TEST. 

>> OK, FOLKS. WE ARE GETTING READY FOR OUR REPORT BACK. PLEASE, IF YOU CAN VOTE YOUR SHARES BACK INTO A VIEWABLE -- CHAIRS BACK INTO A VIEWABLE FASHION, EVER THAT MEANS. 

>> ALL RIGHT. STARTING, STARTING. WE ALL IN HERE? 

>> I AM GOING TO DO A FINAL STREET. YES. THANK YOU. JAMES IS DOING IT, YES. [INAUDIBLE CONVERSATIONS] 

>> IN THE CASE WE WILL START. OK. WE ARE GOING TO START. I AM GOING TO BRING OUT MY DREADED TIMER, SO YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THREE MINUTES TO REPORT YOUR I WANT TO MAKE A QUICK COMMENTS AT THE TOP. IT IS WORTH REMINDING THAT OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THEATER AND DANCE. WE KNOW THE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN THAT. ART CAN SPEAK TO US MORE BROADLY. THAT HAS BEEN THE FOCUS. WE WILL NOT SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS OF THE WORLD IN THIS 20 MINUTES. WE HAVE EXACTLY 20 MINUTES. I'M GOING TO ASK GROUP ONE TO START. IF YOU CAN HOLD YOUR POSTED UP OR HAVE ONE OF YOUR GROUP DO IT. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU EXACTLY THREE MINUTES AND THEN CUT YOU OFF. 

>> PLEASE COME UP HERE AND USE THE MICROPHONE, GROUP ONE. 

>> WHOEVER IS GOING TO SPEAK CAN COME UP. THANKS. 

>> YOU CAN ATTACKTAG TEAM. 

>> WHAT WE WERE THINKING, WAYS WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO OPERATIONALIZE THIS. [INAUDIBLE] ARTISTS, I SUPPOSE. ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT HIS MENTORSHIP. I THINK WHAT WE WERE THINKING IS PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY DOING THIS WORK, VETERAN ARTISTS WHO HAVE HAD SUCCESS, HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THAT SUCCESS WITH NEW PEOPLE COMING INTO THE FIELD, SETTING UP MENTORSHIP FOR NEW ARTISTS. WE TALKED ABOUT NETWORK MAPPING. WOULD YOU LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THAT? 

>> I WOULD BE INTERESTED RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I WAS WORKING ON A THIRD-PARTY REPORT WITH FOUR FOUNDATIONS SUPPORTING DIVERSE ART SPACES. WE NEED SOME KIND OF NETWORK MAP THAT FOCUSES ON THE END-USER -- AND ARTIST RECIPIENT, AND HOW NODES WITHIN THAT NETWORK MAP APPEAR AND DISAPPEAR OVER TIME VIS-A-VIS THE FUNDING AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT. WHAT WE NEED IS TO LOOK AT THIS IDEA OF NETWORK MAPPING AND LAYING DOWN THIS NETWORK MAP. 

>> I SAID MAYBE THAT IS A WAY TO ENGAGE THE FORD FOUNDATION IN THIS WORK. THEN WE TALKED ABOUT, RATHER THAN BEST PRACTICES, RECOMMENDED PRACTICES OR PRACTICES OUR GROUP HAS DEVELOPED THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO ARTICULATE AND PROPOSE TO THE FIELD AND THE PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO THIS WORK AND HOW TO COLLECT AND DISSEMINATE THOSE. I WILL ALSO TO ACTIVATE EXISTING NETWORKS. WE TALKED ABOUT THERE IS A VETERAN ARTS NETWORK THAT MOSTLY FOCUSES ON VISUAL ARTS. MAYBE THERE IS A WAY TO CONNECT AND BUILD PERFORMING ARTS WITH A NETWORK THAT ALREADY EXISTS. WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE THEATERS NETWORK AND PARTNERING WITH TCG TO DO A PRECONFERENCE AND HOW WE SHARE THESE LEARNINGS WITH MORE COLLEAGUES OF HOURS ACROSS THE FIELD. 

>> THANK YOU. THE LAST THING WAS LEVERAGING MEDIA CONTACTS. OUTSIDE OF THIS ROOM, I MEAN THIS IS A SPECIALIZED CONVERSATION. HOW DO WE LEVERAGE THE PEOPLE WE KNOW, THE CONTACTS WE HAVE IN MEDIA, PRINT, TELEVISION, ETC. AND GET THIS CONVERSATION TO A BROADER WORLD? WE ARE TRYING TO ENGAGE AMERICANS AND BRING PEOPLE INTO THE THEATER IN SOME WAY. THE WAY YOU DO THAT IS TALKING WITH THEM. LEVERAGING OUR MEDIA CONTACTS, GETTING THE WORD OUT BEYOND THIS ROOM TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE. IS THAT GOOD? 

>> WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR GOALS AND WHY WE DO THIS WORK AND CONVENED AROUND THE IDEA OF HAVING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE TRUE IMPACT OF WAR AND ALL THE COMMUNITIES IT CONNECTS SO THAT WE AS A SOCIETY CAN MAKE BETTER DECISIONS IN THE FUTURE. 

>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] 

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, GROUP ONE. GROUP TWO. GROUP TWO WAS ALSO ARTISTS. [LAUGHTER] 

>> BY REQUEST, HIS REQUEST. WHAT A FINE JOB. MEGAN IS GOING TO TAKE US THROUGH THE LIST. IF ANYONE IN OUR GROUP HAS AGREED ADDITION, -- A BRIEF ADDITION COME UP. 

>> WE WERE TALKING ABOUT FRICTIONS. THIS STARTS WITH RECIPROCAL AND PARTICIPATING PROCESS THAT CREATES SPACE FOR ALL POINTS OF VIEW. COMPLICATED, INVITING IT ALL IN. HIGH EXPECTATIONS. OK. HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF THE ARTISTIC POTENTIAL FOR EACH PARTICIPANT. THIS IS RESPONDING TO QUESTIONS ABOUT QUALITY. QUITA OFFERED UP THAT THE NATIONAL THEATER PROJECT OFFERED UP QUALITY AND EXCELLENCE. RAISE VISIBILITY OF THE CONTINUUM, THE RANGE OF PROJECTS. ARTICLES, DOCUMENTATION ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT MIGHT NOT BE RISING UP. THE PERFORMANCE IS ITS OWN THING. THE WORKSHOPS, STORIES OR GO, PARTNERSHIP, ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE VALUE AND CAN BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE PRODUCTS WE ARE MAKING. SOME KIND OF ANALYSIS OR UNDERSTANDING OF THE RESOURCES AND POWER OF DISTRIBUTION FOR THIS KIND OF WORK THAT ALLOWS FOR US TO BE WORKING AT DIFFERENT SCALES, AT DIFFERENT SIZES WITH DIFFERENT GOALS, DIFFERENT REGIONAL CONTEXTS, AND ON AND ON. THAT IS OUR LIST. I WONDER IF ANYONE FROM THE GROUP WANTS TO ADD IN? 

