Creative Forces NEA Military Arts Network

This is a two-part podcast: we begin with Christine Bial, the Director of Arts and Humanities Grants at Mid-America Arts Alliance which is a partner with National Endowment for the Arts in the Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant Program. She gives an overview of the program, its goals, scope, and examples of some of the programming. She also shares what was learned in the program’s first year. Then we hear from a grantee: Stephanie Shine is the supervisor and Lauren Gunn is the teaching artist for Feast of Crispian-South an outreach program of the Tennessee Shakespeare Company. Feast of Crispian-South partners with the Memphis VA Medical Center facilitating sessions in which veterans use the language of Shakespeare to express their own thoughts and feelings. Shine and Gunn give an overview of Feast of Crispian-South, how it got its start, its six years of work with veterans, and the power of Shakespeare’s language for veterans. They also discuss the Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant, what it allowed them to do, what they learned through the community engagement initiative, and how they hope to expand the program. Let us know what you think about Art Works—email us at artworkspod@arts.gov.