search
Donate

William Peacock stands on stage surrounded by performers.
William Peacock emcees ATCO Idol [Talia Milewich | WOUB]

ATCO Idol lets people be seen in a meaningful way

By:
Posted on:

< < Back to

ATHENS, Ohio (WOUB) – ATCO Idol is just like any other talent show except all the performers are individuals who are rarely given the opportunity to shine. 

“Being able to showcase the talent of people with developmental disabilities where they’re often only seen for their diagnosis and not for the person and the talent that they have,” is how Autumn Brown, the director of Integrate Athens, describes it.

Sixteen performers of all ages took the spotlight last weeks at ArtsWest to sing their favorite songs surrounded by a community of family and friends.

Performer on stage singing with a microphone.
Performers take the mic and sing their favorite songs. [Talia Milewich | WOUB]
Integrate Athens’ goal is to give people a space to be a part of something bigger than their disability.

The event began as a karaoke night and transformed about 15 years ago into a yearly American Idol inspired talent show. It’s now held twice each summer.

“The event grew so big that we now host ATCO Idol take two a month after the Stuarts (Opera House) one every year because there are so many performers that want to be on the stage,” Brown said.

One performer, William Peacock, started out with ATCO (Advocacy, Training, Career, Opportunities) Idol 15 years ago as a judge. He is now the emcee of the event while also still performing. 

“Me and my girlfriend sing. Tonight we’ll be singing rainbow connection,” Peacock said.

Many performers have been participating since the beginning and continue to take the stage each year.

“I had the opportunity to do one of my favorite songs this year and I was like, yeah, I’ll take it,” Jason Licht said.

Licht shared his talent with a performance of “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica.

The crowd joined along to cheer on performers throughout the show by clapping, dancing and swaying to the music. Each performance was followed by loud cheers and a round of applause.

“Over the years it’s been really nice to just see the community support grow,” Brown said.

For longtime performers, it gets easier to get up on stage each year. “The energy you get from being on the stage, you get a little nervous but it goes away,” Licht said.