Operating Support
ACHF Arts Access
Create theater and theater-based programs for the community that represent the perspectives of diverse individuals and align with the theater’s mission to catalyze change. Outcomes include working with 4-8 playwrights and composers to develop new work for the stage; presenting a full season of world and area premieres that encompass diverse perspectives and voices; conducting arts residency and peer education programs in 8-10 Twin Cities schools and 6-10 Minnesota communities. This was evaluated through records of all plays staged, artists worked with, and community work conducted, as well as the following: 1) interviews with artists, participating youth, teachers and community liaisons; 2) surveys with participating youth, teachers, and community liaisons; 3) financial records, to determine fiscal health of Illusion Theater; 4) twice a year board of directors review; and 5) audience response and feedback. 2: Engage with the community to deepen the impact of the work and ensure that the programs reach a broad constituency of youth and adults. Outcomes include reaching at least 30,000 people in the state of Minnesota; engaging participants in Illusion programs from youth and adults (age 8 and up) of a variety of ages, ethnicities, and abilities; and conducting post-show discussions, receptions, focus groups, extended arts residencies, and other programs beyond performances that link Illusion with its constituents and a broad community. This was evaluated through attendance records for audiences, education and workshops, and outreach programming, as well as the following: 1) audience survey which collected demographic and psychographic information; 2) demographic records for age, ethnicity, and ability of youth in our education programs.; 3) count of number of post-show discussions and other activities that deepened the impact of the work.
To ensure that the arts thrive in Minnesota, Illusion worked with eight playwrights and composers to develop new work presented on our main stage: Love and marriage, a new musical revue by Michael Robins and composer Roberta Carlson; Miss Richfield 1981!: We'll All Be Dead By Christmas, a new holiday show by Russ King. Lights Up!: Red Ressurected, a new work by Isabel Nelson with Transatlantic Love Affair. In Fresh Ink, Illusion worked with Leslye Orr to create What I Thought I Saw: Random Acts of Blindness; Max Wojtanowicz and Sheena Janson with composer Michael Gruber to expand their hit Minnesota Fringe musical Fruit Fly; and Jeffrey Hatcher to create Jeffrey Hatcher's Hamlet. We also staged the area premiere of I Love To Eat by James Still and the return of our hit production Bill W. and Dr. Bob. We conducted arts residencies with eight Twin Cities area schools as well as at Courage Saint Croix in Stillwater. We conducted peer education programs in five Minnesota communities. 2: To ensure that people of all ages, ethnicities and abilities participate in the arts, we wanted to reach at least 20,000 Minnesotans; we actually reached over 25,000. Participants included youth and adults of a variety of ages, ethnicities, and abilities, both as audience members and as participants in our residency and peer education programs. Over 1,500 youth and seniors attended intergenerational matinees. We conducted post-show discussions for every show, receptions, focus groups, and other programs that linked Illusion with its constituents and a broad community. We engaged directly with over 200 youth in our school/community programs who performed for thousands of other youth. We held discussions after every outreach event, Fresh Ink performances, and Bill W. and Dr. Bob performances, and weekly for other shows. We held five focus groups, sixteen receptions, four readings, and our Summer Institute for youth.
Other
local or private