Workshops & Artist-in-Residencies

Want your brain to learn? Use your hands, feet, eyes, ears and all your heart! Stretch your smarts with our arts education workshops, custom-designed to meet the needs of your students. Choose from our specialties or talk to us to create your own. We can tailor all workshops to one session or a series of multiple sessions, except where noted. Please contact us with any questions. (Grades 6-12 and adult) A teenage boy in a wheelchair sings “Moon River” on stage for a live audience. A girl with Down Syndrome confronts the monster under her bed. An 8th grade boy with Autism learns to identify simple emotions by wearing masks. Use puppets, masks and theater to discover your students’ true abilities. Through our workshops tailored for students with special needs, children and adults learn how to identify and express emotions, voice their stories, communicate non-verbally, explore their creativity and surprise themselves along the way. (Requires Multiple Sessions)

(Grades 6-12 and adult) Got a problem? Work together as a group to come up with ideas and try out solutions. Based on the Brazilian system of social action theater (Theater of the Oppressed), these improvisational techniques help participants tackle complex issues –– in their own lives or for historical and literary analysis. Fun and effective tools for team-building and conflict resolution.

(Grades K-12 and adult) Through games, exercises and exploration, participants work together to create spontaneous scenes and sudden characters. In addition to strengthening their performance skills, students will improve their abilities to listen, cooperate, concentrate, identify and express emotions, communicate non-verbally, and speak publicly.

(Grades 4-12 and adult) Gain self-confidence, hand-eye coordination, upper arm strength, rhythm and creative insight by learning to juggle. As well as learning the basic three-ball pattern, participants will learn variations and new tricks. This workshop can be tailored to skill level, from beginner to advanced to professional. (May require multiple sessions).

(Grades 3-12 and adult) Animals, dinosaurs, aliens, mythical creatures, funny folks, Greek heroes. . . what sort of mask would you like? Make your own papier-mache mask and learn how to bring your imagination to life. Can be combined with Paper Faces to also learn the basics of mask performance. (Requires multiple sessions)

(Grades K-12 and adult) Put on a mask and poof! You can be somebody new. By exploring the basics of mask improvisation, movement and character development, students will experiment with emotional expression and non-verbal communication.

(Grades 3-12 and adult) Hand, Shadow, Rod, Found Object, Blacklight . . . all the world's a puppet stage! Learn the magic of turning simple materials into lively characters. Try your hands on our ready-made workshop puppets or design and build puppets. Puppet building requires multiple sessions.

(Grades K-12 and adult) Math + History + English + Science = Theater! Give your class an arts infusion. Energize the students' connections to academic areas with custom-designed interactive educational drama experiences. While they become immersed in the classroom content, students will learn teambuilding, trust, focus and many more basic theater techniques.

(Adult) Get the techniques you need to bring drama into the classroom. Learn how to scaffold and sequence effective theater activities to achieve learning objectives and artistic expression. Topics could include: • Connecting the Arts to Curriculum • Arts for Students with Special Needs • Brainstorm Theater (based on Augusto Boal's Theater of the Oppressed) • Basic Improvisation • Mask Movement and Improvisation • Puppet Making • Puppets in Performance Back to Top Circus Minimus Puppetry is a proud member of the Young Audiences of Minnesota artist roster.