Niyati Dhokai, Research Associate Professor, College of Visual and Performing Arts (CVPA); Program Director, Veterans and the Arts Initiative at the Hylton Performing Arts Center; Rick Davis, Dean, CVPA; Professor, School of Theater; and Carolyn J. Hays, Executive Director, Hylton Performing Arts Center; received $24,995 from Creative Forces®: NEA Military Healing Arts Network, an initiative of the National Endowment in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Creative Forces Community Engagement Grant program is managed by Mid-America Arts Alliance. They received this funding for: “Military and Veteran Community Rehearsed Reading (MVCRR).”
The Military and Veteran Community Rehearsed Reading (MVCRR) is a new strategic expansion of the Veterans and the Arts Initiative at George Mason, which has supported over 20,000 military-connected community members since 2014 through workshops and special events.
The MVCRR is designed to support military-connected community members through the power of collaborative storytelling to enhance creative expression, resilience, social connection for participants, as well as social connection for the community that attends the reading.
Through two, six-week series of guided rehearsed readings of theatrical scripts, the MVCRR provides military connected community members with a low-pressure, accessible, and empowering artistic experience that fosters well-being, communication skills, and a renewed sense of camaraderie.
The final rehearsed reading of each six-week series will be a public performance, providing an opportunity for participants’ friends and family members to attend as well as the regional community.
Funding for this project began in July 2026 and will end in late June 2027.
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George Mason University is Virginia’s largest public research university. Located near Washington, D.C., George Mason enrolls more than 40,000 students from 130 countries and all 50 states. George Mason has grown rapidly over the past half century and is recognized for its innovation and entrepreneurship, remarkable diversity, and commitment to accessibility. In 2023, the university launched Mason Now: Power the Possible , a $1 billion comprehensive campaign to support student success, research, innovation, community, and stewardship. Learn more at GMU.EDU .