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Creativity on Tap

Creativity on Tap

Written by: COMPAS
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About this listen

Creativity on Tap is produced by COMPAS (compas.org), a nonprofit that makes creativity accessible to all Minnesotans by providing performances and participatory creative experiences.

Creativity on Tap is part of Creativity Saves the World, a yearlong initiative launched by COMPAS as part of its 50th-anniversary year celebration. Each episode brings together educators, entrepreneurs, elected officials, parents, and other community leaders to discuss creativity and answer the question: What is creativity, and how can it solve the unique challenges facing today's world?

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© 2025 Creativity on Tap
Art Economics
Episodes
  • Episode 20: Dr. Kathryn Cullen
    Nov 24 2025

    In this episode of Creativity on Tap, host Frank Sentwali sits down with Dr. Kathryn Cullen, professor of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences at the University of Minnesota and Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

    Dr. Cullen researches creativity in relation to mental health, particularly how creative arts interventions can help improve depression symptoms in adolescents. She is also studying the creative brain through neuroimaging and cognitive tests.

    Put simply: She studies the effects of creativity on the brain and has conducted pioneering research on how making art can support healing, connection, and resilience in young people.

    Drawing from years of clinical research and collaborations with artists and educators, Dr. Cullen discusses how creative practices, from visual art to music, dance, and writing. can help adolescents reconnect with themselves, express difficult emotions, and find renewed hope. She shares the origins of Creativity Camp, an intensive arts-based intervention shown to reduce depression symptoms and strengthen brain networks tied to well-being and creative thinking.

    Insightful, heartfelt, and filled with practical wisdom, this episode offers a powerful reminder: creativity isn’t just an artistic skill—it’s a vital pathway to healing, connection, and thriving for young people navigating a rapidly changing world.

    About COMPAS
    COMPAS (compas.org) is a nonprofit with more than 50 years of experience delivering creative experiences to millions of Minnesotans of all ages and abilities, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. COMPAS connects professional teaching artists with students, older adults, and other community members to inspire creativity and empower voices.

    About Creativity on Tap
    Creativity on Tap is produced by COMPAS. In each episode, Creativity on Tap brings together educators, entrepreneurs, elected officials, parents, and other community leaders to discuss creativity and answer the question: What is creativity, and how can it solve the unique challenges facing today's world?

    Creativity On Tap is part of Creativity Saves the World, an initiative led by COMPAS to explore, celebrate, and emphasize the pivotal role creativity can and must play in shaping a world that prioritizes equity, justice, and inclusivity.

    Theme music (played at the end of the episode), "Krank It," was produced by COMPAS Teaching Artist Bionik.

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    48 mins
  • Episode 19: Z Puppets Rosenschnoz
    Oct 9 2025

    In this lively and inspiring episode of Creativity on Tap, host Frank Sentwali sits down with Shari Aronson and Chris Griffith, co-founders of Z Puppets Rosenschnoz, a Minneapolis-based puppetry company that’s been sparking wonder and laughter for over 25 years

    Chris and Shari share their origin story, from their roots in playwriting, clowning, and street performance to their creative fusion in puppetry. They reflect on the joy of collaboration and their long-standing partnership with COMPAS as teaching artists, helping learners of all ages make meaning through art

    The conversation centers on their glowing, science-inspired stage show “Cellula,” which turns the process of cell division into a blacklight-filled visual and musical adventure. Inspired by Shari’s childhood fascination with her mother’s microscope, Cellula blends art and science to celebrate curiosity, awe, and interconnectedness.

    Frank and the Z Puppets founders also discuss how STEAM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) benefits from artistic imagination, how puppetry engages children and adults alike, and why gathering for live storytelling remains vital in an era of screens

    The episode also delves into Chris’s Cherokee heritage, his commitment to preserving endangered Indigenous languages, and his creation of “musical adventures in Cherokee futurism” that blend tradition and innovation

    Cellula Info (tix etc.) (Oct. 23-25)

    About COMPAS
    COMPAS (compas.org) is a nonprofit with 50 years of experience delivering creative experiences to millions of Minnesotans of all ages and abilities, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. COMPAS connects professional teaching artists with students, older adults, and other community members to inspire creativity and empower voices.

    About Creativity on Tap
    Creativity on Tap is produced by COMPAS. In each episode, Creativity on Tap brings together educators, entrepreneurs, elected officials, parents, and other community leaders to discuss creativity and answer the question: What is creativity, and how can it solve the unique challenges facing today's world?

    Creativity On Tap is part of Creativity Saves the World, an initiative led by COMPAS to explore, celebrate, and emphasize the pivotal role creativity can and must play in shaping a world that prioritizes equity, justice, and inclusivity.

    Theme music (played at the end of the episode), "Krank It," was produced by COMPAS Teaching Artist Bionik.

    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 6 mins
  • Episode 18: Scott Redd
    Sep 11 2025

    In this episode of Creativity on Tap, host Frank Sentwali sits down with Scott Redd, President and CEO of Sabathani Community Center, one of Minnesota’s oldest African American–founded nonprofits. Scott shares his journey from Waterloo, Iowa, to leading a cornerstone organization in South Minneapolis, reflecting on the role of creativity, community voice, and resilience in driving transformation.

    Listeners will hear how Sabathani’s roots in a neighborhood church grew into a vital 188,000-square-foot hub, how community-driven solutions have guided nearly 60 years of impact, and how Scott’s own story, from football scholarship to social engineer, shaped his commitment to service. This conversation highlights the creative spirit that sustains communities, the importance of listening deeply, and the power of building spaces where people thrive together

    About COMPAS
    COMPAS (compas.org) is a nonprofit with 50 years of experience delivering creative experiences to millions of Minnesotans of all ages and abilities, particularly those from historically marginalized communities. COMPAS connects professional teaching artists with students, older adults, and other community members to inspire creativity and empower voices.

    About Creativity on Tap
    Creativity on Tap is produced by COMPAS. In each episode, Creativity on Tap brings together educators, entrepreneurs, elected officials, parents, and other community leaders to discuss creativity and answer the question: What is creativity, and how can it solve the unique challenges facing today's world?

    Creativity On Tap is part of Creativity Saves the World, an initiative led by COMPAS to explore, celebrate, and emphasize the pivotal role creativity can and must play in shaping a world that prioritizes equity, justice, and inclusivity.

    Theme music (played at the end of the episode), "Krank It," was produced by COMPAS Teaching Artist Bionik.

    Show More Show Less
    41 mins
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