>> THE THING ABOUT ARTISTIC POTENTIAL OR QUALITY, I THINK A LOT OF TIMES IT IS UNDERSTOOD IN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE KINDS OF EDUCATION PEOPLE GOT AS ARTISTS OR THE KINDS OF AUDIENCES WE'RE TRYING TO MEET OR FUNDING WE ARE TRYING TO PROCURE. THE NOTION THAT THERE IS INHERENT ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE WITHIN EACH OF US AND PART OF WHAT WE GET TO DO AS THE ARTIST IS THEY GOT HELP EACH PERSON CAN HIT THE BELL LADDER THAN THEY HAVE EVER GOTTEN TO THE POOR, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR ENGAGEMENT. -- GONE TO BEFORE, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CONTEXT OF OUR ENGAGEMENT. 

>> ONE LAST THING, SMALL IN HERE, IN THAT PROCESS IS THE DYNAMIC PARTNERSHIPS ARE ESSENTIAL. A LOT OF IDEAS GOT CONDENSED INTO ONE. 

>> GREAT. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] 

>> GROUP THREE. 

>> COME ON UP. 

>> OK. I WANT TO KNOW THE DRAFT IS ALIVE AND WELL. I GOT DRAFTED. [LAUGHTER] 

>> DISPEL THAT MYTH THAT IT IS NOT GOING ON. WE HAD THREE MAJOR THOUGHTS. THE TEAM IS GOING TO GO AFTER THIS. THE FIRST THING WE RECOGNIZE IS THAT IN THE CONVERSATION WE HAVE HAD THIS WEEK IN TERMS OF THIS NOTION OF HOW TO OPERATIONALIZE, WE FELT SOME FRAMEWORK, SOME STRATEGY AROUND A FRAMEWORK. WE RECOGNIZE THE WORK CAN RANGE FROM THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL TO THE COMMUNITY LEVEL. WE COULD BE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUAL SPRINTS ALL THE WAY TO HUMAN EXPERIENCE. YOU THINK ABOUT THAT PLANE, WHICH QUADRANT ARE YOU WORKING IN? YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON THE INDIVIDUAL, THE COMMUNITY, OR THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE AT THE BROADER LEVEL? WE THOUGHT BECAUSE THIS WORK IS SO LARGE, AND OFTEN I GET ASKED WHERE DO YOU START, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME STRATEGY OF FOR WORK SO COMMUNITIES CAN UNDERSTAND YOU CAN WORK ON THE INDIVIDUAL ASPECT OF THIS OR THE MUCH LARGER COMMUNITY LEVEL OF DRAWING THINGS TOGETHER. [LAUGHTER] YOU CANNOT SEE IT, BUT THAT IS THE IDEA. 

>> AWESOME. IT WAS A VERY COMBATIVE GROUP. THERE WERE A LOT OF KNIFE HANDS GOING ON. [LAUGHTER] 

>> THE SECOND POINT, THIS WAS THE MOST HOTLY CONTESTED THING, MOSTLY BY ME. WE GOT TO A POINT OF AGREEMENT. IT IS THE SENSE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE GROUP ABOUT WHERE ART CAME IN, ARE TO GROW, NOT -- ART DEGROAT, NOT ABSTRACTLY. THE VALUE OF AN INTERMEDIARY IN A COMMUNITY. FOR ANY THAT WAS ART AND HIS ABILITY TO CONNECT THE DOTS. FOR US IT IS THE ABILITY TO HAVE A CHANNEL TO SPEAK WITH THE MILITARY AND VETERAN SERVICE ORGANIZATION WORLD AND AT THE SAME TIME PERFORMANCE GROUPS LIKE WILL HE MAMMOTH THEATER TOGETHER PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND A BIG PIECE THAT CAME UP IS HOW DO WE CONVENE AROUND FUNDING. THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT I CAME IN. THE IDEA OF HOW DO WE BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO UNDERSTAND AND PROVIDE FUNDING AND WHAT IS THE ROLE OF A VSO? 

>> WE SAID WE SHOULD STEAL A PAGE OUT OF THE ENTREPRENEUR ABOUT. EVERY SATURDAY MORNING IF YOU ARE AN ENTREPRENEUR LOOKING FOR MONEY, YOU ARE DOING PITCH SESSIONS. YOU BRING IN AN INVESTOR, A BANKER, A PERSON WITH AN IDEA, AND THE COMMUNITY IS LISTENING. YOU SAY, I HAVE THIS IDEA, AND IT CAN GO. WE SAID LET'S STEAL A PAGE AND HAVE A SATURDAY MORNING SESSION WHERE YOU HAVE ARTISTS THAT HAVE VETERAN OWNED PROJECTS, CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS FIND THE FUNDERS FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND YOU ARE PITCHING THAT TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT COULD BE IN A PIPELINE OF NEW THINGS COMING ALONG THAT PRESENTERS COULD LOOK AT YEARS BEFORE AS THEY ARE BEING DEVELOPED AND PROJECT THAT OUT. 

>> WE WILL HOLD THE LAST ONE. SORRY. WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING. GROUP FOUR. 

>> SAY IT AS YOU WALK AWAY. YET THE LAST ONE. 

>> NO. THAT IS GOOD. [APPLAUSE] 

>> GROUP FOUR. 

