census, which was one day a season or two days of season, where they would bring in kids from schools for the blind and schools for the deaf, and they would provide audio description and sign language interpretation,

00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:12.010 Lisa B Lewis: and they were magnificent days.

00:11:12.120 --> 00:11:17.630 Lisa B Lewis: It was everybody's favorite day performers, artists, everybody's favorite day

00:11:17.960 --> 00:11:25.220 Lisa B Lewis: and over I volunteered. Then I became in charge. Then I became the marketing promoter community outreach.

00:11:25.330 --> 00:11:38.900 Tommy DiMisa: It became my heart. I really, truly love that program. Why was that? I I mean, aside from like we could peer into it and guess. But why was that so important? Why was that so influential to to the performers,

00:11:38.910 --> 00:11:51.019 Tommy DiMisa: you know. Obviously those who were attending got to see, or here, or or maybe not see her here, but feel and touch things that they had in the past. Why was it so sentimental and important to you all on the performer side?

00:11:52.620 --> 00:12:10.200 Lisa B Lewis: I'm. Not exactly sure. It will take someone with a Phd. That actually went to school for one instead of having a practical one to tell you why. But there's something about the human spirit that when you see a child smile, and you see a child smile

00:12:10.280 --> 00:12:30.890 Lisa B Lewis: with a connection to something that they've never previously had, or that they had last year, and couldn't wait until this year, and they're so excited when they can feel the props when you know they've experienced a circus through the audio description, or understood the words through the interpreter, or

00:12:30.900 --> 00:12:35.950 Lisa B Lewis: however they they've been given the bridge to access their experience.

00:12:36.250 --> 00:12:41.870 Tommy DiMisa: Do you remember the movie, Mr. Holland's office?

00:12:42.220 --> 00:12:43.350 Tommy DiMisa: Um,

00:12:44.270 --> 00:12:49.329 Tommy DiMisa: Mr. Holmes opus. I'm trying to think he was named big famous actor. It'll come to me Um!

00:12:49.520 --> 00:12:50.750 Tommy DiMisa: He

00:12:51.230 --> 00:12:52.940 Tommy DiMisa: he has his son

00:12:53.050 --> 00:13:10.369 Tommy DiMisa: and his son um. They realized as a baby uh is is da uh not hearing a parent. I think he's completely deaf, and Mr. Holland is a music teacher to me. It happened it was, must have been that his son must have been born um

00:13:10.380 --> 00:13:16.489 Tommy DiMisa: in it in like the early seventies, or something like that, because when there's

00:13:16.910 --> 00:13:20.090 Tommy DiMisa: when John Lennon was killed

00:13:20.150 --> 00:13:23.560 Tommy DiMisa: is a is like it as an acknowledgment in the movie,

00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:28.839 Tommy DiMisa: and it's just a long time since I've seen this movie, Richard Dreyfus. I think it is um

00:13:29.900 --> 00:13:32.879 Tommy DiMisa: when he's killed. When when Lennon was killed.

00:13:33.240 --> 00:13:43.820 Tommy DiMisa: The father is very upset and very depressed, and his son wanted to console him and and be with his dad and it. And the the father was kind of like,

00:13:44.170 --> 00:14:03.709 Tommy DiMisa: you know. I'm gonna butcher this a little bit, but it was like you don't understand, or you wouldn't understand trying to communicate with son and and long story short. Um! That was like this breaking point between the father and son. They had this connection, but the father was able to. I i'm not so sure it wasn't a real move, a real true story, either. I don't have to look it up while we go to break. But

00:14:04.110 --> 00:14:05.230 Tommy DiMisa: um!

00:14:05.590 --> 00:14:07.680 Tommy DiMisa: He was a music teacher, and

00:14:08.380 --> 00:14:19.009 Tommy DiMisa: he was able to find a way where his son and other people who had uh either loss of hearing, or he, or hearing an ability to feel,

00:14:19.020 --> 00:14:31.720 Tommy DiMisa: go to the speakers and touch and feel the rhythm and get the rhythm of the music through that way. Tactically, I guess, as a way to say it versus you know, from an audio perspective. So really

00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:47.670 Lisa B Lewis: you feel it in your bones. One of the dan, our dancer in the show is deaf, and all the music is done in rhythms through the stage. She feels that we point the speakers down, and she's fine. She feels a rhythm. She's it. She's no yeah,

00:14:47.680 --> 00:14:58.030 Tommy DiMisa: nineteen ninety-five. The movie came out. Mr. How is it? Was Richard Dreyfus? Um, I'm gonna look this up. Is it a true story based on a true story of a composer

00:14:58.540 --> 00:14:59.520 Tommy DiMisa: and

00:14:59.650 --> 00:15:02.180 Tommy DiMisa: reluctant music teacher, Glenn Holland,

00:15:02.560 --> 00:15:22.960 Tommy DiMisa: who, over the course of his career, touched the lives of generations of students while struggling with shrinking budgets, et cetera. But the point was check out this movie gang and then come back to me. We should probably make a philanthropy and focus Movie Club. That's every time an idea comes in, Lisa. I just say it out loud, and then, and then try to make it happen. So all right, let's take a quick break.

00:15:23.200 --> 00:15:25.930 Tommy DiMisa: We come back. I want you to talk to me about

00:15:26.180 --> 00:15:28.200 Tommy DiMisa: when this when it started.

00:15:28.210 --> 00:15:49.139 Tommy DiMisa: You know what the first cause this is not like, you know, starting a circus is not like, Hey, man, it's not like making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. It's a little more complicated and starting a nonprofit, as you and I have spoken about recently is is not so simple either. You know you need support. You need connections to that heart of that smile of that child

00:15:49.150 --> 00:15:56.500 Lisa B Lewis: that is experiencing the circus for the first time to their fullest capacity. Because that's what you need

00:15:56.560 --> 00:16:08.189 Lisa B Lewis: that that thought and that feeling. And then we'll talk about it more.

