Igniting creativity in everyday spaces! Through partnerships with youth-serving organizations, GREAT Theatre’s Drama Workshops meet children where they are—embedded within after-school and summer programs that families already trust and access.

By bringing theatre directly into community spaces and offering programming at no cost, Drama Workshops remove common barriers to arts participation, including transportation, registration fees, and limited access to enrichment opportunities. This approach ensures more children, particularly those from underserved communities, can experience the benefits of arts education.

Students engage in hands-on theatre experiences that build storytelling, character development, improvisation, creative movement, collaboration, and performance skills. Through repeated visits to partner sites, workshops build on previous lessons, allowing students to deepen their understanding of theatre while strengthening relationships with teaching artists and peers.

Thanks to generous gifts from GREAT’s annual donors and grant support, more than 500 youth experienced the joy and growth of theatre, all at no cost to their families or community partners.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through grants from the Minnesota State Arts Board and Central Minnesota Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

The impact reaches far beyond the stage! Students gain confidence by sharing ideas and performing for others, develop communication and teamwork skills, and learn to value their own voice while celebrating the contributions of their peers. Through creating original characters and stories, they discover the power of creativity and self-expression. Community partners consistently report high levels of engagement and enthusiasm, leading to expanded programming opportunities at several sites.

For many participants, Drama Workshops provide a first introduction to theatre and serve as a gateway into GREAT Theatre’s broader continuum of programming. Students often leave wanting more—asking about camps, productions, and performances. By sparking curiosity and creating accessible entry points, Drama Workshops help young people build lasting connections to creativity, confidence, and community through the arts.

I have heard nothing but great things about your staff and the students’ experiences with them!  Thank you for partnering with us!! I appreciate everything you and your team has done for the students here at Talahi!

Program Manager

I love GREAT Theatre because of all the fun activities we play and because we get to tell our own stories.

Student

Our only regret was having you teach in the afternoon because we were repeating ourselves the entire day, ‘no, it is not time for GREAT Theatre yet so you will have to be patient.

Kidstop Staff

We learned theatre norms this week. Norms mean normal behaving. Rules are what you can’t do and norms are what you try to do. The most important norm for theatre is to have so so so much fun.

Student