>> THE SIZE OF THIS ALONE SHOULD SCARE YOU. PRETEND MELISSA IS NOT THERE. THE DRAFT IS ALIVE AND WELL. I JUST NOTICED TO MILITARY PEOPLE GOT CAST WITH DOING THIS. I'M GOING TO GO QUICKLY BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE RESTAURANT. EACH OF THESE WERE PARSED WITH A LOT OF THOUGHT. COMMUNICATION, BUILDING TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS. BRIDGING THE CULTURAL GAPS AND UNDERSTANDING, THAT'S HEALTH CARE IS A DIFFERENT CULTURE, ARTS, THE MILITARY IS A DIFFERENT CULTURE. THE SECOND IS STIGMA. THE SENSE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF VETERANS AS VALUABLE, INSIGHTFUL RATHER THAN DAMAGED. THAT IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT POINT. THROUGH THE ARTS WE SEE THE POSSIBILITY NOT THE DISABILITY. MULTIPLE POINTS OF CONTACT. THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT BEFORE. IT IS PREVENTION, PRODUCTION, AND POSTPRODUCTION. IT IS PROCESSING ALL ALONG THE WAY. IF WE FORGET THE PROCESSING AT THE INDIVIDUAL LEVEL AND GROUP LEVEL, WE HAVE MISSED AN IMPORTANT PART. NEXT IS COMPLEXITY OF THIS WORK. OBVIOUSLY THERE IS CONCERN THAT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM HERE ARE EXPERTS. YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME. OUR CONCERN IS THAT AS PEOPLE ARE GETTING INTO THE FIELD, THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED. THAT SCARES THE HEALTH CARE SIDE A LITTLE BIT. WE WANT TO EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF BUILDING THOSE NETWORKS. WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT. HOMEWORK, HOMEWORK, OR. THE LEXICON DISCUSSION WAS REALLY IMPORTANT. WE DO SPEAK DIFFERENTLY WHICH IS. UNDERSTANDING THAT LANDSCAPE, THESE ARE COMPLEX SYSTEMS. THE FIFTH IS WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS AND WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS? WE THINK IT IS IMPORTANT UPFRONT TO DEFINE WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND SOME THEORY OF HOW YOU WILL MEASURE. THAT EVERYTHING THAT CAN BE MEASURED IS VALUABLE. WE GET THAT. BUT SOME THEORY THAT YOU WILL ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU SET OUT TO ACCOMPLISH. MEASUREMENT AND EVALUATION, CLARITY OF DESIRED OUTCOMES, NEEDS ASSESSMENT, DRIVES AND PROCESS, AND THINK ABOUT HOW TO ENGAGE THE CIRCLE EXPERTS TO HELP YOU DEFINE THAT PROJECT. SIX, INCORPORATED CLINICAL RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECTS AND GROUNDING IT. WHERE WE GET INTO THIS FIELD WHERE IT DABBLES INTO HEALTH CARE, BEING INFORMED BY WHAT HEALTH CARE RESEARCH HAS ACCOMPLISHED WILL HELP IN YOUR RESEARCH OF THE PRODUCTION YOU DO. THIS IS A TWO-WAY STREET. I CHANGED IT TO AN INTERSECTION. WE ALL MEET TOGETHER. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE SEEK THE VALUE OF WHAT YOU CAN BRING AND GET RESPECT -- YET RESPECT THE BOUNDARIES OF YOUR OWN TRAINING AND SEEK OUT THE GAPS. THE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM IS NOT GOING TO HEAL THE WOUNDS OF THE VETERAN POPULATION. WE NEED TO DO IT TOGETHER. WE NEED TO KNOW THE LANGUAGE AND THE BOUNDARIES AND WORK TOGETHER. 

>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] 

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. GROUP FIVE. [INAUDIBLE] [LAUGHTER] 

>> ARTS PRESENTERS ROLL DEEP. WE CAME UP WITH THREE SUSTAINED STICKY POINTS. THE FIRST BEING PUTTING THIS WORK ON THE AGENDA ON A CONSISTENT BASIS IN OUR REGIONAL CENTER MEETINGS, SUCH AS MUP'S, WHICH STANDS FOR MAJOR UNIVERSITY CENTERS. -- PRESENTERS. AND LINKING UNIVERSITIES TOGETHER TO LINK THIS. SOFT AND HIGH VISIBILITY TOUCHES. USING #ARTSANDMILITARY, SOME OF US ACKNOWLEDGED YESTERDAY THAT WE ARE SMALL-SCALE. WE CAN SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF WORK THAT YOU MAY NOT SEE. IT MAY NEED A TWO-WEEK RESIDENCY TO ADVANCE SOMETHING THAT IS AS IMPORTANT AS THINGS THAT MAYBE MORE HIGH VISIBILITY. HOW DO WE TRACK THOSE THINGS? EASY WAY, IS #ARTSANDMILITARY. WE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE THAT GROW IN TERMS OF DATA CAPTURE. ADVOCACY AND MEDICATION IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTS AND INTERSECTION OF MILITARY COMMUNITIES. WE NOTE IS NOT A MONOLITH. WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED THAT SEVERAL TIMES. CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION SIDE? 

>> WE WANT TO SAY ABOUT THE FCP'S, IT IS MORE THAN ADVOCATING YOUR OWN COMMUNITY. IT IS LOOKING AT STATE LEGISLATION AND THE LEGISLATION AND WHO WILL CARRY OUR WATER JOINTLY IN CARING THOSE PARTNERSHIPS. WE ALL WORK TOGETHER ON THE HEALTH. COMMUNICATION IS ABOUT PRESS STRATEGY. IT IS GREAT THAT WE HAVE HOWLROUND. THIS IS NOW NATIONAL THAT WE ARE BUILDING. PRESS, TELEVISION, RADIO ARE ALL LOOKING FOR CONTENT. IT IS NOT JUST ONE SIDE OF THE STORY. MADISON KNOWS SOMEONE IN THE NEW YORK TIMES. THAT IS GREAT. WHO KNOWS SOMEONE IN THE ARMED FORCES PAPER? PLEASE JOIN. I USE THE EXAMPLE OF HAMILTON. WHEN I GO TO THE HILL TO ADVOCATE, THERE IS NOT A SINGLE LEGISLATOR WHO DOES NOT KNOW THAT WORK, IS NOT ASK ME FOR TICKETS. 

>> JUST A REALLY QUICK TRANSLATION TO THE HAMILTON. THAT MAY BE ONE EXAMPLE OF ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT IS HAPPENING AT WALTER REED AROUND REHABILITATION OF RETURNING VETS THROUGH THE ARTS. WE GO TO THE HELP WITH THAT ADVOCACY GROUP, YOU ARE GETTING THE THINGS THAT MAY HELP NEA. 

>> WE CAN GIVE YOU A ONE-PAGE FACT SHEET. 

>> GREAT. THANK YOU. THAT WAS GREAT. [APPLAUSE] 

>> GROUP SIX. LAST BUT NOT LEAST. THIS WAS FUNDED, REGIONAL ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, AGENCIES. 

>> WE ARE ALL ADMINISTRATORS. WE THOUGHT VERY LINEARLY. THIS IS ALL OF WHAT PEOPLE. THE FIRST THING IS A TOOLKIT. THIS IS BASED ON THE MODEL OF THE CREATIVE AGING TOOLKIT, WHICH IS NOT DISSIMILAR TO SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE BEEN TALKING TO THE LAST FEW DAYS. THAT IS A GREAT BASIS TO START A PROGRAM. ARTISTS AND COLLABORATORS AS WELL AS ANYBODY INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC WOULD INCLUDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUGGESTIONS, LEXICON, TAXONOMY, AND IDENTIFYING RESOURCES. THIS IS VERY MUCH ABOUT IMPLEMENTATION. HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THIS OUT? FUNDING AND STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGEMENT THE ON THE PERFORMANCE. WHAT KIND OF FUNDING DO WE NEED TO CONNECT WITH AND WHAT DO WE NEED AS FAR AS STRATEGIES? NUMBER THREE IS FOSTER AND CONNECT CROSS SECTOR PARTNERSHIPS. AND FUNDING IS BURIED THERE. WE OBVIOUSLY NEED THAT. WE FELT LIKE THE MEDICAL RESEARCH AS WELL AS THE ONGOING RESEARCH IS A BEDROCK TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND TO ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE THAT TO THE LEGISLATURE WHETHER IT IS THE STATE LEGISLATURE OR THE NATIONAL, THE FEDERAL LEGISLATORS IN ORDER TO GET THEM TO UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF HIS WORK. WE THINK THAT IS CRITICAL. DORIS DUKE IS FUNDING SOME OF THAT RIGHT NOW. WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT ASSET MAPPING AND HOW IMPORTANT THAT WOULD BE. WE NEED TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR OUTCOMES ARE AND DEFINE THE ENDGAME OF THE DIFFERENT MODALITIES THAT CONNECT ALL OF THESE SECTORS TOGETHER. NUMBER FIVE WAS A MESS RESOURCES FOR LONGER SUSTAINABILITY, FINANCIAL AND NINE FINANCIAL AND INSTITUTIONALIZE THESE PROGRAMS. ALL THESE WITH HELP US TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THIS. 

