Perpich Center Partners with Hennepin Arts in Annual Theater Director and Educator Conference

August 11, 2025

On August 6, 2025, a group of more than 50 K-12 theater educators and directors from across Minnesota gathered for Theater Director and Educator Conference 2025 (TDEC), When Artists Go to Work: Theater as a Call to Courage and Creativity. The conference was co-presented by Perpich Center for Arts Education and Hennepin Arts’ Spotlight Education.

Sarah Bellamy, president of Penumbra Theatre, with Dr. Stephanie Lein Walseth

A conference highlight for many attendees was the opening conversation with Sarah Bellamy, president of Penumbra Theatre. Continuing through the rest of the day, participants gathered practical takeaways from the varied break-out sessions ranging from consent forward practices, to puppetry, to choreography. Other highlights included a panel discussion on shifts in federal education policy and seeing a performance of “Cabaret” at the Guthrie Theater.

“This year’s TDEC was such a beautiful reminder of the strength, resilience, creativity, and courage of our theater educators and directors across the state,” observed Dr. Stephanie Lein Walseth, Theater Education Specialist at Perpich Center. “They showed up in record numbers, were hungry for reconnection with colleagues and renewed inspiration for the work ahead in such challenging times. From the chance to move and breathe together to the opportunities for rich dialogue, and from deep philosophical insights to practical learning they can immediately put into practice in their classrooms and rehearsal rooms, this conference was simply phenomenal.”

At the end of the day, many participants shared thoughts that were echoed time and again!

• “I am grateful for the opportunity to grow in my teaching practice.”
• “I am grateful to have a community of theater arts educators.”
• “Thanks to everyone for sharing your stories.”

A scene from Theater Director and Educator Summer Conference 2025 with Hennepin Arts’ Spotlight Education