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00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:52.139 www.TalkRadio.nyc: You're listening to talk radio, Nyc: uplift, educate, empower,

00:17:56.620 --> 00:17:57.770 you,

00:17:58.900 --> 00:18:00.330 you,

00:18:01.610 --> 00:18:02.510 you

00:18:02.580 --> 00:18:03.510 you

00:18:12.250 --> 00:18:17.340 to

00:18:18.080 --> 00:18:32.469 Tommy DiMisa: join Tommy in his, that even when he's not in his attic, he is with you, and he's with the nonprofit sector. You avoid the nonprofit sector connector. So, Lisa, I had in my heart and in my mind's eye for the last minute and a half.

00:18:32.480 --> 00:18:39.609 Tommy DiMisa: That child who you talk about with that big smile. Who's either experiencing that circus for the first time or

00:18:39.930 --> 00:18:49.139 Tommy DiMisa: experience that? And it has been anticipating that experience again. So that's what? That's the driving force behind on the and I'm imagining that's the driving force between the work you do personally.

00:18:49.220 --> 00:19:00.630 Lisa B Lewis: Absolutely. So now take that thought and take that thought, and expand it out, and know that twenty-five percent of the entire nation is that child

00:19:01.470 --> 00:19:08.519 Lisa B Lewis: one in four people have a disability. That means somebody's brother, aunt, uncle, cousin, father,

00:19:08.770 --> 00:19:22.979 Lisa B Lewis: friend of a neighbor, every but eighty. Seven of us are affected by people with disability, disability, doesn't care what color you are it doesn't care what country you're born in it All of those factors which divide us disappear.

00:19:23.520 --> 00:19:26.559 Lisa B Lewis: So now we are all united.

00:19:26.730 --> 00:19:43.690 Lisa B Lewis: So now imagine a place where that child, that little child inside who wants to enjoy the circus is joined by their entire family. So now you get four out of four people sharing an experience together.

00:19:43.700 --> 00:19:51.460 Lisa B Lewis: Not just one day, because what if your other kid has a basketball game, or a baseball game, or a dance lesson, or whatever

00:19:51.540 --> 00:20:11.450 Lisa B Lewis: families are busy. What if they can't come on that day? But what if any day you wanted to go and enjoy the circus, which is what brings families together. It's a multi-generational experience. That's why they say children of all ages, because there's something in it for every generation. So now imagine you can all go together

00:20:11.460 --> 00:20:13.059 Lisa B Lewis: any show you want,

00:20:13.210 --> 00:20:17.890 Lisa B Lewis: and have the access just there for you, so that you can all enjoy it.

00:20:18.440 --> 00:20:19.540 Tommy DiMisa: So

00:20:19.850 --> 00:20:32.080 Tommy DiMisa: what did that look like in practice for you when you said, Here's the idea we want to make it th. This accessible, I guess, is really a big word, certainly inclusive. Um!

00:20:32.220 --> 00:20:33.630 Tommy DiMisa: You know that that

00:20:34.920 --> 00:20:36.540 Tommy DiMisa: that creates a

00:20:36.620 --> 00:20:38.110 Tommy DiMisa: a whole

00:20:38.490 --> 00:20:43.480 Tommy DiMisa: spectrum of needs? And what do we do here? And how do we? Because

00:20:44.260 --> 00:20:50.100 Tommy DiMisa: I guess if I, if we think in terms of, and not to make these hard and fast rules. But if we think of

00:20:51.440 --> 00:21:06.340 Tommy DiMisa: the to the traditional delivery of the circus is just let's say, less inclusive, right, more complicated for certain people to get access to, even if we talk about just accessibility on that, on the face of the accessibility thing, not even

00:21:06.400 --> 00:21:13.459 Tommy DiMisa: someone who can't see or can't hear, or et cetera. Um! There's a lot to tackle there. It's certainly not

00:21:13.720 --> 00:21:23.739 Tommy DiMisa: an infinite amount of challenges to tackle, but it certainly becomes something that's going. Wow! We have to solve. For this we have to solve for that right. Am I right in that there was a lot to undertake.

00:21:23.930 --> 00:21:31.070 Lisa B Lewis: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you know you can't be everything to everybody, perfectly. But you do the best you can do

00:21:31.080 --> 00:21:48.749 Lisa B Lewis: so. My goal, when we first started was to make sure that at least we had the major major points covered that sign language would be integrated throughout our production. I didn't want someone standing over in a corner where someone had to look there, and then they missed all the action.

00:21:48.760 --> 00:22:03.039 Lisa B Lewis: So you so you said, this has to be right here. This has to be. It turns out it's a she in our particular production. But he, she, whatever but the character must be intrinsic to the production

00:22:03.050 --> 00:22:20.200 Lisa B Lewis: it's woven through. It's just a part of it. So we're just automatically a bilingual production. English and American sign language easy enough to switch into Spanish, but at the moment Um, we're English and American sign language so that it's just automatic.

00:22:20.210 --> 00:22:24.829 Lisa B Lewis: So you don't It's not like you have to add on anything we're just welcoming,

00:22:24.840 --> 00:22:50.599 Lisa B Lewis: and the audio description we do it every production at every single show, so that anyone who needs it has it. There's always sound enhancing headsets for people who need the sound a little bit louder. We never have strobe lights. We always make sure that we've Let's stop for a second. Let's just because let's talk this talk these through the strobe. Light thing. What What is that it triggers epilepsy? It could trick for epilepsy, and we don't

00:22:50.610 --> 00:23:04.679 Lisa B Lewis: we don't want to, and certainly I it. People with different sensory issues. It would. Those bright lights and things could be, you know, is a big, a trigger for a lot of people. So it just took like,

00:23:04.700 --> 00:23:08.920 Lisa B Lewis: instead of having it go from really bright to really black,

00:23:08.990 --> 00:23:25.029 Lisa B Lewis: we make sure that we leave the house light on, So we never have a full blackout in our particular show, because that way we avoided drastic sensory contrast, and we do the best we can to make everybody feel as welcome and as included as possible.