>> THANK YOU. NOLAN, WHERE DID YOU GO? WHAT WAS YOUR LAST POINT? I HATE THAT I COULD YOU OFF AND THEY DID NOT TAKE 30 SECONDS. 

>> I'M GOING TO HAVE A LITTLE CHALLENGE, SO BEAR WITH ME. THEIR LIVE. -- NARRATIVE. WE HAVE HEARD THE IDEA THAT IT IS THE ISSUE OF EMPATHY, SYMPATHY, OR CONTRIBUTOR. WHAT IS THE PERSPECTIVE THAT WE AS AN ART COMMUNITY HAVE? AND WHAT IS THE NATIONAL NARRATIVE THAT WE ARE COLLECTIVELY COMMUNICATING? DO WE SEE IT AS EMPATHY, 70, OR SIMPLY CONTRIBUTING -- SYMPATHY, OR SIMPLY CONTRIBUTING? WITHOUT RECOGNIZING THAT EVERYONE WOULD COME AT IT FROM A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, WHAT IS OUR POSITION, WHAT IS OUR THOUGHT ON THIS? WE SEE THEM AS CONTRIBUTORS BRINGING SOMETHING IN AS ARTISTS? THAT HAS TO BE IN FRONT OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 

>> THAT IS A GREAT LAST POINT. I'M GLAD WE PUT IT IN THERE. 

>> WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION QUICKLY TO THE ORCHARD FOR OUR FINAL ART SHARING. WE WILL BE CLOSING OUT THE REMAINDER OF THE CONVENER IN THAT SPACE. YOU ARE WELCOME TO LEAVE THINGS IN THE SPACE IF YOU WANT. JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP. 

>> NOT YET. NOWADAYS. -- NOW IT IS. HI, EVERYONE. WE ARE AT OUR LAST CASE STUDY BEFORE WE HAVE OUR CLOSING AND WRAP UP FOR TODAY. THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS ABOUT BEING A CHANGE AGENT. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT OTHERNESS, ALL THE WAYS THAT OTHERING HAPPENS AS WELL AS THE POWER OF ART TO CREATE PATHWAYS BETWEEN COMMUNITIES TO HEAL. I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A CHANGE AGENT. 30 YEARS AGO, JUDITH SMITH SET CHANGE IN MOTION WHEN SHE FOUND IT AXIS DANCE COMPANY, BRINGING TOGETHER DISABLED AND NONDISABLED ARTISTS. SINCE THEN THE COMPANY HAS TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD AND PIONEERED INTEGRATED DANCE TRAINING PROGRAMS IN COMMUNITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY. LAST YEAR IN 2016, JUDITH ENGINEERED THE FIRST EVER NATIONAL CONVENING ON THE FUTURE OF PHYSICALLY INTEGRATED DANCE IN THE U.S. FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF REGIONAL CONVENINGS THAT TOOK PLACE THROUGHOUT 2016, NO DOUBT CATALYZING MORE CHANGE IN THEIR WAKE. I WAS FORTUNATE TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL CONVENING IN NEW YORK IN MAY OF LAST YEAR AS WELL AS THE AGREEMENT REGIONAL CONVENING AT NEFA. JUDY HAS A LONG HISTORY AT NEFA AND THE NATIONAL DANCE PROJECT. VICTORIA MARKS, SOMEWHERE OUT HERE. THAT WORK WAS CALLED DUST. SINCE THEN THEY HAVE GONE ON TO RECEIVE FOR MORE GRANTS, DISTINGUISHING THEM AS ONE OUT OF 20 OF NEARLY 350 DANCE COMPANIES THAT HAVE RECEIVED FIVE OR MORE GRANTS. IN 2015 THEY WERE GRANTED TO GO AGAIN. JUDY SPECIFICALLY SOUGHT OUT JOE OR THIS COLLABORATION. JOE IS ALSO A RECIPIENT AND AWARD-WINNING CHOREOGRAPHER WHO HAS MADE A HUGE IMPACT ON CONTEMPORARY DANCE WITH HIS WORK THAT COLLIDES MUSIC, TEXT, AND MUSIC IN STUNNING WORKS THAT EXPLORE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN. TO GO AGAIN REACHED SEVEN COMMUNITIES FROM TEXAS TO TENNESSEE AND KEPT GOING LONG AFTER THEIR SUPPORT HAD BEEN EXHAUSTED. THEY WILL BE AT BOSTON UNIVERSITY LATER THIS WEEK. TO GO AGAIN EXPLORES RESILIENCE AND BRINGS TO LIGHT ISSUES FACING OUR NATION'S VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILY AND FRIENDS. JUDY SPOKE UP YESTERDAY TO REMIND ALL OF US THAT THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY HOLDS A VAST BODY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT NEEDS TO BE INTEGRATED INTO THE CONVERSATIONS, CONNECTIONS, AND ACTIONS WE TAKE AS A RESULT OF OUR TIME TOGETHER THIS WEEKEND. WITH THAT IN MIND, IT IS MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE JUDITH SMITH, JOE GOODE, AND AXIS DANCE COMPANY. [APPLAUSE] 

