Arts Access

We built on relationships with Hal-Abuur Somali Women's Network, African Development Center, Running Wolf Center, Women's Initiative for Self-Empowerment, Latinas de Lyndale en Liderazgo, and Indigenous People's Task Force to organize workshops for their staff and clientele held in 2013 on 3/10, 3/24, 5/29, 6/4, 6/5, 6/5, 6/7, 7/11, 7/17, 7/24, 7/24, 7/29, 8/2, and 8/13. We tracked attendance, participation in dialogues, and requested oral feedback from participants at several points in the process. With a handful of exceptions, all participants had not participated in a dance class, rehearsal, or attended a professional performance. Some of the early participants performed with us in an open-air processional performance at the Northern Spark festival in St. Paul's Lowertown June 8-9. A total of 189 people attended one of our performances at The O'Shaughnessy on Sept. 20-21; with other attendees All had an opportunity to join our dancers on stage for a final performance segment. 2: We diminished barriers, understanding abstract narratives of concert dance and financial restrictions that restrict access for our target communities. We tracked responses from program attendees through anecdotal reflections and conversation. We were pleasantly surprised that workshop participants maintained a strong interest in attending a September O'Shaughnessy performance, and we accommodated some of them by providing tickets for a spouse, partner, child, or other close relative. All who attended workshops and/or performances as part of these grant activities, did so on a free basis. Those who took part in workshops and discussions knew something about the metaphorical performance they attended because they had performed excerpts previously, or had helped to create those excerpts in the workshop setting.