00:23:25.040 --> 00:23:37.549 Lisa B Lewis: The other thing we do, which is as I start When I first started this I was really thinking of in terms of audience access, but the audience is reminded me there's no one up there that looks like me.

00:23:37.710 --> 00:23:54.549 Tommy DiMisa: So it's representation, right? So that's the thing. So we Okay. So first it was. We got to solve for access people, and this is not accessible to them. It is not delivered in a fashion or a medium that is, that they can receive it.

00:23:54.570 --> 00:24:01.570 Tommy DiMisa: And then, all of a sudden, you you've worked towards that, and then you go. Then there's more feedback from the audience, which is, you know,

00:24:01.670 --> 00:24:08.990 Lisa B Lewis: exactly, and they have to. You have to see people that with whom you can identify.

00:24:09.020 --> 00:24:13.139 Lisa B Lewis: And even more importantly, you have to see people

00:24:13.270 --> 00:24:19.279 Lisa B Lewis: that remind you that the person sitting next to you is equally amazing.

00:24:20.120 --> 00:24:26.750 Lisa B Lewis: So when you look into that ring in omnia which is our show, it means of all, and belonging to all.

00:24:27.080 --> 00:24:38.699 Lisa B Lewis: When you look in that ring you see people with legs without legs, people who are deaf people who are hearing people who are low vision people who are every spectrum of melanin,

00:24:38.740 --> 00:24:51.229 Lisa B Lewis: you know, because our culture is so panoramic. It's a panoramic mosaic. It's beautiful. I know I I just got the chills. I literally just got the chills as you're talking, because I think you know

00:24:51.240 --> 00:25:00.259 Tommy DiMisa: this is what we're supposed to be doing. You know this is the work. This is the the inclusivity, the the accessibility. Um,

00:25:00.320 --> 00:25:07.980 Lisa B Lewis: and it we're creating. We are creating a microcosm of the world that we want to see.

00:25:08.250 --> 00:25:25.529 Lisa B Lewis: So for ninety minutes you can live in this microcosm of complete inclusion, complete accessibility, all inspiring brilliance. I mean, these people aren't random people. They are professional circus artists for many generations. They're incredible.

00:25:25.700 --> 00:25:44.839 Lisa B Lewis: So for that ninety minutes you get to live in this world, and you can take that world with you. You carry it with you in your heart. You go back to your office, and you see somebody in your office with a different ability. And you'll say, wait. I just saw somebody in the circus to these incredible things. Maybe there's more to you than I thought.

00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:56.559 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, you know, I get up here on the show sometimes that I I stamp my feed, and and I kind of get cranky. And and I say, like this is we need like,

00:25:56.730 --> 00:25:58.229 Tommy DiMisa: Let me say it this way.

00:26:00.260 --> 00:26:02.330 Tommy DiMisa: We need to focus.

00:26:02.530 --> 00:26:07.720 Tommy DiMisa: You could spell it with an app spell or a Ph. Whatever point is, we need to focus on

00:26:08.220 --> 00:26:23.829 Tommy DiMisa: what people are capable of what their abilities are, and let's accentuate the heck out of that, and let's stop because I will tell you this. This is not well. Maybe it is self deprecating, but I don't mean it to be that like that kind of humorous thing. But the point is,

00:26:23.850 --> 00:26:38.549 Tommy DiMisa: Lisa Lewis, I suck in a lot of stuff I do. I don't have the ability to do many things right. But you know what there's like a handful of things that i'm pretty freaking good at. And then there's like two things that i'm real good at, and it's like

00:26:38.560 --> 00:26:51.479 Tommy DiMisa: I want to focus on those things. I'm really good at try to, maybe try to improve the things that i'm interested in and want to get better at that. But if we all focus, if we spend, if I spent, if the people, if my former employers, if my business partners, whoever

00:26:51.490 --> 00:27:03.400 Tommy DiMisa: talking about all the things I suck at, or I don't have the capacity or ability to do that doesn't make any sense at all to me, and maybe this is a crude way of delivering the information. I'm trying to get cross, But the point of what i'm saying is,

00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:11.449 Tommy DiMisa: God, Why can't we just focus on what people can and are good at and are interested in and let's go after that One quick anecdote I want to talk about.

00:27:12.970 --> 00:27:20.409 Tommy DiMisa: I'm. Involved with best bodies here in New York or there in New York, because i'm not in New York, but up there in New York best, Buddy. Very good friends of mine. Um,

00:27:20.630 --> 00:27:27.719 Tommy DiMisa: you love them right? We got a We got to hook up on that because i'm sure we could do some cool stuff together. We have um.

00:27:28.200 --> 00:27:35.900 Tommy DiMisa: So I met a couple of young ladies from best buddies about seven or eight years ago on Long Island. Um. My

00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:55.070 Tommy DiMisa: cousin Linda had special needs, and Linda passed away about ten years ago, and in her memory my aunt, my cousin, founded the Lady Loo Foundation and a Lindy Loo foundation raises money for nonprofit organizations. We're doing work around social interest for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. So I meet these two young ladies from

00:27:55.080 --> 00:27:57.950 Tommy DiMisa: best buddies on out on Long Island at the time,

00:27:58.320 --> 00:28:03.589 Tommy DiMisa: and I said, I want to be a part of what you do, and I want the Loo foundation to help. I want us to to make an impact,

00:28:03.780 --> 00:28:20.330 Tommy DiMisa: and since then we've donated several thousands of dollars. Tens probably twenty thousand dollars, more than twenty thousand dollars over the years to open up school programs on Long Island for best buddies. Eventually I got asked to be on the the New York City Advisory Board,

00:28:20.650 --> 00:28:24.100 Tommy DiMisa: and as things happen as all the connections happen. Um

00:28:24.270 --> 00:28:42.890 Tommy DiMisa: Tng, I referenced at the beginning. But the networking group that are very involved with um. We decided that our holiday party is December fourteenth, and complete virtual party best buddies will be speaking at that event specifically about their jobs program, because the jobs program is critical. And this is all going for me to tell you that there's a young man who I've met.