JUDITH: SHALL WE GET SETTLED FIRST? EVERYONE LOVING THE WEATHER? [LAUGHTER] I AM FROM CALIFORNIA, AND I MOVED TO AVOID THIS STUFF. I WANT TO THINK HOWLROUND FOR SUPPORTING THIS WORK. FOR THOSE OF YOU NOT FAMILIAR WITH AXIS DANCE COMPANY, WE ARE BASED IN CALIFORNIA. WE ARE IN OUR 30TH YEAR. OUR MISSION IS TO CHANGE DANCE AND DISABILITY. WE DO THAT THROUGH PERFORMING AND CREATING CONTEMPORARY DANCE. WE ALSO DO A LOT OF EDUCATION AND ENGAGEMENT. I THINK WE HAVE BECOME ONE OF THE PRIMARY PROFESSIONAL TRAINING GROUNDS FOR DISABLED DANCERS IN THE U.S. AND POSSIBLY INTERNATIONALLY AS WELL. I HAVE TO SAY THAT TO GO AGAIN IS REALLY ONE OF MY FAVORITE WORKS THAT I HAVE COMMISSIONED. THERE HAVE BEEN OVER 25. IT IS MY FINAL WORK FOR STAGE BEFORE I TURN THE REINS OVER TO MARC BREW IN JANUARY. [APPLAUSE] I THINK LIKE A LOT OF PEOPLE I HAVE BEEN VERY DISTURBED BY THE WAR, ESPECIALLY THE NUMBER OF VETERANS THAT ARE COMING BACK WITH BOTH VISIBLE AND INVISIBLE DISABILITIES. I THINK LIKE A LOT OF ARTISTS WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING TO HELP. IN 2013 -- NO, IT WAS EARLIER THAT, 2011 OR 2012, WE WERE APPROACHED BY A PALO ALTO VETERANS HOSPITAL TO STUDY HOW SOCIAL DANCE COULD IMPACT VETERANS WITH SPINAL CORD INJURIES RITA GRATIAN INTO SOCIETY -- REINTEGRATION INTO SOCIETY. I WAS APPROACHED BY MAN WHO IS A RETIRED LAWYER AND EX MILITARY. I BELIEVE HE WAS AN OFFICER. YES. HE WANTED TO COMMISSION AXIS. HE FLEW FROM COLUMBUS, OHIO, TO DO WORK ABOUT VETERANS AND SPECIFICALLY DISABLED VETERANS. HE SOUGHT US OUT BECAUSE WE ARE A COMPANY OF DANCERS WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES. I WAS RATHER INTIMIDATED BY THE IDEA OF DOING A PIECE ABOUT VETERANS. I SAID IF I WAS GOING TO DO IT, I SAID I WOULD WANT TO WORK WITH JOE. WHEN I CONTACTED JOE IN 2013, IT WAS IN THE FALL, AND SYNCHRONISTICLY HE HAD JUST DONE HIS PROJECT IN KANSAS WITH VETERANS. I WAS REALLY RELIEVED BECAUSE I WAS SO INTIMIDATED BY HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THIS PIECE AND HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO IT RESPECTFULLY. I WAS SO GLAD TO KNOW THAT JOE KIND OF ALREADY KNOW WHAT HE WAS DOING. TO GO AGAIN HAS ACTUALLY BEEN SEEN IN 20 CITIES NOW. I'M HOPING IT REMAINS IN THE REPERTOIRE. THAT WILL BE UP TO MARC. IN CONJUNCTION WITH PERFORMING IT, WE HAVE DONE WORKSHOPS WITH VETERANS AROUND THE COUNTRY WHERE WE HAVE TAKEN THE PEACE AND SHOWN IT INFORMALLY, MOSTLY AT V.A. HOSPITALS AND VETERAN CENTERS, AND I SPECIFICALLY MAKE THOSE CLOSED WORKSHOPS SO WE COULD CREATE A SAFE CONTAINER FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. I THINK IT HAS BEEN, THE DANCERS YOU WILL MEET AT THE END, I THINK THEY WILL TELL YOU IT IS ONE OF THEIR MOST IMPACTFUL EXPERIENCES DURING ENGAGEMENT WORK. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO JOE. 

JOE: THANK YOU. AS JUDY SAID, I HAVE JUST MET ART DEGROAT. IS HE HERE? IN KANSAS, AND I HAD DONE WORK THERE. I WAS JUST BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A CONVERSATION I COULD HAVE WITH VETERANS. A GAY BUDDHIST CHOREOGRAPHER 

FROM SAN FRANCISCO. JUDITH: LESBIAN ATHEIST. 

JOE: I ALWAYS OPEN WITH THAT. IT BONDS US. IT HAS BEEN A JOURNEY FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT CONVERSATION WAS, AND RESILIENCE PROJECT I HAVE REALLY APPROACHED THE VETERANS AS TEACHERS ABOUT THIS THING CALLED RESILIENCE. I DON'T YET FEEL EMPOWERED TO APPROACH THEM AS SOMEONE WHO CAN HEAL THEIR TRAUMA OR EVEN FULLY UNDERSTAND IT, BUT TO APPROACH THEM AS TEACHERS AND ASK THEM FOR THEIR KNOWLEDGE AND THESE ORAL HISTORIES, CONVERSATIONS WITH FOOD, AS WE HAVE DISCUSSED, HAVE REALLY BEEN AMAZING FOR ME, AND I HAVE LEARNED A LOT AND FELT GIFTED. TO GO AGAIN IS BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WE DID AT THE VA HOSPITAL IN LIVERMORE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY. ONE OF THE DANCERS IS A VETERAN. WE USED SOME OF HIS PERSONAL CONTACTS TO DO SOME OF THE INTERVIEWS. IT WAS BRILLIANT FOR ME TO WORK WITH A MIXED ABILITY COMPANY ON THIS WORK BECAUSE THERE IS -- THERE ARE SOME PARALLELS. THERE IS SOME STIGMA THAT IS PARALLEL TO WHAT THE MILITARY PEOPLE FEEL SOMETIMES, AND CERTAINLY BEING DISABLED YOU KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT BEING RESILIENT. THERE WAS THAT INTUITIVE CONNECTION. BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH A LITTLE EXERCISE WITH THESE FOLKS. ASK YOU TO DO A LITTLE RESILIENCE PRACTICE WITH ME THAT I MADE UP. I AM ALL ABOUT THE BODY PRACTICES. THAT IS MY TERRITORY. IF YOU WILL INDULGE ME, I HAVE DONE THIS WITH SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUPS, OFTEN MILITARY GROUPS AND THEIR FAMILIES. I WILL JUST SAY THE RESILIENCE PROJECT -- THIS IS SCARING ME -- THE RESILIENCE PROJECT IS REALLY INTERVIEWS WITH VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES. SO WE -- WE ALWAYS INCLUDE THE FAMILIES BOTH IN THE ORAL HISTORY PART OF IT BUT IN ALL THE STEPS. IF YOU CAN JUST AS YOUR HANDS ON YOUR THIGHS AND YOUR FEET ON THE FLOOR, TAKE A COUPLE OF CLEARING BREATHS. NOT THEATRICAL BREATHS, BUT LISTENING BREATHS. LISTENING TO YOUR OWN BREATH, FEELING IT. THEN WE ARE JUST GOING TO RUB THOSE HANDS ON THE THIGHS AND CREATE A LITTLE HEAT. THIS IS A PART OF BRINGING ENERGY AND VITALITY INTO THE BODY, BRINGING A LITTLE BELIEVE INTO THE BODY. I'M STILL HERE. THE NEXT PART, IF YOU'RE LIKE ME AND YOU ARE BESPECTACLED, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THEM OFF. I LIKE TO HANG THEM HERE LIKE GRANDMA. GRANDMA USED TO HAVE TWO OR THREE PAIRS. YOU ARE LIKE, WHICH ONE OF THOSE ARE YOU WEARING? RUB THE HANDS. GET THEM NICE AND HOT. TAKE THE HEEL OF THE HAND AND PLACE THEM OVER THE EYES. WE'RE JUST GOING TO THINK OF BURNING OUT ALL OF THE REPETITIVE THINKING, THE TAPE LOOP OF WHO YOU ARE, WHO YOU AREN'T, WHAT YOU NEED, WHAT YOU LIKE, WHAT YOU WANT. LET IT ALL GO FOR A SECOND. BURN IT OUT. CREATE AN EMPTY SPACE. THEN WE WILL JUST OPEN THE GATES. I WOULD LEAVE MY EYES CLOSED. YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT ME AND SEE WHAT I'M DOING. IMAGINE THAT FRESH NEW PERSPECTIVE CAN COME IN. THAT IS PART OF BEING RESILIENT. YOU CAN KEEP PLAYING THE TAPE OF YOUR HARDSHIP, OR YOU CAN LET SOME GENTLE NEW PERSPECTIVE FLOAT IN. THE FINAL STEP IS JUST TO SEND THAT OUT. EVERY BEDROOM THAT I HAVE SPOKEN TO SEND THEIR REAL HEALING -- SAID THEIR REAL HEALING BEGIN ONLY STARTED TO SHARE, WHEN THEY STARTED TO TALK ABOUT IT, SPREAD IT AROUND. LET'S DO THAT ONE MORE TIME. THE WHOLE PROCESS. A FEW GENTLE BREATHS. LISTENING TO THE BREATHS. THEY'RE MINE. WHAT IS THE TEMPO? WHAT IS THE TEMPERATURE OF THOSE BREATHS? A LITTLE HEAT, BRINGING VITALITY AND ENERGY. I NEED TO WAKE UP TO DO THIS WORK OF BEING RESILIENT. THEN COVER THE EYES. BURN OUT THE MONKEY MIND. THE UNNECESSARY LOOP THAT PLAYS. AND OPEN THE GATES AND ALLOW SOME GENTLE FRESH THING TO FALL IN THERE. YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT IS. IT WILL JUST COME INTO THE EMPTINESS. FINALLY, SHARE IT. SEND IT OUT. YOU ARE NOT IN THIS ALONE. THANK YOU. NOW YOU CAN ALL MOVE TO SAN FRANCISCO. 

