The Handshake Game with UA artist and participant

Following is a list of programs that are open to the general public. To find out more about any of these programs, or to arrange programming for your school, group or agency, email or call us at 612.331.4584.

Highland Friendship Club: The Art of Working

Thursdays, September 29th – December 15th, 2011 – 12:30PM – 1:45PM
AT St Luke Lutheran Church — 1807 Field Ave, St Paul, MN 55116
with Highland Friendship Club

Ages: Adults
Cost: $168

Interactive arts programming for adults with disabilities that have been unable to obtain or maintain employment because of social and communication skill deficits.

The primary goals of this program are to:
- Provide adults with disabilities high quality artistic experiences in theatre, music, dance, visual arts and poetry;
- Use theatrical methods that focus on social change (Boal, Spolin) to provide a safe and creative venue to practice appropriate communication (body language, tone of voice, facial expressions) and “rehearse” workplace interactions;
- Develop soft skills that will increase participants’ employability and work readiness.

Sabes JCC: The Art of Social Skills

Mondays, October 3rd – November 28th, 2011 (no class on November 21st) – 7PM – 8PM
AT the Sabes JCC – 4330 S Cedar Lake Rd. Minneapolis, MN 55416
with the Sabes JCC

Ages: 18 +
Cost: $112

Upstream Arts and the Sabes JCC invite you to spend time creating with your peers in an environment where you can rehearse real life scenarios and push your creative boundaries. We will use the arts to explore how we can express ourselves socially and how we can communicate through movement, dance, poetry, theater and the visual arts. The mission of Upstream Arts is to enhance the lives of adults and youth by fostering creative communication and social independence through the power of arts education. Minimum of 8 people needed to run this class. To register contact Anita Lewis at (952) 381-3489.

Highland Friendship Club: The Art of Social Skills

Mondays, October 3rd – December 5th, 2011 – 6:30PM – 7:30PM
AT the St Paul JCC — 1375 St Paul Ave, St Paul, MN 55116
with Highland Friendship Club

Ages: Adults
Cost: $140

Local, professional artists lead activities in theater, dance, poetry, music, and visual arts that foster communication and social skills.

The primary goals of this program are to:
- Provide high quality artistic experiences in theatre, music, dance, visual arts and poetry;
- Use theatrical methods that provide a safe and creative venue to practice appropriate communication (body language, tone of voice, facial expressions) and “rehearse” day to day interactions;
- Develop social skills that will increase participants’ ability to socialize and learn

Sabes JCC: The Art of Working Intensive

Mondays & Thursdays, January 16th – April 12th, 2012 – 7PM – 8PM
AT the Sabes JCC – 4330 S Cedar Lake Rd. Minneapolis, MN 55416
with the Sabes JCC

Ages: Adults
Cost: $336

This program focuses on a smaller group of individuals with the goal of addressing the vocational needs of each participant. Theatrical conventions and techniques, are used to help participants better understand their power, the consequences of their actions, and how to communicate effectively.
-Professional actors perform scenes providing good and bad models for discussion and critique, demonstrating non-verbal social cues with high affect;
-The artistic convention of critique will be used to teach individuals how to evaluate themselves and others and how to receive critical feedback
-Use of video will allows for self-reflection and awareness: Participants will be recorded acting out scenes and then will review the footage to see and critique how they present and carry themselves
-Performance at the conclusion of the program for peers, staff and family showcasing what participants learned during the program. In the process, participants learn how to educate potential employers about the nature of their disability.