00:28:43.260 --> 00:28:52.020 Tommy DiMisa: I don't know if he knows who I am. But we've met. His name is Zack Smith. He's a participant in the best Buddies Jobs program, and Zach has a job with the Nfl.

00:28:52.030 --> 00:29:04.139 Tommy DiMisa: And Jack has a John. Excuse me, Zach has a job with the with the Nfl. He does statistical work. He's a statistician, you know. All this can imagine amount of stats that are involved with the Nfl.

00:29:04.200 --> 00:29:14.399 Tommy DiMisa: That's an ability that he has. I will tell you candidly that is not an ability that I have, but by focusing on what he is is good at is talented at.

00:29:14.680 --> 00:29:32.800 Tommy DiMisa: He now has a great job with the Nfl. So if we could just just an anecdote. But the point of the matter for me is, how do we get to a place? And I think we're there, and maybe having conversations like we're having now, and maybe me using my big mouth to try and push people in different directions, too, can be helpful towards that. But it's like

00:29:33.000 --> 00:29:36.969 Tommy DiMisa: that to me. Isn't the most important thing, Lisa. Where does that land with you?

00:29:36.980 --> 00:29:53.369 Lisa B Lewis: If you are in New York you are in luck. We are as omni, and we are over forty of our staff and crew is people with disabilities. We hire people with disabilities. We put our money where our mouth is, it's absolutely essential.

00:29:53.380 --> 00:30:13.220 Lisa B Lewis: We are now on our I've lost track. I think it's our second or third intern from an organization in New York called visions, you know visions for the blind, for people blind visually, and low vision. So we have young one young man with us right now, who is phenomenal,

00:30:13.310 --> 00:30:31.099 Lisa B Lewis: and has he just has a real gift? I'm so grateful for him. We had a young man before that was also phenomenal. Um, we've hired my assistant actually comes to us through job path, which is an organization for people with um more. Id dd kind of a things,

00:30:31.180 --> 00:30:37.200 Lisa B Lewis: and he's phenomenal like everybody. Our social media director has a disability.

00:30:37.410 --> 00:30:56.879 Lisa B Lewis: You put your money where your mouth is, you find, and as an organization as omnium, What we really do is exactly what you said. Here's what we need. We need a specific, this task or this. Whatever needs to happen in order to move the organization forward. So who's really good at that? Who might be?

00:30:57.230 --> 00:31:02.909 Lisa B Lewis: For whom is that their strength? And we dig deeply into that community because

00:31:02.970 --> 00:31:06.759 Lisa B Lewis: people don't have so many opportunities, not everybody.

00:31:07.490 --> 00:31:14.869 Lisa B Lewis: It's a great wealth. It's a great, wonderful resource for us to be able to employ people to share with people

00:31:15.180 --> 00:31:28.059 Tommy DiMisa: and to give people the opportunity to enter the arts because they don't. They don't have

00:31:29.130 --> 00:31:35.870 Tommy DiMisa: from a vantage point of strength versus weakness, or, you know, ability versus inability. You know it's just

00:31:36.190 --> 00:31:40.479 Tommy DiMisa: so critical I I have. I'd be remiss if I didn't say something about um.

00:31:40.970 --> 00:31:52.060 Tommy DiMisa: So our our company, our my profession, is, we own an employee Benefits agency. We used to be called the Vanguard Insurance Agency, but now we're called vanguard benefits, And I tell you this because

00:31:52.260 --> 00:32:06.359 Tommy DiMisa: the nonprofit organization that I sit on the board of that did our Rebrand Mission vision value new website. The whole thing is an organization called the Spirit of Huntington Art Center, and i'll do a little plug on the spirit of anything, because i'm a board member, and i'm a big fan. Um,

00:32:06.600 --> 00:32:16.190 Tommy DiMisa: They have uh art programs for people with different abilities. They have a great center out. It's. It's a cultural arts center on Long Island in Huntington,

00:32:16.260 --> 00:32:30.339 Tommy DiMisa: and they have an artworks program, and the artworks program teaches people young people who, as the age out of the school system at age twenty, one. Often these people, with intellectual developmental disabilities, or some other uh learning challenges. They,

00:32:30.540 --> 00:32:46.249 Tommy DiMisa: their programs are gone. There's not much for these folks to do, because they've aged out of the system, and oftentimes some some go to college some don't, and unfortunately um, Some some folks end up not having a lot of direction. So to kind of make this quick,

00:32:46.580 --> 00:32:51.320 Tommy DiMisa: the artworks program is a program that teaches these young people

00:32:51.470 --> 00:33:03.610 Tommy DiMisa: the certificate certificate, level, college level coursework in digital arts. And then these people either go to work at the spirit of Huntington Art Center, and do website

00:33:03.620 --> 00:33:12.659 Tommy DiMisa: and seo and content creation for clients of the of the art Center, which is my firm. Vancouver benefits now is, is is now a client of

00:33:12.700 --> 00:33:20.970 Tommy DiMisa: um. Having these people again accentuate what they're good at. Go after and make an impact with the things they're good at, and their abilities,

00:33:20.980 --> 00:33:46.280 Tommy DiMisa: and oftentimes either work at the or center, or then they're getting hired in marketing positions at other nonprofits on Long Island. Specifically. So it's just like I mean talk, ripple effect right? And talk about the positive ripple effect. And that's one of these situations. Lisa, for me that just continues to give, so I will give a quick shout out to check out our website, which I never do on this program. So check out our website. Vanguard benefits. Why, ou

00:33:46.290 --> 00:33:50.079 Tommy DiMisa: dot com vanguard benefits you, and that the whole angle is

00:33:50.140 --> 00:34:06.720 Tommy DiMisa: our agency benefits our clients. It benefits their employees; it benefits the the families and employees, but it also benefits the nonprofit sector, which is where I certainly spend, and we, as an agency, spend a lot of time in. So we do have to be a quick break. But comment on that quick. If you had some.

