After more than eight years of unsuccessful efforts to bring a movie theater back to Westport’s downtown, the nonprofit Westport Cinema Initiative (WCI) is trying a new strategy.
Members of CAPE visited the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield last November. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo
It announced today it has joined forces with a Westport group known as CAPE with the same goal but with a twist — building a theater that utilizes people with disabilities to run it.
The effort seeks to emulate an employment model similar to the Prospector Theater in Ridgefield, an announcement said.
“The Prospector, a first-run movie theater, is unique in its commitment to job training and integrated employment for people of all abilities and has been a great success,” the announcement said.
CAPE is an acronym for Creating Acceptance through Purposeful Employment of people with disabilities.
“We believe that CAPE and WCI perfectly complement one another with our combined vision to enhance Westport’s social, cultural and employment landscape,” the announcement said.
It continued: “WCI and CAPE’s official merger brings us all a step closer to realizing our dream of building a new theater and community center in town.
“To that end, we have reorganized into a combined 501(c)(3) organization, starting with an amended mission:
“A nonprofit movie theater acting as a cultural and community hub, providing training and purposeful employment to adults with disabilities.”
WCI announced a new board lineup: Joanna Borner. Stacie Curran, Marina Derman, Cornelia Fortier, Diane Johnson, Diane Kwong-Shah, Larry Perlstein, Jeffrey Peterson, Lee Rawiszer, Jonathan Steinberg, Deirdre Teed, Douglas Tirola, and Michelle Vitulich. Sandy Lefkowitz, ex-officio and founding director, will serve on the professional advisory committee.
