Agency Education Department

Contractor Penumbra Theater

SWIFT Contract Number 254754

Project Name conduct professional development 3-day training to MN art educators

Project Number (if applicable) {Empty}

Summarize purpose of the contract, including why it was necessary: The purpose was to plan, facilitate, and provide space for a 3-day in-person professional development offering on August 12, 13, and 14, 2024 focused on “The Role of the Arts in Shaping Educational Equity.” This contract was necessary because the Minnesota Department of Education received a five-year Federal Department of Education Assistance for Arts Educators grant in 2021. This federal grant is focused on developing culturally responsive and anti-racist arts education curriculum, practices, and policies. Providing professional development and supporting arts educators to increase equity in arts education is core to this program.

Project Duration

Start Date Mon, 08/12/2024 - 00:00

Original end date Fri, 08/16/2024 - 00:00

Actual end date Fri, 08/16/2024 - 00:00

Did project finish on time? Yes

Total billable hours utilized (if applicable) {Empty}

Contract Amounts

Original contract: $32500.00

Amendments $0.00

Contract total $32500.00

Did project finish within budget? Yes

What was the funding source? federal

Is this a sole source contract? Yes

If this was a single source contract, explain why the agency determined there was only a single source for the services (if applicable) The Minnesota Department of Education received a five-year Federal Department of Education Assistance for Arts Educators grant in 2021. This federal grant is focused on developing culturally responsive and anti-racist arts education curriculum, practices, and policies. Providing professional development and supporting arts educators to increase equity in arts education is core to this program.
Penumbra is uniquely qualified to provide this training. Penumbra Theater is Minnesota’s sole Black professional theatre company. The Penumbra Center for Racial Healing grew out of and is part of Penumbra Theater. Penumbra’s equity work springs from theatre practices.
While many organizations provide equity training, Penumbra is the only one to integrate learning in and through the arts. They use their expertise in theatre to create spaces where nuance and complexity can emerge, while still holding our collective focus on healing. Penumbra’s embodied process sparks empathy through the power of personal testimony and story facilitated by seasoned artists. Their unique cultural grounding as a Black arts institution means that they center race as their primary lens, bringing deep historical and contemporary analysis to their equity work. Their signature curriculum, built around Sarah Bellamy’s 4A’s Equity Framework™, helps participants explore the social, psychological, and physical consequences of various forms of racism. As an organization built on supporting the arts through the Black Arts Movement to today, Penumbra is uniquely suited to provide professional development for arts educators that is infused with rich historical context and artistic activation.

Evaluator Name Alina Campana

Evaluator Email Address Alina.Campana@state.mn.us

Evaluate the contractor's timeliness Very satisfactory

Evaluate the contractor's quality Very satisfactory

Evaluate the contractor's cost reasonable

Evaluate the contractor's overall performance Overall, the contractor’s performance was very satisfactory. They were timely and the professional development was high-quality.

Would you engage the contractor's services again? Yes

Describe any negative action taken during the duration of this contract (i.e., termination, pursuit of suspension, etc.): NA

Please rate the overall experience with the contractor 5 - very satisfied