Festival FAQ
The 2025 DisabiliTease Festival will take place July 18-19, 2025, in a hybrid format.
The Friday, July 18 show will be in-person and live-streamed in Minneapolis, MN, at 8 pm.
On Saturday, July 19, three in-person live-streamed workshops will take place from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm
The Saturday, July 19 show will be virtual at 8 pm.
On Saturday, July 26, three workshops will take place from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm.
All virtual events will be held on Zoom.
Shows and workshops will also be available to rent/purchase after the event.
Note: All timing is according to the Central Time Zone. Modify this into your time zone.
We are fundraising in order to secure the Capri Theater in Minneapolis, MN for our Friday, July 18 show. It will also be live-streamed to continue to connect with performers and audiences worldwide. Our COVID policy will be posted once we secure our venue.
Three workshops hosted by the DisabiliTease Academy will occur on Saturday, July 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., location TBD. These workshops will also be live-streamed.
The Saturday, July 19 show will be virtual at 8 p.m.
All virtual events will be held on Zoom.
Note: All timing is according to the Central Time Zone. Modify this into your time zone.
This year’s festival is hybrid!
There will be an in-person live-streamed show on July 18 at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis, MN.
In-person live-streamed workshops will be held on Saturday, July 19.
The Saturday, July 19th show is completely virtual. It will feature pre-recorded performances and a live emcee hosting from their respective locations.
Live, virtual workshops will be held on Saturday, July 26.
All virtual portions are shown using Zoom.
Our hybrid information page goes into further detail.
All events will be available to rent or purchase after the event.
The in-person live-streamed show will be held at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis, MN. It is wheelchair accessible for the performers as well as the audience. No fancy lighting or fog effects will be used. Trigger warnings (if needed) with the length of each act will be given so that audience members have an opportunity to leave the space for a moment and know when to come back. There will also be ASL interpreters and captions projected on the back screen.
Virtual events are held through Zoom, with live captioners and act concept and costume descriptions in the chat.
Workshop location TBD
All event recordings will be captioned and available to rent or purchase after the event.
Please let us know if there are any accommodations we may be able to provide to help you more fully participate in our festival. While we cannot guarantee to fulfill every request, we will do our best.
Attend a show or a workshop.
Become a Donor or Sponsor!
Place an ad in our program!
Volunteer for our 2024 festival! Virtual and in-person positions are available.
Purchase some of our merchandise!
Follow us on Facebook or Instagram!
Share our cause with your friends!
Sign up for our newsletter to receive all the latest updates! (Miss our previous newsletters? Check them out here!)
Tickets for all shows and workshops will be on our ticketing page when they go live!
Yes, all virtual and live-streamed shows and workshops will have a live captioner present. The recordings will also have captions. If there are other accommodations that we may be able to provide that would help you more fully participate, please let us know by emailing us.
Yes, and no. While we appreciate our disability allies, we are prioritizing space for disabled folks for our cast, emcees, and instructors. We welcome your expertise and assistance behind the scenes and as audience members and workshop attendees.
If you are interested in volunteering, you can fill out our volunteer interest form, and we will contact you as opportunities arise.
Show FAQ
While it depends on the acts accepted, in past years each show has been approximately 2 hours, including a short intermission.
All show details, including the cast, will be available on our 2025 Festival information page and our Ticketing page once on sale. Note that cast lists are subject to change.
Yes – Tipping is not only welcomed but highly encouraged!
For the in-person show, we will have people walking around the theater with buckets if you’d like to tip with bills. We will also share the performers’ and emcees’ electronic tipping platforms via a QR code, and the information will also be posted on our website. Please note that there is not an ATM on site.
Throughout the virtual show, we will share our performers’ and emcees’ electronic tipping platforms. This information will also be posted on our website.
You can also tip through the DisabiliTease Festival during the shows via PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp. Unless directed, all tips during a show will be split equally amongst that show’s cast.
Note: PayPal has the most fees, so please use Venmo or CashApp if possible!
You can either watch through your browser or download the Zoom app to your computer or mobile device. For the best experience, we recommend using the downloaded app on your computer vs a mobile device. Note: You do NOT need a paid account to tune in!
Zoom also has a great Frequently Asked Questions page that covers if you need to sign up for an account, how to join a meeting, and how to troubleshoot video and audio issues.
