Arts Learning Grant

The goal of this project is to increase community connection around the folk arts in Hibbing, Minnesota. It is also an effort to actively engage ordinary citizens in a creative outlet, and give them the opportunity to participate in a community arts experience, instead of being passive observers. Measureable outcomes include growing numbers of attendees, and increased diversity of attendees over the course of a year of dances. We would also hope to see the general level of comfort and skill with dancing increase over the course of the year. Finally, there is a goal of having community members who attend some of the educational workshops be able to call a dance at the final event, or even play as part of a community band. We will ask attendees to sign-in at the door, and if they are willing to provide the information, their town of residence, age bracket, racial background, and gender. Those numbers will be tallied to have a greater understanding of who attends each dance. We will also tally the number of attendees who come to more than one dance. The goal is to have at least a 25% increase in attendance over the course of the year from the first dance, and at least 25% of attendees coming to more than one dance. Finally, we hope to see the age range of attendees grow in diversity from the first in the series to the last in the series. Similarly, we will track participation in pre-dance music and calling workshops, with the goal of at least 3 individuals in the community trying to play an instrument or call at a dance by the end of the series.