JOE:-- 

JUDITH: WHERE IT IS WARMER. 

JOE: AND THE HIPPIES. WE WILL JUST SHOW YOU WHAT IT IS. [APPLAUSE] 

>> COMBAT INJURED VETERAN, U.S. NAVY, DESERT STORM. 

>> MOTHER OF INJURED DAUGHTERS, IRAQ. 

>> SPINAL CORD INJURY, IRAQ. 

>> MILITARY DAUGHTER, WIFE, AND NOW  MOTHER OF DISABLED VETERAN, AFGHANISTAN. 

>> THESE ARE SOME OF THE STORIES, SOME OF THE WORDS THAT WILL BE SPOKEN, AND SPEAKING THEM MATTERS. ♪ 

>> IT WAS DEVASTATING. IT WAS MY WHOLE WORLD. AT THAT TIME WHAT I THOUGHT WAS MY WHOLE WORLD JUST COLLAPSED. FROM THE PHYSICAL ASPECT OF BEING AN ATHLETE, MY WHOLE LIFE TO THINKING I WOULD NOT BE AN ATHLETE AGAIN. 

>> THESE ARE REAL WORDS FROM REAL PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO HAVE LIVED DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES. WHO DOESN'T HAVE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES? EVERY TIME WE STOP, WE GO AGAIN. THANK YOU. YES. THE RECOVERY IS GOING WELL. TO ME IT SEEMS IT IS GOING SLOW, BUT IT IS GOING SLOW IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YES, I WAKE UP AND FEEL LIKE THAT I AM DOING GOOD, SO I NEED TO KEEP ON GOING FORWARDS. 

>> REAL WORDS. REAL PEOPLE. I THINK THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS THAT PLAYED INTO THE DARK TIMES. ONE, THAT IS ALMOST THE HARDEST THAT I ALWAYS KIND OF STUFF DOWN, BUT I LOST TWO OF MY GOOD FRIENDS IN THE SAME INCIDENT. 

>> BECAUSE WHO DOESN'T HAVE DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES, AND THIS WAR, THIS CONFLICT, EVERYONE FACES OBSTACLES. EVERYBODY GOES THROUGH THESE KINDS OF THINGS. SOMETIMES IT IS HOW WE GET THROUGH THOSE THINGS. 

>> THEY HAD US ALL CONTROLS EVERY DAY AFTER 9/11. THEY POSTPONED PERPETUATION OF THE THIS TAPE TRAINING BECAUSE OF IT. THERE WAS ONLY ONE DOOR IN THE ENTIRE BARRACKS THAT WAS OPEN. THE REST OF THEM WERE TAPED SHUT, SLAMMED SHUT, LOCKED SHUT. WHEN YOU CAME IN THE FRONT DOOR OF THE MARINE BARRACKS, THERE WAS AN M-16 WITH A GRENADE WATCH HER ON IT LOOKING UP THE FRONT DOOR. NO PISTOLS, NO FLAGS, NO NOTHING. IF WE DIDN'T LIKE IT, WE WOULD BLOW YOU UP IN THE PARKING LOT. WE HAD GUYS ON THE ROOF. SNIPER WATCH. OUR PATROLS WERE MOSTLY AROUND THE GATES. WE WOULD LOOK FOR BOMBS. THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD DO. WE KNEW. WE WERE ALREADY AMPED. WE FELT OUR HEARTS PUMPING. WE MIGHT ACTUALLY GET TO USE ALL OF THIS TRAINING. ♪ 

>> I have a sister in Canada. And they were both saying there was something wrong with the place she was staying because she was just not getting any better. We hired some healers. Psychic healers. To clear the energy of the space. Psychic, yes. One of them said if she is screaming so much it means that she is still in the accident. She hasn't come out of the accident yet. You need to have someone to tell her she's not in the accident anymore. She is safe. I had no one to tell her because people don't believe in that kind of stuff. So I was calling her twice a day. And I remember it was the third of July 2005. And I was telling her on the phone, listen. You are not in the accident anymore. Your safe. -- you are safe. Nobody is going to hurt you. You are back in the United States. And you are OK. I said that six times. And she stopped the screening. -- screaming. And she said, OK. 

>> It's like nothing you can expect. It's like nothing you can really explain. Eight years out, we're much better at not crying when we talk about it. 

>> You all know what the m181 Abrams is. 

>> They don't know. 

>> Me M1 A1 Abrams was the new tickets for contact when the century turned. 

>> They were the baddest boys on the planet. But they can't work alone. ? What happens if a track breaks? 

>> Those tracks are seven tons apiece. 

>> You put them back together by hand. 

>> You do that while you are under fire. 

>> You put them back together by hand. 

>> And if something goes wrong with him? 

>> You would see me. 

>> Trying to get that tank out of combat. 

>> Like you would drag a soldier that's been shot. 

>> You drag him out of combat by hand. 

>> But the Abrams ways 69.4 tons. 

>> Almost 70 tons of hate and discontent as we call them. 

>> My job is to make sure that trooper. 

