Arts Learning
ACHF Arts Education
More Minnesotans are engaged in arts learning opportunities. Arts learning opportunities are more accessible to Minnesota because barriers to participation have been identified and mitigated. Tiger Lion Arts used the following methods/tools to evaluate the program: collaborative meetings with puppet artists, teachers, and In the Heart of the Beast administrative staff, during which successes and suggestions for improvement were discussed; puppet residency surveys, completed by classroom teachers, who worked side by side with the artists; and one survey each, about the puppet and music residencies, completed by all students in grades 3-5. We have received statements from the school principals and music teachers, as well as 175 thank-you letters from kids that refer to various parts of the project. The parades and concert are documented in videos and photographs that reflect the Dragons Project's success.
The Dragons Project was a huge success. It offered students at Green Central Park School and Northport Elementary the unique opportunity to see a musical premiere and then work with artists and musicians who had been involved in creating the show. Individuals from Puppet Farm Arts, In the Heart of the Beast, and the Minnesota Boychoir were among the teaching artists, who also included Dragons director/Tiger Lion Arts executive director Markell Kiefer, composer/musical director Laurie MacGregor, and flutist Julie Johnson. The puppet residencies ended with two school parades directed by Kiefer. A total of 1,018 K-5 and 7th grade students worked with artists to create dragon puppets with recycled materials. The sophistication of the puppets increased with each grade level, and the classroom teachers worked alongside the artists and marched in the parades with their students. Five hundred of these students performed in the May 24 concert. The puppet parades and concert were free and attended by families, friends, and most staff members from each school. With a goal to impact every student, MacGregor presented the project to faculty. She suggested ways to integrate the dragon theme and Jack Prelutsky's book of poems, from which the musical was adapted, into existing curricula, thereby working within the schools' curriculum requirements. English as a Second Language teachers worked with English learners to help them understand Prelutsky's vocabulary. MacGregor worked with the music teachers to align the music residencies with their schedules, and with the principals to fit the puppet residencies into the schools' frameworks. The music residencies resulted in a joint school performance conducted by MacGregor. Five hundred children, accompanied by the show's original Dragons Band, sang the Dragons score. The culminating events, students’ excitement and pride, enthusiastic audience responses, and ensuing feelings of community illustrated the project’s success. In addition, we incorporated the create/perform/respond model, enabling children to understand and appreciate multiple art forms; acquire skills in vocal techniques, performance, and puppet and mask-making; present their artwork and perform music; and reflect on their activities. 2: The barriers to participation were identified by residency designer Laurie MacGregor, Green Central Park and Northport music teachers Corina Miller and Kristin Hiykel, and Northport principal Patrick Smith. The barriers were real and included a lack of funds for special events, transportation, artist residencies, and materials. Strategies to eliminate barriers included fundraising, collaboration, and grantwriting. All worked well: MacGregor organized two fundraisers, with entertainment provided by Dragons collaborators Circus Juventas and the Minnesota Boychoir, and MacGregor wrote four grant applications. Three grant awards and additional funds enabled us to offer the program at no cost to two schools, providing the following: theater tickets; bus transportation with wheelchair accommodation; residencies with six puppet, one theater, and three music artists; art supplies; and the opportunity for children to perform with twelve professional musicians.
Other, local or private