People with disabilities face significant barriers to the arts as creators, participants, and attendees. This pilot program will offer project grants to increase the capacity of the arts sector to make arts experiences more accessible for persons with disabilities. Funds will be used for investments that will have a longer-term impact on the applicant, such as professional development related to accessibility (i.e., staff or volunteer training, etc.), hiring accessibility consultants to conduct accessibility audits and/or develop accessibility plans, etc. Funds may also be used for small physical or equipment investments (costing less than $5,000) that will make programming more accessible.
| Grantee, City |
Grant Amount |
826 MSP, Minneapolis | $ 17,000 | | To build long-term capacity, 826 MSP's staff will undergo professional development on serving youth with disabilities. The organization will also partner with a consultant to complete a redesign of its Field Trips program that maximizes accessibility. |
Artistry, Bloomington | $ 20,000 | | Artistry will conduct an accessibility audit, offer accessibility training for the eight arts organizations housed at Bloomington Center for the Arts, and launch sensory-friendly performances. |
Artspace, Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | To improve accessibility at the Northrup King Building, Artspace will make Art Scooters and Rest Stops available, as well as contract an engineer to assess converting an inoperable freight elevator into a passenger elevator. |
Brownbody, Vadnais Heights | $ 19,879 | | Brownbody will hire two accessibility contractors to plan and implement strategies to make its programming more accessible. |
The Cedar, Minneapolis | $ 18,500 | | The Cedar Cultural Center will contract with a consultant to guide a holistic disability services plan for its digital content initiatives. |
Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center, Minneapolis | $ 19,964 | | Chicago Avenue Fire Arts Center will make fire art forms more inclusive of disability communities by hiring a consultant to develop a comprehensive accessibility plan and provide training. The organization will also expand the role of its education and access coordinator. |
Children's Performing Arts, White Bear Lake | $ 15,650 | | Children's Performing Arts will partner with consultant Fraser to improve its current sensory-friendly programming. Fraser will train staff and volunteers, and consult on creating social narratives, take-a-break spaces, and other needs. |
Dawson-Boyd Arts Association, Dawson | $ 20,000 | | Dawson-Boyd Arts Association provides unique, high-quality performances to everyone in its rural community. Recognizing its aging audience, as well as the opportunity to attract new patrons, the organization will build capacity through accessibility enhancements including signage and hearing assisted devices. |
Duluth Playhouse, Duluth | $ 20,000 | | Duluth Playhouse will train staff and volunteers to increase inclusivity, update materials, and form partnerships to enhance program accessibility, ensuring individuals with disabilities have greater access to classes and productions. |
Ely's Historic State Theater, Ely | $ 10,297 | | Through training, planning efforts, and the purchase of equipment, Ely's Historic State Theater will build capacity around accessibility and ensure that people of all abilities can participate in the arts. |
FilmNorth, Saint Paul | $ 15,000 | | FilmNorth will hire an accessibility consultant to evaluate current programming and implement strategies to make all programming more accessible. |
Grand Marais Art Colony, Grand Marais | $ 17,730 | | To guide immediate and long-term improvements, Grand Marais Art Colony will contract with an accessibility consultant to conduct a full assessment of the organization's accessibility. The organization will also designate a staff accessibility coordinator. |
Headwaters Music & Arts, Bemidji | $ 19,350 | | Headwaters Music & Arts will contract with North Star Inclusive Strategies to improve its overall accessibility infrastructure and create a more welcoming environment for individuals with disabilities. |
Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Minneapolis | $ 18,900 | | Highpoint Center for Printmaking will increase access and support for artists with disabilities by engaging an advisory committee and consultant to audit and develop strategies, engage staff and teachers in accessibility training, and expand educational programming. |
International Friendship Through the Performing Arts, Eagan | $ 20,000 | | International Friendship Through the Performing Arts will engage a consultant in planning and outreach efforts with Minnesota retirement communities that will build the organization's capacity to serve older adults living with disabilities through its Arts Access Program. |
Jungle Theater, Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | The Jungle Theater is building equity and access to audiences and artists of all backgrounds and abilities. The organization will deepen relationships with patrons with disabilities and develop a three-year accessibility strategic plan with an access consultant. |
Lanesboro Arts, Lanesboro | $ 20,000 | | Lanesboro Arts will work with a consultant to assess and create a plan for accessibility improvements of internal and external systems and programs. Staff will also undergo training for creating and implementing accessible arts programming. |