>> That weighs 70 tons. 

>> Gets out of the zone. 

>> Because he's hurt. 

>> We actually refer to our tanks with names. We talked to them. We lived in them. Got tired of them. And when we got away from them. 

>> We wanted to come back to them. 

>> Those were our homes. 

>> Those were our biggest partner. 

>> Was a tank. 

>> We changed into the open field. We knew that change was coming. We knew the war was coming. We knew all the changes meant something big was coming. My staff sergeant approached me. He said I need you and my heart was filled with dread. He said it's time to go, get your gear and find your stuff. You only have three hours and that has to be enough. That's all that I was given. Just three hours, say goodbye. I was in my camouflage and I got to the front door of my little duplex right outside the gate. I opened my front door. My wife came up and hugged me. She always did. The moment we embraced each other she pulled back and said what's wrong? I said Melissa I got the call. I have three hours. And she fell to pieces. 

>> I got a little story for you. And it goes like this. When I was 18 I used to look in people's windows and if they weren't home I would steal their stuff. Yeah. But that's what happens when you grow up in chaos. Sad story, right? I can tell you're looking for a little more. OK. I wasn't a bad kid. Just a little bit wild. Yeah. Just a little wild. And so I found myself in front of a judge. And I had to make a choice. Jail or boot camp. The choice was clear. You got it. From there it was early morning push-ups, long days on an aircraft carrier and Desert Storm. Discipline baby. Becoming a man. Yeah. Becoming a Marine was a very serious instant in my life. In order to find myself I had to lose myself. Lose myself. Completely. [APPLAUSE] 

>> He was called up in 2004 to active duty and in 2006 he left in September for Afghanistan. And he was actually there for 10 days when I got a funny message from a Marine sergeant that said, we are in the area and we need to talk to you. Having been a military daughter, wife and now mother, I guess it didn't click. It was like OK well, I'm at the hospital. They said, we will be right there. When I saw them in their dress blues, that was scary. And they said, he's not dead. 

>> Yes sir. Actually he was on his second deployment. He got tapped for a last-minute deployment two weeks after we found out. I was pregnant with twins. And came back three days before they were born. Yeah. Resilience is definitely something that is needed in the military. 100%. Yeah. I mean, I'm just -- you have to be resilient. You have to be strong. You have to be willing to put up with a lot of craft. -- crap. And you have to be willing to fight for your marriage. I can't think of a single couple that we know from when we first got married that is still together. It's hard. Military life is hard. It's hard on everybody and a lot of people just don't make it. 

>> It's like nothing you can expect. It's like nothing you can explain. It's empty, empty, but something remains. Close the drapes. Shut the door. Turned away from what I knew before. Folding in, falling out. Waking up to this world of doubt . Waking up to this world of doubt. It's like nothing you can expect. It's like nothing you can explain. It's empty, empty, but something remains. 

>> He was called up in 2004 to active duty. And in 2006 he left. In September for Afghanistan. And he was actually there for 10 days. When I got a funny message that said, he's not dead. [APPLAUSE] 

>> Do we still have time? Do I have a timekeeper out there? 

>> 10 minutes. 

>> 10 minutes, OK. What I normally do with the resilience project is kind of go back to this body practice. Before we get into our analytical thinking and are descriptive responses. Just sort of close your eyes and again feel your breath down into the bottoms of your feet. Notice if your body is having a response. And just take that in. Acknowledge it. It's important. It's what really matters. And then open your eyes. Do you have any questions? What a great job you guys did. Wow. Amazing. [APPLAUSE] 

>> I also want to say that the music was composed by -- and his mother. Actually also is connected. She works at a VA Hospital in California. 

>> Hi everybody. My name is James Bowen. Originally from Dallas, Texas. Went to Kansas State University. Joined AXIS Dance Company August of 2016. I'm excited to be here, everyone. 

>> My name is Duane Sugarman. I moved to Oakland two years ago to join access. I moved from Tampa, Florida. 

>> My name is Julie Carruthers. I studied dance in North Carolina and moved to Oakland to join access in July 2014. 

>> My name is live Shafer. I'm from Chicago and I studied dance in the Bay Area and joint access in August 2016. 

>> We have two other dancers and an apprentice also with us. You will be able to see them if you come to the Boston University residency. Mark is our incoming artistic director. That's a bad word to use. Use our new artistic director. -- he is our new artistic director. [APPLAUSE] 

>> Anyone have a comment question or a feeling you want to express? Carla? [INAUDIBLE] 

>> OK. People heard that, right? I just want to say I am almost moved to tears. I'm so very moved and that's what I want to share with you. Thank you so much. 

>> Thank you. Someone -- is that Anthony? Who is that? 

>> Thank you so much for that performance. That was absolutely amazing. I wanted to ask about the music, the mood. I was trying to put words to and what I came up with was beautifully haunting. I would like to hear from you guys about the music. IQ -- thank you. 

>> I can talk about how the music came about. Then is somebody I work with a lot of in my work and he likes to be in the process, in the rehearsal studio, feeling the temperature of what is happening in various sections. I also am always about colliding language and movement. And seeing how they can -- complement each other but also maybe contradict each other. Create a little friction or dislodge you from the perspective that you think you have on the language. That the movement can actually shift you into some new perspective. I like that andben is very sensitive to that and that's not an easy collaborative moment when you tell a musician, maybe not so loud or not so much music in this moment? Because they've got to talk. And he's really great with that. Do you guys want to talk about how it feels? 

>> I'm thinking about how it feels. I don't know. Joe said everything. It was just interesting being in there. Ben was totally immersed in the process and checking in and making little tweaks as we went along. It was my first time having a musician in the studio. That's not really true, but the first time to that extent. I don't know what else to say. It was pretty cool to see them work together and make those adjustments. 

>> Julian and Duane are two of the dancers that were in the original process with Joe. Luv and -- liv and James came in and took on roles. 

>> Those two. And Duane helped me with some of the oral histories. 

>> I would like to ask each of the dancers to talk a little bit more about the oral histories and how you embodied them. Being a dancer I'm always thrilled that dancers can talk and move at the same time. 

>> Yes, we can. I'm also a fan of dancers who can talk. I did my best to relate to my own personal history. I feel that there are moments when I am the character that I spoke with my monologue but also the character that James spoke of when I was Melissa with Duane. I drew from my own experiences having a loved one being far away. Not being able to get in touch with them. Ultimately just had to take a different perspective every time I tried it even from our run earlier this morning to today. Playing with different cadences of speaking and different cadences in my movement. If I keep it alive in that way I can keep the character alive for myself. 

>> When we were doing interviews with the people Joe was pretty clear, it was Joe and a rehearsal assistant and one of the dancers. Any text that we said was not the text that we heard. I wasn't able to even try and say it like it was said. I really got to take it on as my own. Recognizing it as not just a singular story relevant to one person but the grander scope and human experience. When I'm delivering my lines I like to pretend that there is one specific person that I'm speaking to over there. That kind of helps me keep it alive. 