All content will be available to rent or purchase a few weeks after the festival.
Workshop FAQ
Anyone! Folks with disabilities as well as non-disabled folks are welcomed and encouraged to attend the workshops unless specified in the workshop description.
Three in-person, live-streamed workshops will be held from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm Central on Saturday, July 19.
Three live, virtual workshops will be held from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm Central on Saturday, July 26.
Three workshops hosted by the DisabiliTease Academy will occur on Saturday, July 19, from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Capri Theater in Minneapolis, MN. These workshops will also be live-streamed.
Three workshops will also be held virtually from 11:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday, July 26.
All content will be available for rent or purchase after the event.
Chosen workshops will be 60 minutes, 90 minutes, or 120 minutes in length.
Our workshop page will list all our workshops and have full information for each.
Tickets to all shows and workshops will be available on our ticketing page when they go live.
Sponsorshp FAQ
We are grateful for our individual donors and larger sponsors.
Sponsors can contribute both in cash and in-kind donations, as well as silent auction items, which empower us to create an inclusive and equitable environment that reduces barriers for performers, staff, and audiences. The festival also aims to increase visibility and representation for disabled artists while fostering growth and connection within our local and global communities.
To learn more about becoming a sponsor or donor, visit our sponsorship page or check out our current sponsorship kit.
Note: Because we are a fiscally sponsored group, you can make tax-deductible donations. Please contact us to learn how.
Thank you for supporting the arts!
Sponsorship for the DisabiliTease Festival is crucial as it allows our producers, Minda Mae, Lakota Shekar, and Scarlett Tart, to reduce stress by ensuring we can provide the following:
- An in-person show at one of the only accessible venues in the Twin Cities.
- Equitable pay for performers, tech crew, and staff.
- Backstage refreshments, including water, snacks, and goodie bags for performers.
- Accessibility accommodations such as ASL interpreters, live captioning, video editing and captioning, and transportation.
Sponsors can contribute both in cash and in-kind donations, as well as silent auction items, which empower us to create an inclusive and equitable environment that reduces barriers for performers, staff, and audiences. The festival also aims to increase visibility and representation for disabled artists while fostering growth and connection within our local and global communities.
Note: Because we are a fiscally sponsored group, you can make tax-deductible donations. Please contact us to learn how.
There are different ways to become a sponsor of the 2025 DisabiliTease Festival weekend! Sponsors are individuals and businesses who support our work by providing monetary or in-kind donations.
In-kind donations may include items for our silent auction, contributions to the goody bags we give to in-person festival performers and staff, gift cards for groceries, or promo codes that festival performers may use to get discounts at your business (locally or globally). In-kind donors will have their names listed on our website and programs as a thank-you. Please email info@DisabiliTeaseFestival.com if you would like to make an in-kind donation.
Advertising FAQ
Advertising in our printed and digital programs introduces our audience to your business or organization, giving you worldwide reach.
To learn more, visit our advertising page or our current sponsorship and advertising kit.
Ads can be placed in our 5.5” x 8.5” printed and digital programs for the following amounts:
- Quarter: $50 (2.5” x 4.25”)
- Half: $100 (5.25” x 4.25”)
- Full: $175 (5.25” x 8.25”)
- Inside back cover: $300 (5.25” x 8.25”) (only one available)
- Inside front cover: $400 (5.25” x 8.25”) (only one available)
- 2-page spread: $500 (10.75 x 8.25”) (only one available)
All ads will have a live link on our website and a monthly group shoutout on Facebook and Instagram.
The program’s inside back cover, inside front cover, and 2-page spread ads will have a live link with their logo on our website and individual shoutouts on Facebook and Instagram.
Payment and ad copy are needed by June 15, 2025. You can pay using the form. Please email us your ad copy.
Please send your ad in PDF format with at least 600 dpi color. (We will also accept 300 dpi Black/White or grayscale)
Applicant FAQ
You may apply to perform, emcee, or teach a workshop using our JotForms.
Nope! People with disabilities have been disproportionately affected by the economic impact of COVID-19 and the overall costs related to their disability. Therefore, we are waiving the application fee.
If you want to support the DisabiliTease Festival financially, you can do so via PayPal, Venmo, or CashApp.
All applications will close on April 15, 2025, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time Zone.