00:34:06.730 --> 00:34:16.240 Lisa B Lewis: I'm just gonna say that's exactly the way the world needs to be. As we all support each other, we support businesses, spectrum designs. We get our T-shirts that love spectrum

00:34:16.330 --> 00:34:33.279 Lisa B Lewis: the business that hires people with disabilities punk and fuz is another one. But if we pumpkin funds Cu. And K. I. N. Punkin Fuz is another organization that employs all people with disabilities, it's an of by and for company based out of Brooklyn,

00:34:33.710 --> 00:34:54.929 Lisa B Lewis: we have to support each other, and together, as we lift each other up. Yes, we are in the nonprofit sector, because we're not making a lot of money on this, but that doesn't mean that this ve these values don't transfer to the for profit sector our whole world works together in this.

00:34:54.940 --> 00:35:03.409 Tommy DiMisa: We gotta take a quick break. We'll be right back to dive back into this. But I I talk a lot about that. That's what it's all about. This is philanthropy, and focus that's Lisa. I'm Tommy Dee, We'll be right back.

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00:36:56.300 --> 00:36:59.019 to me in

00:36:59.930 --> 00:37:23.059 Tommy DiMisa: team work. It makes the dream work. I just made that song up during the break. Ted off all right, so we're back. I'm a performer. I'm going to be in the circus. We're going to find something for me to do, man, if I got it. I was doing like, just as again for those who are not watching. I was doing like the strong man polls while we went to break, and things like that, and making my friend Lisa chuckle a little bit. I'd say teamwork makes a dream work, because

00:37:23.070 --> 00:37:27.990 Tommy DiMisa: if it's not for the people on my in my sphere, in in my uh

00:37:28.220 --> 00:37:43.549 Tommy DiMisa: people looking out for me, then I can't do a lot of the stuff I'm doing. What am I talking about? So i'm looking on Facebook on this little monitor that i'm operating off of today. So again, just give people a feel of where where I am. I usually have three monitors. I feel like i'm like a

00:37:43.560 --> 00:38:02.759 Tommy DiMisa: you know, kirk on the uh starship enterprise usually. And now I now I I will share with you, Lisa. I have um my laptop on top of my suitcase on top of the ironing board, so I didn't give everybody the in the hotel room because I wanted to be able to stand while I so um. But talk about teamwork,

00:38:02.770 --> 00:38:30.329 Lisa B Lewis: pumpkin fit thoughts, which is Mick College is hooking me up. He puts vanguard out there on Facebook. He puts pumpkin fots. I feel like every time I say that i'm going to say a foul word, I feel like somehow my mind is going to screw it up, and i'm going to say a bad word When I say pumpkin funds, it's the nail she used to um. Her children are both um disabled, and it's a nickname. She two out. Two of them are, and it's a nickname. She uses some punk and funds to you, and I love it.

00:38:30.340 --> 00:38:47.480 Tommy DiMisa: I just feel like my my brain is going to say a dirty word. I'll just i'm i'm just saying it just feels that way. It feels like i'm i'm playing around. But, Mick, thank you for your support. Thanks for throwing all this stuff up there, and always on Facebook, answering things when I I don't have the time to you, and I just shared the Lindy new foundation that uh, since I mentioned it, go to Li and

00:38:47.490 --> 00:38:59.800 Tommy DiMisa: dy L. O Dot Org gets in memory my cousin Linda and Connie Hale that we love you. We miss you. Obviously. We'd rather Linda to be back with us. But since that doesn't work we're just continuing her legacy of supporting organizations

00:39:00.620 --> 00:39:09.399 Tommy DiMisa: that do this great work in the nonprofit sector. But specifically for the Id intellectually developmentally disabled community. All right, Lisa,

00:39:09.920 --> 00:39:14.000 Tommy DiMisa: first of all. When is the next show? Is there a scheduled show?

00:39:14.070 --> 00:39:27.780 Tommy DiMisa: How often do shows happen? If I wanted to have the circus come to my town like I? Then it's not me, because i'm just making like if someone wanted to have the circus come to their town because you and I talked about this, is it?

00:39:27.910 --> 00:39:37.999 Tommy DiMisa: They gotta get some dollar support. They gotta get us a venue. How does it all work? Give me the logistics of the whole thing. It's actually not as intimidating as one might think.

00:39:38.230 --> 00:39:50.590 Lisa B Lewis: So. Our first of all, where you can see the circus February Twenty fifth tickets are on sale now at capital one hall in Tyson's, Virginia. Um. So we will be there. There is a two o'clock Show

00:39:50.600 --> 00:40:05.379 Lisa B Lewis: our there's an evening show, but that is specifically as a fundraiser gala for Easter seals. We are partnering with Easter seals, and we love Easter zeal, So that's how that's working. Um Saturday, February twenty Fifth

00:40:05.510 --> 00:40:12.580 Lisa B Lewis: Keep on moving March the second. If you happen to live in New Hampshire, we will be at the Giles Center in New Hampshire.

00:40:12.590 --> 00:40:34.469 Lisa B Lewis: Then keep on coming back South March the fifth That's March. The second will be in New Hampshire, March, the fifth for anybody in the New York area. We will be a William Patterson University at shape performing Arts Center, and that is a Sunday. Two Pm. Show. Um tickets should be on sale for that in the next week or so. Um, so keep an eye out for that.

00:40:34.560 --> 00:40:42.649 Lisa B Lewis: So that's if you are an individual and want to come. See the show. We'd love to have you if you want to bring the show to you,

00:40:42.660 --> 00:41:01.600 Lisa B Lewis: you contact us um info at omnium circus dot org, we are fully produced production. If you are performing Arts center and want to bring us in. That's great. If you want to bring us in to help support your gala, we're doing a couple of big galas for people where we bring in the show and

00:41:01.610 --> 00:41:05.370 Lisa B Lewis: help you guys, because it's all about working together.

