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What is culture, how is it made and where is it found?

Is it in the work of the old masters displayed on museum walls or is it in the #1 selling song on iTunes? Is culture made by someone else and served to us? Are we just consumers of yet another commodity or are each us an active participant in its creation?

Here at In the Heart of the Beast we believe that culture is participatory. It is built from the stories and images of our elders as well as the spoken word and digital graphics of our youth. We see culture as a living organism that is drawn from the everyday experience of community life — a multitude of different influences that come together in revealing and surprising ways.

We live this belief by involving nearly 100,000 people each year in programs that range from Saturday Puppet Shows for Kids to events like the MayDay Parade and Festival, to hands-on residencies in schools and communities across Minnesota. In each situation we demonstrate how simple materials are transformed through imagination and skill into vibrant pieces of art that speak in a new way about a local issue or global concern.

But none of this is possible without the support of people like you.

During this past year it was the participation of thousands of individual donors — large and small — who helped us make it through one of the most challenging times in our history. Your gift to this year’s annual fund will allow us to yet again engage with communities locally and around the state to create a collaborative, vibrant, and alive culture.

With deepest thanks on behalf of us all,

Kathee Foran
Executive Director

Serving more than 100,000 people last year, In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre’s mission is to bring people together for the common good through the power of puppet and mask performance.