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NEWS: Hennepin Arts’ Investment in Inspiration

by Twin Cities Arts Reader -

Hennepin Arts announced today a strategic investment in the next generation of Minnesota’s creative workforce through the addition of InspireMSP, a nationally recognized workforce development program connecting middle and high school students to careers across the creative industry. Building on an established creative relationship, Hennepin Arts is integrating InspireMSP into its expanding workforce development initiatives, filling a critical gap by expanding the organization’s education and career pathway programming.

This move reflects a broader evolution and expansion of Hennepin Arts’ education strategy—one that recognizes the organization’s role not only as a presenter of live performances, but as an active contributor to Minnesota’s creative economy and future workforce. By investing earlier in workforce development and working alongside trusted InspireMSP creative partners, Hennepin Arts is stepping into a leadership role that extends beyond arts education. Together, this collaborative approach helps shape a more inclusive and innovative creative industry statewide.

“InspireMSP represents the kind of forward-thinking investment our industry needs,” said Todd Duesing, President and CEO of Hennepin Arts. “The creative economy extends far beyond the stage, and if we want it to thrive long-term, we have to start earlier, reach broader and invest deeper. This is about building a more sustainable creative workforce—one that reflects our communities, strengthens our economy and supports a vibrant future for our state.”

As a Hennepin Arts program, InspireMSP will introduce middle and high school students to a wide range of creative industries through immersive, hands-on experiences that bring learning out of the classroom and into real-world creative environments. Students participate in site visits, career exploration days and direct engagement with working professionals in fields including design, media, music, architecture, fashion, advertising, technology and the performing arts.

InspireMSP has a specific focus on starting younger than most workforce initiatives, aiming to reach students at a formative stage, before career pathways narrow – and when curiosity and confidence are still taking shape. The program is thus designed to help students understand how their interests and creativity can translate into real careers, particularly for young people who have historically lacked access to industry networks or representation within creative fields.

Since its founding, InspireMSP has engaged thousands of students across the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota, building a model rooted in relevance, authentic industry connection and experiential learning. Its approach addresses a clear need in Minnesota’s creative sector—connecting young people directly to industry and helping build a more inclusive pipeline for the future workforce.

“InspireMSP was built on the idea that exposure matters,” said Dan Ryan, Founder and Executive Director of InspireMSP. “When students step into creative spaces, meet professionals and see how creative work actually happens, it fundamentally changes what they believe is possible for themselves. Becoming part of Hennepin Arts allows this work to grow in scale and impact while staying grounded in what has always made it meaningful—centering students and their lived experiences.”

Hennepin Arts has established InspireMSP as a workforce development program backed by long-term investment and institutional capacity. The program is expected to benefit from integration into Hennepin Arts’ education platform, leveraging the organization’s statewide reach, partnerships and industry relationships to expand access and connect students to creative career pathways statewide.

“InspireMSP adds a powerful new dimension to our education work and completes the arc of how we engage young people,” said Ari Koehnen Sweeney, Vice President of Arts Education and Partnerships at Hennepin Arts. “We have long focused on students as artists and learners. InspireMSP allows us to intentionally engage students as future professionals, strengthening the pathways we are building across the state.”

Hennepin Arts’ education programs serve thousands of students across Minnesota each year through in-theater, school-based and experiential learning opportunities. Spotlight Education supports high school theater programs statewide through production assessments, educational feedback and recognition, culminating in Spotlight Showcase, Minnesota’s largest high school theater celebration. Additional programs include Critical Review, which builds critical thinking and writing skills through Broadway attendance and professional-led workshops, and Disney Musicals in Schools, which brings sustained musical theater education to public elementary schools.

Together, these programs, alongside InspireMSP, form a growing ecosystem that connects students to creative learning and early industry exposure while strengthening schools, communities and the creative workforce across Minnesota.

Through this investment, Hennepin Arts affirms its commitment to long-term planning, bold partnerships and innovative approaches that extend beyond traditional theater boundaries. By investing in young people, school partnerships and industry connections, Hennepin Arts is putting real resources behind a vision for a more equitable, resilient and future-ready creative industry that benefits the entire state.

 

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