Mixed Blood Theatre – Neighborhood Engagement

Neighborhood Engagement Manager

I founded and served as the primary architect for the theater’s neighborhood engagement initiatives to connect arts and culture providers to the Cedar Riverside neighborhood, with particular focus on Somali and other East African residents. This two-year engagement effort created and facilitated unprecedented access to neighborhood residents through meaningful and culturally relevant opportunities for arts participation. I supervised a staff of four Community Liaisons empowered to nurture community relationships, while coordinating evaluation, documentation, and reporting to a cross-organizational Leadership Team.

 

Mixed Precipitation – The Picnic Operetta

Community Programs Director

Mixed Precipitation presents the annual Picnic Operetta project, staging opera in community gardens and other green sites throughout the Twin Cities. My role included program design, grant writing, and project administration for 3 consecutive annual grants from VSA Minnesota to involve people with disabilities in the Picnic Operetta through an ambitious program driven by a volunteer Access Advisory Panel.

 

Z Puppets Rosenschnoz – Touring Programs

Community Partnerships Coordinator

I sought and managed a portfolio of partnerships for touring programs in communities throughout Minnesota. Z Puppets offered free performances and puppet-making workshops, and I created and executed grassroots marketing plans, developing a broad range of tools and collaborations. Partners included social service agencies, libraries, schools, museums, and arts organizations in urban areas and small towns throughout the region.

 

Full List of Program Development & Delivery Experience

STAFF & LONG-TERM CONTRACT PROGRAM SERVICES

• Community Partnerships Coordinator, Z Puppets Rosenschnoz
• Communications & Program Specialist, West Bank Business Association
• Community Programs Director, Mixed Precipitation
  
• Open Field Coordinator, Walker Art Center
• Neighborhood Engagement Manager, Mixed Blood Theatre Company

 

“À LA CARTE” PROGRAM SERVICES/SHORT-TERM CONTRACTS

• Event Production – Project timelines, logistics, event staging, volunteer coordination
  • Clients: Minnesota Fringe Festival, Mixed Precipitation, Telling Queer History
• Accessibility Consultations – Single-session program consults and comprehensive ADA access planning to assist in planning for and providing accommodations and inclusion for people with disabilities
  • Clients: We Theater, Loft Literary Center, Caponi Art Park
• Communications Services – Email template design, database management systems, social media management, copywriting/editing for print and digital formats, print project management, WordPress website design and content management, media/press releases, one-on-one training with staff
  • Clients: Bancroft Neighborhood Association, Kate Nordstrum Projects
• Training, Lectures, & Education – Specialized classroom trainings and lectures on a variety of topics related to the arts, nonprofit administration, social media/communications, accessibility, and community engagement/outreach
  • Clients: University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Media Alliance, West Bank Business Association