FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS & 
HOW TO GET STARTED

• How long does a residency last?

 A typical residency is between 6-24 weeks, with classes meeting once a week. However, the residency structure and length can be modified to fit your schedule. 

• How long is a class? 

Typically classes are 1-hour in length, but can be as short as 30-minutes for very young children, or longer for more intensive classes or summer camps.

• What is the size of the group?

The ideal group size is anywhere up to 15 participants, not including educators and support staff. We prefer a minimum of 6 participants in each group. 

• Where does a residency take place?

Teams of Teaching Artists will come to your school, adult day program, or community location.  We also have a space to host classes in South Minneapolis at Pillsbury House Community Center, and often host classes in an online platform.

We are based in Minneapolis, MN, and primarily work in the Twin Cities metro and beyond into the five state area. Currently we send teams of Teaching Artists to Milwaukee, WI, and Charlotte, NC several times a year to work with youth and adults in those communities.

• What kind of disabilities do you work with?

We work with any and every type of cognitive, developmental, emotional, behavioral, and physical disability.

• What are the ages of your participants?

 We work with participants at every stage of their lives, from infants and their families and caregivers all the way to retirement age.

Youth: We partner with several school districts in the Minneapolis and Milwaukee communities to offer programming for students receiving Special Education services from birth to age 21, and have a particularly in-depth relationship with Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), where we work closely with the MPS Special Education Department to align our content with student need, classroom curriculum, and workplace readiness. On average, we run 30+ MPS programs every year.

Adults: We work with Adult Day Programs, as well as other disability service providers and community organizations where adults and seniors with disabilities are provided recreational opportunities and/or receive training in daily living, social, and pre-vocational skills. 

Community: We carry out arts programs for youth and adults with disabilities at a variety of community organizations. These partnerships range from single day workshops to multi-month residencies.

• Who teaches the classes?

Classes are taught by teams of 2-3 professional Teaching Artists. Our roster of 30 Teaching Artists—some of the region’s most accomplished actors, directors, playwrights, poets, choreographers, dancers, musicians, and visual artists—annually receive 30+ hours of training on working with people of all abilities and learning styles.

• How much does a residency cost?

Pricing ranges widely from $1000 to $10,000, depending on the nature, breadth, and duration of the program. Our willingness to help you think creatively about funding an Upstream Arts program is endless, and are happy to offer fundraising suggestions and grant resources. 

Contact us at [email protected] for a custom quote.

• How do I get started?

One of the best ways to get started is to schedule a 1-hour FREEBIE. This session – absolutely free of charge – can offer insight into high quality multidisciplinary arts curriculum and how we work with and alongside individuals with disabilities. If you are curious about our work but having trouble imagining what we would actually do, we are more than happy to come to your setting and have you experience our work first hand. 

 

Contact us at [email protected] to set up your 1-hour FREEBIE!