00:41:06.070 --> 00:41:24.890 Lisa B Lewis: Yeah, I mean, we you need a space needs money, because all the artists are professional artists, and I won't. Ask anyone to work without being paid. That's not. I love that I love that part. So I'm: i'm trying to see because of my own um technology limitations. I was going to try and share my screen to to show Page, because it's, you know

00:41:25.020 --> 00:41:43.800 Tommy DiMisa: these are right on the website. So omnium circus org is where you're going to go. Phones o m N. I u m circus dot or g, and right on that front page you're going to see these banners donate, which certainly should hit the heck out of that one. Let's donate sponsorship, and then

00:41:43.810 --> 00:42:02.539 Tommy DiMisa: the events is below that when you click on events, I see right here there's links for the event. As you said, a capital one uh capital. One Hall entices Virginia. That's the twenty-fifth. It's a Saturday from two to four, and then the March fifth event, and then is actually, I see in April of that as well in New York

00:42:02.850 --> 00:42:05.360 Tommy DiMisa: um New Victory Theater,

00:42:05.450 --> 00:42:12.660 Lisa B Lewis: two thousand and twenty-four

00:42:12.690 --> 00:42:15.939 to a through twenty-eight, so that's

00:42:16.220 --> 00:42:21.530 Lisa B Lewis: we will be at the New Vic, but not till two thousand and twenty-four

00:42:21.590 --> 00:42:34.219 Lisa B Lewis: eight shows a week times three weeks.

00:42:34.460 --> 00:42:47.950 Lisa B Lewis: I So the the new victor, theatre. You say victory theater right? You should check it out. Okay. Great programming all year round for families and accessible. They do great job with access as well. It's a great great organization.

00:42:47.960 --> 00:42:56.819 Tommy DiMisa: So let me ask you this like I don't remember if it was you and I speaking about this, I just just came up with a conversation that I I don't know if it was you and me or somebody else but

00:42:56.890 --> 00:43:16.539 Tommy DiMisa: um the tiller center I was that you and me talking the other day about this or No, i'd be. I've reached out to them. I haven't heard back yet. If anybody's listening from the telephone center check my email if you got one. Yeah, like, cause there's a lot of lot of Long Island folks that that are listening to to work at the Tele center.

00:43:17.170 --> 00:43:27.160 Tommy DiMisa: Alright So shout out to my Long Island network. Do we have any connections with the Till the center? We'll make a note of that. We'll find out I did have a connection there. That's a couple of years back.

00:43:27.170 --> 00:43:39.070 Tommy DiMisa: Um! But they were very focused at, and i'll have to look these two women up. They were great, and just at the time being. Um, we didn't really have anything to collaborate on. You and I didn't know each other. The surface didn't even exist back. Then what i'm talking about.

00:43:39.160 --> 00:43:41.459 Tommy DiMisa: And um,

00:43:41.870 --> 00:43:44.279 Tommy DiMisa: they were very focused on

00:43:44.550 --> 00:43:46.940 Tommy DiMisa: What's the word? I'm looking for um

00:43:47.020 --> 00:44:02.969 Tommy DiMisa: sensory friendly type um programming. That's what I mean. Yeah, that's what i'm saying so at the time. It wasn't really relevant to me. It it not that that information wasn't real, but I didn't have an answer for them. You know I was like trying to say I don't know what we do. Um!

00:44:03.580 --> 00:44:04.870 Tommy DiMisa: And then

00:44:05.210 --> 00:44:13.560 Tommy DiMisa: are there other places you want to get into? Are there other like. Are there corporate relationships that you think would be a good fit for the circus? Talk about that,

00:44:14.150 --> 00:44:30.220 Lisa B Lewis: I think that we are an excellent fit for corporations, because we are able to make happen what they want to see. A corporation is able to sponsor us. We'd love to pick up a couple of more sponsors. If anybody wants to join up,

00:44:30.230 --> 00:44:58.839 Lisa B Lewis: come join us. We'd love it, because as a sponsor as a corporate sponsor, you get to share all of this inclusion and access, and joy and wonder with all of these families, and claim ownership for that. Because you provide the thing that we can't provide. We've got the access. We've got the artists. We have all of the meet to make this happen, but we can't do it without our corporate sponsors, and without our corporate partners. It's a team.

00:44:58.850 --> 00:45:02.630 Lisa B Lewis: Everybody has a really important role. It's really

00:45:03.070 --> 00:45:04.299 Tommy DiMisa: I wanna

00:45:04.560 --> 00:45:07.729 Tommy DiMisa: i'm just going to be bold because I tend to be, and

00:45:08.090 --> 00:45:14.229 Tommy DiMisa: we should have the only circus to show out on Long Island somewhere, You know.

00:45:14.410 --> 00:45:16.469 Tommy DiMisa: I don't know how any of that works,

00:45:16.750 --> 00:45:27.360 Tommy DiMisa: but I do know that's not even true. I do know how it works. It means we get the right people in the room at the same time, and we have a conversation. That's how it works, I mean, I

00:45:27.370 --> 00:45:45.009 Tommy DiMisa: right. I detail wise. I don't know how we structured it. Figure it out. But let's talk about that. You and I off off the off the podcast, and and make it time to bring together the right people, because um many of the organizations, as I've already spoken to about on this show, and probably to you in the past.

00:45:45.320 --> 00:45:53.769 Tommy DiMisa: Many of the organizations that I hang out with are serving this community or serving this population, and are catering towards this population. I mean we just um.

00:45:54.230 --> 00:46:12.899 Tommy DiMisa: I was just at an event the other night, about two weeks ago. My business partner, Ed Probes was an honorary at the gala for Cp. Nasa Cerebral palsy at Nasa County. You know these are folks. We have another client front of ours rise life services which serves. So these are the populations that

00:46:12.910 --> 00:46:17.309 Tommy DiMisa: that, or these are the organizations that serve that that population, and

00:46:17.450 --> 00:46:38.460 Tommy DiMisa: we only hang out with these people all week long, meaning these these people who run these organizations so to I mean we should probably I don't know how much space we need to do with circus, but we should probably figure out a way to do something at the Huntington arts. The spirit of Huntington Art Center, which you know. I don't know i'm making. This is how it this is how the show works. I start to like, create things like,

00:46:38.470 --> 00:46:49.409 Lisa B Lewis: What is one thing? This is the trick question, Because there's only one obvious answer. But what is one thing that everybody wants? Everybody in every one of these communities wants?

