Interviewed by our Different & Able President and Founder, Alexandra Nicklas, the team of Jeanne Calvit, Mike Brindley, and Kevin Kling share their admiration and affiliation to Interact, the Center for the Visual and Performing Arts based in St. Paul, Minnesota.
Jeanne discusses the story behind Interact and where it is today. She also talks about the Center’s successes and its mission to help adults with disabilities turn their passion for the arts into careers.
Mike Berkson is one of those adults with a love for the arts; he is an Interact artist and performer. Mike tells his story about his years of experience teaching theater skills to other people with differences, as well as mentioning his copious works of poetry.
In addition to Jeanne and Mike, the interview also features Kevin Kling, author, playwright, storyteller and narrator. Kevin has Contributed to National Public Radio (NPR) and explains his view on how art promotes advocacy.
Jeanne, Mike and Kevin have all experienced and encompass, in their own unique ways, the vision of Interact. As the Interact website states, “Artists might never have seen the arts as a life choice before, but now see the arts as essential to their humanity.”