Ditty Bops 2027
OKLAHOMA VETERANS TAKE THE STAGE. HEAR THEM OUT.
JANUARY 29–31, 2027
OKLAHOMA CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER
OKLAHOMA CITY
THE SHOW
From one Veteran's story to a stage for many
Ditty Bops returns January 29–31, 2027 at Oklahoma Contemporary: three performances where Oklahoma Veterans take the stage, supported by professional musicians, dancers and theater artists, and an exhibit of nearly 200 masks made by Veterans in SPARK! workshops. We are inviting a small group of Oklahoma companies to make it possible, with sponsorships from $500 to $5,000.
How it began
In 2023, a dozen Oklahoma City artists came together to tell the story of U.S. Air Force Veteran Dr. Neil Chapman, a Morse code interceptor during the Vietnam War who spent six years waiting on a VA disability claim. Underneath it all was one plea: please believe me. Ditty Bops brought his fight for care to public attention, inspiring 275+ signed letters to elected officials in its first year. Its documentary was presented at the National Endowment for the Arts in 2025.
New in 2027
Six Veterans, in their own words. Interviews recorded with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, translated into music, dance, theater, spoken word and film.
Veterans on stage supported by professional artists, performing work they created.
The mask exhibit. Nearly 200 masks painted by Veterans across Oklahoma, installed as one work.
Three performances, January 29–31, 2027 | Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center
Veteran & Civilian artists in Ditty Bops 2025 Photo by Zachary Burns
WHY IT MATTERS
Where Veterans' work meets the public
Every Veteran on stage, and every Veteran whose mask hangs in the exhibit, first came to a free SPARK! workshop. Ditty Bops is where that work reaches the public. Audiences don't just thank Veterans from a distance; they listen to them as artists.
60+
workshops + events in FY26
300+
Veterans served
95%
felt more connected to others
100%
would recommend to another Veteran
In 2023, Oklahoma's Veteran suicide rate was 56.9 per 100,000, compared with 35.2 nationally.* SPARK! builds connection, purpose and belonging, the protective factors that matter.
*U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Oklahoma Veteran Suicide Data Sheet, 2023, published October 2025.
"SPARK! didn't change what I've been through, but it changed what I believed I could do."
— Zack Milner, U.S. Navy (Ret.), workshop participant turned Alumni Coordinator, facilitator, and Ditty Bops performer
Veteran audience member regarding the Veteran-created mask exhibit, Oklahoma Contemporary, 2025 Photo by Zachary Burns
SPONSORSHIP
Put your name behind it.
Four levels, one presenting sponsor. Every sponsor is thanked by name for what their gift made possible, not just with a logo. Ditty Bops reaches well beyond the theater, to SPARK!'s 1,500+ newsletter subscribers and 3,000+ social media followers, and through our documentary and public events.
Veteran & civilian audience members of Ditty Bops 2025, photo by Jacob Burns
Presenting Sponsor · $5,000 · 1 available
"Ditty Bops, presented by [you]" on posters, program cover, ticket page and stage screen
Back cover ad
Thanked from the stage at all 3 shows
Private workshop for your team, led by Veteran artists
8 tickets
Newsletter and social feature
Logo on sparklahoma.org for a year
Category exclusivity
Named in media
Production Sponsor · $2,500 · 3 available
Logo on posters and stage screen
Full-page ad (or inside cover for the first two)
Thanked from the stage
4 tickets
Social post
Logo on website
One may be named Exhibit Sponsor, with signage at the masks
Bring your team: Presenting and Production sponsors are invited to help install the mask exhibit at Oklahoma Contemporary.
Ensemble Sponsor · $1,000 · 5 available
Half-page ad in program and on stage screen
2 tickets
Social thank-you
Friend of the Show · $500 · Open
Quarter-page ad in program
2 tickets
Ditty Bops has reached thousands of Oklahomans through live performances, free public events and a short documentary screened across the state and at the National Endowment for the Arts in Washington, D.C., inspiring more than 500 letters in all to elected officials advocating for Veterans' care.
SPONSOR BY DECEMBER 15
Commit by December 15 for printed recognition; logo and agreement due December 18. Payment can be made in 2026 or 2027 to fit your budget year, and we're happy to invoice. Later sponsors are thanked from the stage and online.
Ways to give
Online: [Givebutter link]
Check: payable to SPARK! Creative Lab, Inc., P.O. Box 54343, Oklahoma City, OK 73154
Invoice: email nicole@sparklahoma.org
SPARK! Creative Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 87-3915781. Every sponsor receives a written acknowledgment.
Want to support Veterans year-round? Ask us about hosting a free SPARK! workshop for Veterans in your community.
Contact Nicole Poole, Founder and Executive Director nicole@sparklahoma.org ·
(917) 678-2786
Credibility & Contact
A strong local core supported by state, regional, and national partners.
Reach out today.
Contact Nicole Poole, Founder and Executive Director
(917) 678-2786