2027 GROUP RETREATS
Below are the creative groups and arts organizations joining us in 2027.
Alumni WORK WEEK
May 31st 1st-June 3rd, 2027
An opportunity for alumni to show up, pick up, and party down as we beautify the highway and wake up the lake!
April Sellers
June 5th-11th, 2027
During a weeklong residency culminating in a public performance, April Sellers Dance Collective will workshop its latest work, Perfume of the Pearl, in preparation for touring.
Inspired by ancient Japanese legends of mermaids whose tears crystallize into luminous pearls, Perfume of the Pearl intertwines folklore, political commentary, and queer performance traditions in an immersive celebration of transformation, collective resistance, and joy as acts of survival.
The work draws inspiration from the resilience of the natural world, the legacy of dissent embodied by Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, an order of queer and trans nuns who wield humor and irreverence to challenge bigotry, complacency, and guilt. Together, these influences shape a vibrant work that celebrates the power of defiance, the beauty of transformation, and the radical possibilities of joy.
Fair Trade Residency: TLC - TC
June 25th-July 1st, 2027
This week-long residency supports working artists and culture bearers whose lives and artmaking were impacted by Operation Metro Surge, providing space and time to step away to rest, connect with others, focus on their work, and inspire their creative practice. The resident artists will bring their experience back to the Twin Cities through art exhibits, coffee talks, and workshops to facilitate meaningful relationships between the artists and their communities.
The Loft literary Center
July 12th-18th, 2027
The Loft Literary Center joins us for their first organizational retreat at the Lake! The Loft advances the power of writers and readers to craft and share stories, to create and celebrate connections, and to build just, life-sustaining communities. Over the years, they have grown to become one of the nation’s leading independent literary centers, each year engaging more than 3,000 beginning, intermediate, and advanced writers in learning opportunities.
MCKNIGHT DANCERS & CHOREOGRAPHERS
July 19th-25th, 2027
McKnight Dancers and Choreographers return to TLC for their 16th annual retreat week fostering community through conversation, meals, shared work, and play.
TOFTE LAKE CENTER BOARD RETREAT
July 28th-August 1st, 2027
TLC hosts our annual gathering of the Board of Directors for a week of planning (and playing) and strategizing ways to keep our mission and vision strong and supported.
Producer Hub Residency for Independent Arts Producers
August 4th-10th, 2027
This week-long residency will be focused on creating time and space for independent producers in the performing arts in order to aide their work in the field.
Songwriters Residency
August 13th-19th, 2027
Songwriters get to Say Yes to six days of unprogrammed, unhurried time - at Tofte Lake Center. With access to shoreline, birdsong, and stillness, songwriters have the chance to deep dive into the blank page, and to share and be inspired by their peers through optional daily gatherings. This week provides the rare gift of extended time to write, reflect, and reconnect with the creative practice without pressure or expectations. Retreat will be facilitated by Minnesota-based singer-songwriter (and big dreamer) Sarah Morris.
Native Theatre Movement
August 29th-September 3rd, 2027
After our nationwide launch in 2026, the Native Theater Movement Co-Initiators will gather at Tofte to reflect on and activate our three-year strategic plan through time in relationship to the land, waters, and each other.
September 17th-23rd, 2027
We’re happy to once again partner with the Ely Film Festival by hosting a week-long residency for our region’s talented filmmakers! We are proud to be a fourth annual sponsor of the festival.
Grieving As We Go
September 26th-October 2nd, 2027
This alumni-curated residency supports Black and Brown Minnesota artists working with the local grief activated into public community life since 2015. Artists will discuss their learning and archive their practices; share what they now know about artists’ care; and plan for sustaining both individual and collective griefwork within their communities. The residency will center rest, rejuvenation, and ritual making.