00:46:49.570 --> 00:46:52.620 Lisa B Lewis: It's called the longing

00:46:52.630 --> 00:47:22.619 Lisa B Lewis: everybody wants belonging. So the circus isn't Only it is for all of these populations all everyone is welcome, and for all of the populations around it's for the non neuro-diverse for the it's for people without disabilities and for all of the people with disabilities, so that we can share it together. So that we all feel belonging. So you don't feel like this is just for this or this

00:47:22.630 --> 00:47:23.540 bye.

00:47:23.550 --> 00:47:47.540 Tommy DiMisa: Yeah, Everybody together and make disabilities normalized like one hundred percent for all in the same world we are, we are we? We got to take quick break. I totally screwed up on every single break for today. So that's just my just out. The show went today, so we'll take a quick one. We'll come back. I want you to drive at home for people. But yeah, it's about belonging. We. Yeah,

00:47:47.550 --> 00:48:06.519 Tommy DiMisa: It was about diversity, equity, inclusion. And then they added that it's diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging right. There's a new award for the Long Island. Imagine awards versus the equity, inclusion, and and accessibility. So we got a split. We'll take a break. Lisa Be Lewis and Tommy d Demisa. We'll be right back,

00:48:09.480 --> 00:48:33.650 www.TalkRadio.nyc: everybody. It's Tommy Dean and nonprofit sector connector coming at you from my attic each week here on top radio that nyc I hosted program. Philanthropic focus. Nonprofits impact us each and every day, and it's my focus to help them amplify their message and tell their story. Listen. Each week at ten Am. Eastern Standard time until eleven Am. Is from standard time. Right here on talk radio, Dot: Nyc:

00:48:35.320 --> 00:49:02.439 www.TalkRadio.nyc: Yeah. Plus Cuban boy. You may have many unanswered questions regarding your health. Are you looking to live a healthier lifestyle? Do you have a desire to learn more about mental health, and enhance your body of life? Or do you just want to participate in self understanding and awareness? I'm. Frank R. Harrison, host of Frank about health, and each Thursday I will tackle these questions and work to enlighten you. Tune in everyday Five P. M. On talk radio. Nyc. And I will be frank about help to advocate for all of us.

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00:49:12.360 --> 00:49:36.200 www.TalkRadio.nyc: i'm Sam leblech your conscious consultant, and on my show, the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity. We will touch upon all these topics and more. Listen. Live at our new time on Thursdays, at twelve noon. Eastern time. That's the conscious consultant hour awakening humanity. Thursday's twelve noon on talk Radio Nyc:

00:49:40.370 --> 00:49:50.499 You're listening to talk radio and Yc: at Ww: talk radio Andyc, now broadcasting twenty four hours a day.

00:50:07.260 --> 00:50:22.189 Tommy DiMisa: This is philanthropy and focus. Let me tell you this: If you have a dream view of a vision, if you want to do something, do me a favor. Do yourself a favorite. Do the rest of humanity or the planet a favor. Just go do the thing. Just get out there and do it. I just i'm reflecting it whether we're commercial

00:50:22.310 --> 00:50:41.879 Tommy DiMisa: this whole thing that we're doing here Philanthropy and focus was an idea that I walk around telling people about for like two years, and I'm approaching ninety-nine episodes of a program that was Just an idea. And just out here amplifying the message for nonprofits, baby telling the stories, amplifying the message and playing the one role that is my favorite role to play

00:50:41.890 --> 00:51:01.079 Tommy DiMisa: connector and bringing people together. So you know I know this one plus one in regular math. I believe it's two. I believe that because that's what I was told, but in networking math. It's not to man some other number, some exponential number, because I it's, I think, in in here he comes. He's going to be both, I think

00:51:01.300 --> 00:51:06.279 Tommy DiMisa: in networking math and relationship math. One plus one is infinity

00:51:06.290 --> 00:51:35.019 Tommy DiMisa: because it's just how far do the ripples go? I don't know. I used to know. Okay, Lisa, watching me, Ken Treni and I want you guys to connect and like. Well, that's like one level, maybe, but where it happens when Ken brings you into his network and you into Ken's network, and those people bring you into their network. And she tells two people, and she tells two people, and she tells you, and all that happens, and it goes on and on and on. So Lisa, let's leave it out on the field. Let's leave it in the ring, you know.

00:51:35.030 --> 00:51:40.790 Tommy DiMisa: Three rings a circus. Let's leave it out there. What do we need? Who can we connect you with? How can we get you hooked up.

00:51:41.460 --> 00:51:46.019 Lisa B Lewis: So first of all, everybody out there listening. Please go to our website it.

00:51:46.030 --> 00:52:03.290 Lisa B Lewis: We are revamping it soon, so enjoy it now because it's about to look better. It's a process. It's all a process. Um, domnium circus dot org, and we would love to meet people who can partner with us. It's all about working together, just like you said, with the network.

00:52:03.430 --> 00:52:05.109 Lisa B Lewis: Corporate partners,

00:52:05.170 --> 00:52:07.000 Lisa B Lewis: people, partners,

00:52:07.160 --> 00:52:13.089 Lisa B Lewis: sponsorship partners. We've got an amazing show out there. Come, see the show.

00:52:13.110 --> 00:52:14.370 Lisa B Lewis: Join us.

