Arts Access
Arts Access
Through strategic community outreach and inquiry, SteppingStone Theatre will engage audiences from the diverse, lower-income neighborhoods immediately north and east of the theater, where participation is disproportionately low.
Judson Bemis Jr.: Actor, arts administrator, founder and principal of Clere Consulting. Secretary, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Ardell Brede: Mayor of Rochester, elected 2002.; Peggy Burnet: Businesswoman, art collector, and community volunteer. Chair of the Nominating Committee, Smithsonian National Board. Trustee, Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Michael Charron: Dean of the School of the Arts, Saint Marys University of Minnesota. Vice Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Sean Dowse: Executive director, Sheldon Theatre. Board member for Minnesota Music Coalition, Minnesota Citizens for the Arts, and Anderson Center for Interdisciplinary Studies.; John Gunyou, City manager, Minnetonka.; Benjamin Klipfel: Board member, Minnesota State Arts Board. Executive Director, Alexandria Area Arts Association, Inc. Director and arts educator.; Ellen McInnis: Director of Twin Cities government relations, Wells Fargo. Member of Bottineau Boulevard Partnership. Chair, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Pamela Perri: Executive vice president, Builders Association of Minnesota.; Margaret Rapp: Former educator, Saint Paul Academy and Summit School. Officer at-large, Minnesota State Arts Board.; Anton Treuer: Professor of Ojibwe, Bemidji State University.
Melanie Davis: Volunteer Services and Corporate Engagement Director, Lyngblomsten, St. Paul; Alice De Yonge: Program director, Project G.E.M., nonprofit that serves special needs youth; Anna Deschampe: School Director, Oshki Ogimaag Community School, Grand Portage; Sharon Fischlowitz: Executive Director, Black Label Movement, Minneapolis; David Machacek: Executive director, ArtOrg, Visual artist; MaryLynn Pulscher: Environmental Education Coordinator, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board; Toni Quirk: Vice president of development PAI (provides services to adults with developmental disabilities), White Bear Lake.; Kristine Wyant: Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations., Minneapolis College of Art and Design
Executive director Sue Gens (651) 215-1600
ACHF Arts Access
SteppingStone Theatre will work with two or more community organizations to create and/or deliver theatre programming to underserved youth in our neighborhood. We will evaluate this outcome by tracking the activities offered with our partner organizations, and tracking changes in participation of target communities. We also survey individuals and organizations to track changes in perception and attitude. 2: SteppingStone Theatre will have an improved understanding of barriers experienced by underserved communities, and will implement responsive change. SteppingStone Theatre will go through a data collection and assessment process to identify and explore barriers, and devise 3 strategies for improved diversity. We will evaluate this project outcome by successful implementation of those strategies.
SteppingStone Theatre worked with Hallie Q. Brown Community Center and the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent in this grant period. With Hallie Q. Brown, we co-created a super-hero themed camp for their summer program, bringing an exceptional theatre artist to work with neighborhood children over a two week period in the summer. With the Center for Hmong Arts and Talent, we presented arts opportunities at their outreach for teen events, and are still meeting with their youth council about ways to co-produce open mic programming. Were excited that this partnership continues beyond the grant period, in ways that are truly beneficial to both organizations. 2: SteppingStone Theatre worked with Lisa Tabor of Culture Brokers in a multi-step, involved process to understand barriers. Ms. Tabor held numerous focus groups, with current participants and non-participants, to glean information about participation barriers. This information was combined with detailed analysis of programming, then the public was invited in to participate in a series of workshops informing the outcomes. From this, goals were set for Strategy Matrix meetings, inviting stakeholders and the general public to weigh in on setting priorities for future programming. It was remarkable to see the information coalesce around three points: work on creating a more welcoming exterior, continue to build programs specifically for teens, and increase number of partnerships with local leaders to increase neighborhood representation in our programming.
Other, local or private