This is a project intended for the Education, Culture, and Lifelong Learning primary application area of the NTIA TIIAP Program. The purpose of this project is to make Colorado performing arts available to isolated communities: rural K-12 schools and people with mobility challenging disabilities. Project leaders will facilitate cooperation between four Colorado traditional radio and television public media sites, community networks, and performing arts, disabilities and education related organizations. The partnerships will forge the technological and social networks needed to make performing arts content available and utilized via streaming audio/video technologies and the Internet.

The project will facilitate interactive participation of K-12 students and teachers, people with disabilities, and artists. Creative use of performing arts content will be made possible by providing Internet training for all, equipment and technical assistance such as RAM upgrades and software configuration for people with disabilities, and web site development awards and training for artists.

End products will include new audiences for Colorado performing artists with samples of their work online; new channels for communication between artists and audience members; access to performing arts not before available to isolated communities; and involvement of people with disabilities as artists, as well as the use of performing arts to educate about disabilities. The project will model strategies for cooperation among traditional radio and TV public media and community networks for integrated community access applications beyond the arts. In addition, the project will offer insights into the value and issues surrounding public access to broadband expansions and the social costs of not planning for such access.