00:52:15.370 --> 00:52:34.870 Lisa B Lewis: That's awesome. So let's give out the dates one more time. You have them in front of you again. Yup. So February twenty fifth. We are at in Tyson's, Virginia at Cap, one hall, and you that tickets are on sale for that. Now, there's actually a fifty off a two for one offer. Now early bird special, since it shows not till February,

00:52:34.880 --> 00:52:47.149 Lisa B Lewis: so you can get that through our website. Um, that's February twenty, fifth, March second. We will be in New Hampshire, and tickets will go on sale for that probably next week or the week after, and then march the

00:52:47.160 --> 00:52:58.260 Lisa B Lewis: Fifth March second. We're in New Hampshire March the fifth we will be at, say, auditorium in Patterson, New Jersey, and again stay up with our website. We will have those on sale in the next week or so,

00:52:58.600 --> 00:53:14.180 Lisa B Lewis: and we're still out there. If you want to bring us in. If you have an idea we are represented by harmony artists, which is a national booking company and just email us info at Omnium Circus Org. If you want to be involved. If you have an idea,

00:53:14.190 --> 00:53:29.629 Lisa B Lewis: if your company says, Hey, we really are a proponent of in equity and inclusion and access, and we'd like to help you. We'd love to have your help. So come on in access is expensive. It cost more than the market will bear, and that's why we're not profits, so join us.

00:53:29.640 --> 00:53:36.999 Tommy DiMisa: It is there like. If if you had to project yourself in your in your mind's eye, let's say, five years into the future.

00:53:37.010 --> 00:54:06.899 Lisa B Lewis: What is the ideal scenario for this circus Like what I like to play this game where you just think into the future, and you know It's sort of like back from the future thinking, What do you, I know as a visionary. I'm sure. Oh, I got this one. I love this question. I love it. Five years in the future. Where do I see Omnium. I see us as a professional touring company, performing and performing art centers nationwide. I see us working in state fares, performing art centers gal is there

00:54:06.910 --> 00:54:26.650 Lisa B Lewis: men use. I see our education program working in schools hopefully, like the Viscardi Center, we're working with New York Institute for Special education right now. Um, trying to create a program teaching circus to students who are blind and low vision. We did that last summer. We're repeating that we're building that program.

00:54:26.660 --> 00:54:38.719 Lisa B Lewis: But to inspire more young people to learn the skills and to want to join this art form. They've never had the opportunity before. There's plenty of circus programs for able body people. But there are

00:54:38.730 --> 00:54:47.190 Lisa B Lewis: as many adaptive programs. So i'd like our education program to be in even more schools and community centers and group homes.

00:54:47.620 --> 00:55:06.370 Lisa B Lewis: I'd like to work more with adult education. We're already starting an online series. Um, we'll be doing once a month just teaching people about diversity, equity, inclusion, access, and belonging, and ask us questions. We've learned the hard way we've tried things. They failed. We tried again. Keep on going.

00:55:06.380 --> 00:55:08.519 Lisa B Lewis: We're all in this together,

00:55:08.530 --> 00:55:35.960 Lisa B Lewis: and we will continue to maintain our workforce with a minimum of twenty-five percent persons with disabilities balanced in all demographics. Um. This year, in addition to being an incredible, final, an honorary of the finalists at the New York Imagine awards which was awesome. We also got the not awards um national organization for disability, award for employment, for our employment, practices for hiring people.

00:55:35.970 --> 00:55:56.499 Lisa B Lewis: And so we want to give more people opportunities to come to learn the arts and go off and be in the arts. Let's change the world. Let's let this ripple happen like I say to my company before every show, let's change the freaking world,

00:55:56.510 --> 00:56:07.020 Tommy DiMisa: and cause I go around. I say, I I did I this little catchphrase that it started just saying it. It's like, you know, no big deal just change in the world. And so my friend Dara sent me a coffee month. That what do you got? The show me where you up

00:56:07.070 --> 00:56:15.839 Lisa B Lewis: my coffee? Mug says impossible. You say nothing is impossible when you work for the circus. Yeah, baby, and I want to work for the circus

00:56:15.850 --> 00:56:29.899 Tommy DiMisa: just because I got extra time in in the day. I got like three, four minutes a day that is not filled up with other stuff. No, but I two things I want to ask before you go. Well, I don't even the time to question Viscardi. Are you already connected and working with this story? Because i'm very

00:56:29.910 --> 00:56:45.849 Lisa B Lewis: um love to meet some more. I left them a mess. I talked to them the other day um about trying to put a grand together, and that particular one was two last minute. Let's talk about that. Lauren Mars was a friend of mine, John Kemp, the former leader of the organization. I know very well he's in.

00:56:45.860 --> 00:56:56.560 Tommy DiMisa: It's very, very. We got to get you connected with John John's been on the show. Um! There was another question I had told Discardi. I guess I I guess I could say this Here, here's my last question.

00:56:57.730 --> 00:57:02.859 Tommy DiMisa: You need volunteers at some point, right? I guess certain things so they can get.

00:57:03.290 --> 00:57:13.659 Tommy DiMisa: We? This is more of a statement than a question. We need to find something for me to do with the circus for volunteering, so we can make a whole thing like where I can. But I mean that i'm actually making an impact

00:57:13.670 --> 00:57:35.819 Tommy DiMisa: right like where it's a good thing right, but I think it would be fun to do like a promotion and get people riled up about the circus like Tommy D's on the road with the circus. Yay, I love to. I want to talk about that, Lisa. I'm: so appreciative. I'm so happy You came here today on the show. I appreciate you. I appreciate what the organization is doing. Um,

00:57:35.840 --> 00:57:49.750 Tommy DiMisa: Let's come up with an idea. Let's get a game plan, together with Put a committee of folks together out on Long Island, and let's figure out whether it's the Tilly center, whether it's the Delphi performing our center wherever it is. Maybe that's out of it. Stolen Berke University,

00:57:49.760 --> 00:58:04.530 Tommy DiMisa: wherever let's get the circus out here of Long Island. I appreciate you. We gotta leave it here. Steve Fry is coming up with always Friday. Lisa. Thank you for being here, Dylan. Thank you for You're welcome. Make it a great day. Everybody go do some service,