Focus Area: Early Childhood

Grant Amount: $13,000

Located in south Minneapolis. CTC is the nation’s largest and most acclaimed theatre for young people and serving nearly 275,000 attendees annually. CTC’s engagement and learning programs annually serve more than 85,000 young people and their communities through Theatre Arts Training, student matinees, Neighborhood Bridges, and early childhood arts education programs.

Grant supports CTC’s Creative Play program, a curriculum of play-based activities involving storytelling, music, puppets, and movement for children experiencing trauma. The program focuses on children ages 0-5 and explores what it means to use the arts in trauma-based care. It uses a two-generation approach, working with both teachers and parents as well as young children. CTC will collaborate with the Rainbow Child Development Center in St. Paul. The collaboration will provide a 3-week Creative Play residency for 3 toddler and 2 preschool classrooms. CTC will also provide 3 professional development workshops for Rainbow staff and teachers and 2 family nights at CTC.