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Welcome, New Subscribers!
We hope you'll enjoy this monthly update on our work, events, ways to get involved, and more. We only include highlights here, so be sure to visit our website to learn more about our multidisciplinary arts programs for people with disabilities at every stage of life.
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Golf for Upstream Arts in July
In case you haven't heard, we're honored to be the beneficiary of The 2nd Annual David K Open at Deer Run Golf Club in Victoria, Minnesota, coming up on July 3. Why not join a foursome, become a sponsor, or volunteer! Click here to learn more.
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"I Choose Hope"
New on the Upstream Arts blog - Teaching Artist Nikki Abramson wrote a beautiful reflection on her experiences with disability and the community she's discovered in Upstream Arts. Check it out and then, to learn more about Nikki's story, be sure to grab a copy of her book, I Choose Hope. Click here to learn more.
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Join the Conversation
Each month, we're sharing a related video or article. We invite you to respond by sharing thoughts via email, our blog, Facebook, Twitter, or in any creative form you like! This month, we're loving Seattle-based actor Mickey Rowe's "Our Differences are our Strengths: Neurodiversity in Theater" on HowlRound. Rowe, who identifies as autistic and legally blind, observes, "There is a tension between everything that I am and everything that might be conventional for an actor. This is the same tension that makes incredible theatre. No one wants to see something if it is too comfortable. Every performance should have a tension between what feels easy and what feels risky." Check out the full read, then let us know what you think.
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| Dear Friend, It's wild but true - this issue of The Current is the LAST ONE you will receive before our 10th Anniversary launches with our new fiscal year on July 1. WOW!
Keep reading to learn about- Another brand new public performance at Opportunity Partners
- A glimpse into our recently wrapped School Programs
- A chance to support 10 more years of arts learning with golf
- A smart article about neurodiversity in theater
- Gratitude and an update on our fundraising goals
Also stay tuned to our website and social media for more news, including details about numerous exciting annivesary celebrations to come in the next 12 months.
We're grateful to have you in our community!
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|  | Upstream Arts participants and Teaching Artists rehearsing at Opportunity Partners |
| The Art of Me - NEW!
This spring, we've had so much fun working with 3 different groups of artists at Opportunity Partners. Big thanks to all who came out to see two of these groups share their work in April and May! Now, we invite you to join us for a BRAND NEW performance and exhibit created by the third group of participants, who have been working together every Friday since March. As always, the experience will be multidisiciplinary; and as always, it will be totally unique, built around the interests and contributions of these particular individuals. On Friday, June 26, please join us at Opportunity Partners (5500 Opportunity Court, Minnetonka, MN) for a reception and art exhibit starting at 1pm, followed by a performance at 1:30pm. This event is FREE and OPEN to the public. Click here to learn more.
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|  | "Hypnotize Me" at Linwood Monroe, Saint Paul Public Schools (Photo: Theo Goodell) |
| "Hypnotize Me"
There's a movement activity that we love to do in our School Programs called "Hypnotize Me." In this activity, participants intensely focus on and follow the palm of a partner's hand, using one of their own hands. As they trade off leading and following, the students work on skills like focus, collaboration, and taking turns, all vital to artistic disciplines like theater and dance as well as to broader learning at school, work, and out in the community.
This past spring, Upstream Arts ran more than 40 arts residencies in schools across the Twin Cities metro area, serving nearly 600 children and youth receiving Special Education services! All of these programs used activities like "Hypnotize Me" to explore the fundamentals of different art forms in tandem with essential social/emotional and communication skills. The bulk of this work took place in Minneapolis Public Schools; but we're also thrilled to be doing more and more residencies in Saint Paul Public Schools, with special thanks to support from the Bigelow and Saint Paul Foundations, plus other districts including Eden Prairie Public Schools, Osseo Public Schools, and ISD 196. If you'd like to bring Upstream Arts to your classroom in the 2015-2016 school year, now is the perfect time to start planning. Click here to learn more.
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|  | Standing ovation following a performance of The Art of Me in May (Photo: David Luke) |
| Gratitude and the Work Ahead Big thanks David & Jackie Guidry, Melinda Jacobs, Lori Jacobwith, Mary McEathron, Marilyn Mounger, and one anonymous supporter for your super star support this month!
As you know, on July 1, we begin our 10th Anniversary of serving people with disabilities at every stage of life. To celebrate this milestone and build capacity for the next decade, we're embarking on a new campaign to raise $100,000 in individual gifts by June 30, 2016. From "Hypnotize Me" with pre-K students in Special Education classrooms to public performances starring adults ages 21-75+, your support brings profound arts learning experiences to people of all ages and abilities. Can you jumpstart this effort by giving $10, $100, or $1,000 today? Click here to make a tax-deductible gift right now, We're so grateful for your belief and support. Thank you for all that you do!
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