IMPACT

Creativity Strengthens Community

SPARK! Creative Lab brings Veterans and artists together to explore creativity as a pathway to connection, expression, and community well-being.

Through workshops, performances, and collaborative projects, Veterans and artists create spaces where creativity opens new avenues for expression and invites the broader community to listen more deeply.

Our work is rooted in a simple belief:

Veterans bring the mission.
Artists bring the medium.
Together, they build community.

Impact Snapshot

March 2025 – March 2026

20

Creative workshops delivered across Oklahoma

Programs were hosted at Veteran centers, arts institutions, and community organizations, including the Norman Veterans Center, Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center, Oklahoma City Museum of Art, American Legion and VFW posts, and the Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic

140+

Veterans participated in creative programs

Participants explored rhythm, movement, visual art, and storytelling in welcoming, non-clinical environments that encouraged creativity and connection.

1400+

Veterans and military family members reached through community outreach

SPARK! connected with community members through the Women Veterans Celebration Summit, VetFest at American Legion Post 12, VSOTS at the Norman National Guard, and SPARK! alumni gatherings.

800+

Audience members attended SPARK! performances and film screenings

Audiences experienced Ditty Bops performances and documentary screenings at deadCenter Film Festival, Circle Cinema, and Red Brick Road Film Festival.

4

Veterans employed as SPARK! company artists by March 2026

Former workshop participants advanced into paid artistic roles, helping facilitate programs and creative experiences alongside other Veterans.

Our Approach

SPARK! creates welcoming, non-clinical spaces where Veterans and professional artists explore, create, and learn from one another. Programs emphasize collaboration and creative choice, and no previous arts experience is required.

Activities may include:

  • Rhythm, music, and Morse code–inspired exercises

  • Movement and embodied expression

  • Visual art and mask-making

  • Storytelling and performance development

  • Songwriting

These experiences support creative expression, meaningful connection, and greater understanding between Veterans and the wider community. Participants may also deepen their involvement as artists, performers, facilitators, and creative leaders.

Partners and Collaborators

SPARK! works with a growing network of funders, cultural institutions, Veteran-serving organizations, and community partners, including:

  • NEA Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Program

  • Bob Woodruff Foundation and the Got Your 6 Network

  • Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs

  • Steven A. Cohen Military Family Clinic at Red Rock

  • Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center

  • Oklahoma City Museum of Art

  • American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars posts

  • Honoring America’s Warriors

  • Warriors For Freedom

  • TEEM and Veteran Treatment Court

  • Community arts organizations and Veteran service groups

Together, we are building a network of creative opportunities for Veterans—rooted in Oklahoma and connected nationally.

Creative Connection as Upstream Prevention

SPARK! is not a clinical provider. We are part of a broader Veteran well-being and suicide prevention ecosystem by strengthening protective factors such as connection, belonging, purpose, peer trust, creative expression, and pathways to support.

Through trauma-aware, non-clinical arts programs, Veterans build relationships, practice self-expression, and participate in community life as creative leaders.

How We Measure Impact

SPARK! evaluates its work through a combination of participation data, participant feedback, and community partnerships.

We track:

• Number of workshops and creative programs delivered
• Veteran participation and repeat engagement
• Public audiences reached through performances and events
• New creative leadership opportunities for Veterans
• Partnerships developed with arts and Veteran-serving organizations

Participant feedback and facilitator reflections help us continually refine our programs so they remain welcoming, meaningful, and accessible.

Our goal is not only to deliver programs, but to cultivate lasting creative community.

Transparency

SPARK! Creative Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

We are proud to hold Candid’s 2026 Platinum Seal of Transparency, demonstrating our commitment to accountability and responsible stewardship.