The Loft Literary Center, Minneapolis | $ 19,999 | | The Loft will contract with WeCo, a local digital accessibility company, to conduct an accessibility audit of the Loft's website, e-mail promotions/e-newsletters, and the Submittable submissions platform used by the organization for various program applications. |
MacPhail Center for Music, Minneapolis | $ 19,879 | | MacPhail Center for Music will increase visibility of accessibility services, provide expanded staff training to support individuals with disabilities, and invest in adaptive music equipment. |
Minnesota Fringe, Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | Minnesota Fringe will update its organizational accessibility plan and purchase a caption display unit which will be available to local theater companies for use to increase the number of captioned performances available to patrons year round. |
Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop, Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | Minnesota Prison Writing Workshop will engage a professional accessibility consultant to guide the organization through an extensive accessibility audit and the creation a new accessibility plan that will inform its public programming. |
North House Folk School, Grand Marais | $ 19,820 | | North House Folk School will advance access for Minnesotans by completing an accessibility audit of a major event, providing training to instructors, purchasing assistive listening devices, and introducing adaptive work surface equipment to classes. |
Northrop, Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | Northrop will create innovative resources to expand access to cultural experiences for Minnesotans with disabilities, cultivating intersections between the performing arts and education. |
Paramount Center for the Arts, Saint Cloud | $ 20,000 | | Paramount Center for the Arts will engage a consultant in workshops, training, and planning that increases community awareness around accessibility while building organizational capacity to better serve individuals with disabilities. |
Penumbra Theatre Company, Saint Paul | $ 10,000 | | Penumbra Theatre will use Accessible Arts funding for a complete system upgrade of its assisted listening devices, as well as for staff training to support patrons in using these devices. |
Rosy Simas Danse, Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | In furthering its commitment to engaging those identifying as D/deaf, blind/low vision, neurodiverse, and disabled, Rosy Simas Danse will establish an access advisory committee and a cohort of access consultants, create access plans, and launch an accessible website. |
Rumriver Art Center, Anoka | $ 20,000 | | Rumriver Art Center will increase access to its arts programming and facility via an accessibility audit, focus groups, staff training, and small physical improvements. |
The Sheldon Theatre, Red Wing | $ 17,327 | | The Sheldon Theatre will utilize industry experts to advise and implement sensory-friendly spaces and tools to better support neurodivergent audiences. |
Stages Theatre Company, Hopkins | $ 20,000 | | Stages Theatre Company will hire a full-time arts access coordinator who will plan, implement, and lead strategies to significantly increase access and participation in high-quality arts experiences by individuals with disabilities. |
Ten Thousand Things, Saint Paul | $ 18,265 | | Ten Thousand Things will work with accessibility consultants in order to understand current barriers and implement strategies to make its programming more accessible for audiences and artists with disabilities. |
Theater Latté Da, Minneapolis | $ 16,198 | | Theater Latté Da will significantly improve digital accessibility through installation of open caption equipment and software; website, social media, and email augmentation; and internal professional training to enhance output and accessibility. |
Theatre L'Homme Dieu, Alexandria | $ 20,000 | | Theatre L'Homme Dieu is committed to enhancing accessibility in the arts for Minnesotans. With community input, the organization will gain in-depth knowledge of accessibility barriers in order to implement practical improvements into its site planning. |
Tofte Lake Center, Ely | $ 15,595 | | Tofte Lake Center will contract with accessibility consultant Craig Dunn and engage a five-person committee to complete a full assessment of the Center's accessibility and create a plan to guide programmatic and operational improvements. |
Upstream Arts, Inc., Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | Upstream Arts will use Accessible Arts grant funds to support three specialized training sessions in spring 2025 that will increase knowledge and capacity across the organization in order to better serve the individuals with disabilities that participate in its programs. |
Walker|West, Saint Paul | $ 18,320 | | Walker|West will eliminate some barriers to participation for individuals with disabilities through staff and policy development in accessibility, the purchase of equipment, and digital accessibility improvements. |
Wonderlust Productions, Saint Paul | $ 19,200 | | Wonderlust Productions will identify educational opportunities to fill knowledge gaps in current strategies, implement findings to make participation and attendance more universally accessible, and improve promotion of programs to people with disabilities. |
zAmya Theater Project, Minneapolis | $ 20,000 | | zAmya Theater Project will engage arts accessibility consultants to lead creative listening sessions for program participants and troupe members with mental health conditions and devise recommendations for integration in existing practices and a training playbook. |
