SPARK! CREATIVE LAB, INC.

We’re excited to announce that Ditty Bops earned a Finalist nod for Best Short Documentary 🏆 at the Fort Smith International Film Festival this past weekend! The film was incredibly well-received, with audience members describing it as “powerful,” “impactful,” and “beautiful.” A huge thank you to our talented director, Zachary Burns, whose creative vision made Ditty Bops the success it is! 🎥 Nicole and Zachary shared their insights on the filmmakers panel, moderated by Silvia Manning of Punkin Studios, where they discussed the creative process behind the film. For a closer look, we’ve captured a 6-minute clip from the panel discussion that provides a behind-the-scenes perspective on SPARK!'s unique model, and how Ditty Bops came to life. Watch it here ➡️ https://lnkd.in/grugziPi. As Ditty Bops continues to travel across the nation, advocating for #Veterans, we are thrilled to announce that live performances will return to #OKC this winter, supported by Creative Forces! Stay tuned for more details!

We are thrilled to share the news of this incredible project led by dance powerhouse ⚡️Hui Cha Poos ⚡️, founder of @racedanceco, Governor's Arts Awardee, a founding member of SPARK! and a visionary in our community! 🙌 Thank you to the Kirkpatrick Family Fund & OK Let's Dance for bringing Hui's innovative idea to life through the Cure-8 Choreography Showcase. In a prime example of the power of visionary #philanthropy investing in artists, This platform is a game-changer for young, local choreographers, offering them the opportunity to gain mentorship and essential producing experience while connecting with our community AND connecting advocacy to powerful and relevant dance pieces. A special shoutout to SPARK! artists Natasha Abu-Fadel and Nathaniel Tylor, who along with @okcajina @harperjewelharris @aschooli, will bring their unique voices, advocacy and creativity to this project. We can’t wait to see these new works come to life! ✨ Join us at Oklahoma Contemporary Arts Center from October 3-5, 2024, to witness a new world of dance, born right here in OKC! Follow, share, celebrate, and support these amazing #OKC Artists! 🎶💃🏽 @racedanceco #sparklahoma #Cure8Showcase #DanceWithPurpose #KirkpatrickFamilyFund #OKLetsDance #CreativeJustice #OKCArtists #OklahomaArts #AdvocacyInArt #Choreography

Honored to share that *Ditty Bops | The Art of Listening,* a short documentary by SPARK! filmmaker (and international superstar) Zachary Burns, will be showcased at the Fort Smith International Film Festival! 🎥✨ Based on the story of #USAF Veteran Dr. Neil Chapman and our journey of bringing his remarkable story to the stage, this film stands as a powerful work of art in its own right, advocating for Veterans’ care and showcasing Burns’ incredibly storytelling. SPARK! Is committed to employing the arts for individual and social well-being, and through Ditty Bops, we aim to create a community of care centered around our Veterans, listening to, and amplifying, their voices and stories. With the support of our local #OKC community, and a prestigious grant from Creative Forces, we’re eagerly preparing to bring Ditty Bops back to the stage in OKC this winter! ⚡️ Join us at the Fort Smith International Film Festival and experience how art can be a catalyst for healing, connection, and advocacy. Help us continue to support and celebrate our Veterans through the transformative power of the arts. Find out more at https://lnkd.in/gfZQAGZj 🇺🇸🎬 #SPARKCreativeLab #DittyBops #VeteranAdvocacy #CommunityOfCare #CreativeForcesGrant #CreativeJustice #OklahomaArts #oklahomafilm #OKCArtists #FortSmithInternationalFilmFestival #ArtForSocialWellBeing #ZacharyBurns

We are thrilled to celebrate the incredible artistry of collaborator Jessica Ray, who was recently featured on the Filmmaking Conversations podcast with Damien Swaby! 🌟 Jessica's dynamic career spans dance, choreography, filmmaking, and visual mixed media, with her work leaving a profound impact on both the Brooklyn art scene and beyond. One of her standout projects, YIELD | WE BELONG TO THE LAND, was a transformative collaboration with SPARK! Creative Lab at Oklahoma Contemporary. This multidisciplinary placemaking project, co-directed by Jessica, brought together diverse voices and mediums, creating an immersive experience that deeply resonated with our community. Listen to Jessica's insightful interview and learn more about how her Oklahoma roots and SPARK! Creative Lab’s mission have helped shape her unique creative journey. 🌍🎥🎨 👉 https://lnkd.in/gX8sUGdX #JessicaRayArt #SPARKCreativeLab #YIELDProject #InterdisciplinaryArt #CreativeImpact #OklahomaArts #DanceAndFilm

SPARK! Creative Lab is honored to be awarded a $10,000 Creative Forces Community Engagement grant! This grant will support the continuation of "Ditty Bops | The Art of Listening,” aimed at amplifying the voices of Oklahoma City Veterans and bridging the military-civilian divide with advocacy and compassionate action. Thank you to Creative Forces National Endowment for the Arts and Mid-America Arts Alliance for this crucial support! Please reach out for partnership opportunities, and stay tuned for updates as we continue this incredible journey! "Ditty Bops | The Art of Listening" is funded in part by Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense and U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance"#DittyBops #TheArtOfListening #CreativeForces #NEA #MidAmericaArtsAlliance #Veterans #OKCArts #OKCArtists #CreativeJustice #SocialPractice #ArtistsInCommunity

Join us Mother’s Day for an extraordinary celebration of dance, culture, and community at SPARK! ✨ We're proud to partner with Calderón Dance Festival to present world-renowned Flamenco artists ReVoZo in #OKC. Thanks to generous support from OK Let’s Dance, an initiative of the @Kirkpatrick Family Fund, this remarkable performance is completely FREE! 🎉 Treat yourself to an unforgettable showcase of ReVoZo’s artistry and passion on Sunday, May 12th, at 3:00 p.m. Trust us - this FREE Mother’s Day performance is not to be missed! Free tickets are limited and going fast, so don’t wait to reserve your spot for this incredibly unique Mother's Day celebration! Click here for tickets! 🎟️ https://buff.ly/3JNN6kQ . . #sparklahoma #CalderónDanceFestival #ReVoZo #Flamenco #OKCArts #OKCDance #SocialPractice #MothersDayCelebration #OKLetsDance

We had a BLAST connecting creativity + leadership with Freedom City OKC's Freedom Girls at John Marshall Middle School! We're grateful to MidFirst Bank for their vision and generosity in making our collaborative education programs possible in Oklahoma City! #CreativeJustice #OKCArtists #ArtistsInEducation #sparklahoma #OKC #ArtsEducation #SocialPractice

We're proud to attend the Skoll Foundation World Forum for leaders in social innovation, and thrilled to see "Leading with Love in Social Impact" as one of the most highly-attended sessions, especially in this time of unrest and destruction. Tulaine M. invokes a definition of Love by Bell Hooks: "Love is a practice that seeks to utilize care, commitment, trust, responsibility, knowledge, and respect." This is our reason for existence. How about you? How does Love show up in your work? #LoveCanChangeTheWorld #SkollWorldForum24

We are honored to represent Oklahoma in the national dialogue on employing art as a means to activate a more connected, engaged, and compassionate society. Many thanks to Springboard for the Arts, the Mellon Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts for making this coalition possible, and for paving the way for philanthropy to play a role in systems change through supporting the intentional application of arts in community.

We're honored to be featured on News 9, with the fabulous Robin Marsh & Rachel Jamieson to advocate for Veterans' care, and to invite you to learn more at our open house this Wednesday from 6-8 pm! Find out more at https://lnkd.in/gEZVWsw8 🔥❤️🔥