Application status notifications will be sent by May 1, 2025.
Do you identify as someone with a disability? Then the answer is yes, you are the right person to apply. We strive to have a variety of disabilities represented each year and refuse to gatekeep the definition of disability.
Some examples of disability include:
- A person who is blind or visually impaired
- A person with a communication disorder
- A person who is unable to speak, or who uses a device to speak
- A person with an emotional or behavioral disability
- A person who is deaf or hard of hearing
- A person with an intellectual, cognitive, or developmental disability
- A person with a learning disability
- A person with a physical disability or mobility impairment
- A person with a temporary impairment due to illness or injury
*This is a non-exhaustive list
Yes! The 2025 DisabliTease Festival is being presented in a hybrid format. Therefore, you can still participate as a performer, emcee, or attendee.
The Friday, July 18th show will be both in-person in Minneapolis, MN, and live-streamed. On Saturday, July 19, we will have three in-person live-streamed workshops. The Saturday, July 19th show will be completely virtual. The performance videos will be pre-recorded, and emcees will be presenting live from their respective locations. Shows will be presented via Zoom.
All events will be recorded to watch in the future.
Performer Application FAQ
We’re accepting in person and virtual acts in the areas of burlesque, drag, cabaret, and cirque. Here is a non-exhaustive list of act types:
- Aerial (Hammock, Lyra, Rope, Silks, Straps, Trapeze, etc)*
- Bellydance
- Burlesque
- Cabaret (Dance, Singing, Vaudeville, etc)
- Chair
- Cirque (Acro, Clowning, Contortion, Fire*, etc)
- Drag
- Pole*
- Poetry/Spoken Word
- And more!
Your act can include any of the above – or combine multiple types!
* In-person act notes:
Our venue does not have rigging for aerial or pole. Please email us if you would like to apply and have your own lollipop lyra or portable pole.
Fire acts and acts that include spills or extra clean-up are not allowed.
The Friday, July 18 show will be live, in-person, and live-streamed in Minneapolis, MN.
The Saturday, July 19 show’s performances will be pre-recorded and presented virtually via Zoom with a live emcee.
The full shows will also be available to rent/purchase after the event.
You can submit up to two acts (solo, duet, group) on one submission form. Only one act per applicant may be accepted.
Yes. The video you submit must be the version you want in the virtual show. Only final act videos will be considered.
Your final video can be a single-angle, multi-angle, or multimedia video presentation (ideally NOT from an in-person show with an audience).
Your video must meet the following requirements:
- Created in a horizontal format in 1920×1080, 1080p (preferred) or 1280×700, 720p
- Stable filming (unless for artistic impact)
- Good lighting (unless for artistic impact)
- No strobe/quick flashing lights
- No pre-captioning (unless for artistic impact and pre-approved by the production team) – we will have a live captioner during the shows and will add closed captioning to all performances before they are available for rent/purchase.
General cast pay is $75 per act. Featured performers and the headliner will receive a higher rate.
Performers will also receive a code to watch the show they are not in, either live or the recording.
Emcee Application FAQ
There will be different emcees for the in-person show and virtual show. We are open to applicants submitting as a solo emcee or an emcee duo.
The emcee will host in real-time during Saturday’s virtual show, which is presented virtually via Zoom.
All applications will close on April 15, 2025, at 11:59 pm Pacific Time Zone.
Application status notifications will be sent by May 1, 2025.
Emcees will be paid $125 per show.
Emcees will also receive a code to watch the show they are not in, either live or the recording.
Instructor Application FAQ
Our previous workshops have included floorwork for all bodies, customizing pre-made costume pieces, being intentional with movement, makeup for the stage, creating accessible costumes, writing a character biography, and much more.
More information is coming soon!
All workshops are presented live.
In-person workshops will be held in Minneapolis, MN, and live-streamed on Zoom from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm on July 19, 2025, according to the Central Time Zone.
Virtual workshops will be presented live via Zoom from 11:30 am to 5:00 pm on July 26, 2025, according to the Central Time Zone.
The application asks which day you’d like to teach, your preferred workshop length, and any time constraints you may have to assist in scheduling.
The workshops will also be available to rent/purchase after the event.
Workshop instructors will keep 80% of ticket sales for their workshop.
Instructors will also receive a code to watch one show or workshop, either live or the recording.