>> Julie said it all. We weren't in the interviews for the parts that we spoke. We were in other interviews. I know for me I feel a lot of -- I really want to get it right. I don't need to get at the same all the time but I want to get it right. I was in an interview with a woman who was injured in Iraq. Seeing her and her mother, being there when they told their stories and realizing that all of these other interviews probably had the same experience. I really wanted to make sure that their stories came across in the way they wanted them to while also keeping it equivalent to the grander human experience. 

>> I wasn't part of the process of being able to interview. The veterans. Coming in as a new company dancer, it was difficult at first because I was trying to act like this person. I'm going to say his name is John. I don't know his name. I was trying to act like John. Then I started to play around with the idea of, be James telling the story. My name is James by the way. Just be James. I am a married man. I was putting myself in that situation telling my husband that I have to go back overseas and I don't know if I'm going to come back the same. That's the process was for me. 

>> I will say that the woman who Duane spoke about who had the traumatic brain injury, she and her mother and her therapist actually came to the showing of the peace, the preview that we did of the peace. This piece is really emotional for me still. And to see them after the performance and how gratified they all felt that their story had been revealed that way I think was for me one of the highlights of actually putting this project together. 

>> Don't make us cry. 

>> I cry at commercials. [LAUGHTER] 

>> I have a feeling we might be running out of time. 

>> OK. Thank you. I feel like you all really unearthed so many incredibly touching honest hard moments both in the movement and the text and the way it all came together. I know that on tour and this piece has toured quite extensively that you all did interact with different veteran communities and military communities and groups while the work was in different communities and in addition to what you've shared about the creation of the work, is there anything that stones -- stands out to you all in your experiences on tour that might be really important for this group to hear? 

>> I remember one time when we went to a veterans hospital and did a workshop. One of the veterans came up to me because I did the scene speaking the lines about the tanks. Exactly like Julie and I were saying, we wanted to get these stories right. He came up to me and said, that was my story. He was like interiors and sort of -- in tears and sort of relieved. That's everything he went through. And he felt so happy that we were sharing that with everybody. That was -- going to be a hospitals and having more of those experiences was pretty deep. 

>> My favorite moment of the workshops is often when we go in. We do a movement with the veterans before the show. They are often very reluctant. We walk in in our matching axis dance T-shirts and they are not sure what they are in for. We're like, everybody get up and no one wants to get up. Watching the transition to all you have to do is follow what I'm doing. Giving them the space. Now you create a movement. Watching the creativity explode sets the scene to be able to digest this work that is so heavy on all of our hearts. 

>> I'm always pretty fascinated as we go into each of the workshops we may be sometimes create a different order to things. Maybe there's a showing of the work at the end which is usually the case for us. The difference between when you show a work and then you danced together versus when you dance together and then you show a work, I don't know that one is better than the other but this setting is one that is really draws out a lot of high contrast in terms of when you make that connection with people one on one maybe it's a little easier after they've seen this Diebold's and -- dipole -- divulge and enter into their world. 

>> It is a cool experience to go into a veteran workshop and get them up to move. Another cool thing for me is that when they come up to us and tell us how cool it is to be able to share their story through our movement and how they can connect to our movement. I think that's probably a powerful thing for me going into these workshops. They are not dancers. They can relate to this. It's the bomb. 

>> I just want to add one more thing to that. There was a family member in the workshop on time. They came up and really thanked us. Family serves as well and that story doesn't always get told. 

>> Thank you very much. [APPLAUSE] 

>> Grade. We're going to do just a final thing in this room. -- great. We are to do just a final thing in this room. We just really have a few minutes. Thank you so much. All of the work was so beautiful this entire time. The conversation and the work together. We're going to do a final some comments. There's going to be a photograph at the very end. We're just going to take 10 minutes to just -- if there's any final comments people want to throw it into the room before we finish, just come up and do that here. If there's any final thoughts, takeaways. Nothing? Any final thoughts, takeaways. I think somebody is going to come up and say something. 

>> Just an appreciation. This week has been really eye-opening for me. I came here at invite of KJ Sanchez because she couldn't be here. Although I had done some work with veteran programs, I didn't know the extent to which people were really working on this. This week has just been -- I can't even begin to express how full my heart is right now. The work that is happening and the love that is coming from everyone and the conversations that are happening and the thought that's going into it. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. [APPLAUSE] 

>> I wanted to jump in. Earlier I was speaking out from a group and I felt like our group had said so many brilliant things that I didn't get to represent. Linda's comment about reciprocal healing. I saw that so much in the performance just now. I just want to underline it. There's been a lot of conversation about trauma and healing. Many of us have healing to do and find that here and it's not a one way transactional thing. It's a part of the reciprocal art making process. This has been a really healing and life-affirming thing for me. So thank you. 

>> We have a comment back here. 

>> Hi everyone. This is just a appreciation and thank you. Thank you Joe Goode. Thank you axis. Thank you Judy. For your effort, your ideas and visions to put this into action. When you asked us how do you feel, what are you thinking. I'm still -- my heart is beating really fast. And I just pretty much wanted to thank each character that you saw dancing on stage was as unique in person as they are out of play and on stage. So to me I was very -- recently -- I'm sorry. I am an apprentice for axis and has been a couple of months in the dance studio learning about movement and body and it has been a very huge appreciating journey for me recently and I just wanted to share that because their talent has inspired me and made me believe in dancing and in myself again. Thank you. [APPLAUSE] 

>> Thank you. It's just hard to come down. Yes to everything. And I feel like I want to acknowledge the way in which all of the work of the people in this room is about giftgiving. I want to say that I feel like I have in the recipient of many powerful gifts this weekend. I also want to point out that we are all trying to navigate this world. When we talk about Michael's wonderful word of operational -- the continuous navigation that we are all making between the worlds of commerce and pragmatic existence and the gifts we want to give and are giving and managing to figure out how to give it in spite of the complexities of navigating these worlds. I just want to knowledge that the giftgiving is really coming through. Thanks. 

>> I just wanted to say thank you to all of you and to HowlRound and to NEFA. When I started this work, the only male dancer that I could get that knew how to move like a Marine and could bring that element to our productions was my roommate infallujah. We would go to these showcases in New York City with all of these modern dancers and we would get our prop M-16s and bring this picture of the combat zone to the stages and there was very little work going on in the arena. Smatterings here and there. As time went on I got connected to people like Victoria. Liz and other people that were working in this paradigm. To see this work develop and the importance of it grow and then to come here and see this community come together. I think HowlRound did a great structuring of this in that all of the boundaries were broken down. We were able to come together as a community and really create not only something for the future but motivation to keep going. So that's my way of just saying thank you. [APPLAUSE] 

>> I just wanted to follow up on -- I will coordinate with Jamie on the one pager that has been requested. It's always a little complicated. The NEA cannot advocate for the NEA. We can provide you with the requested materials. The caveat that I would say, the one pager really focuses on 10 geographic areas. Some of them are embargoed. We're going to be announcing the final four selection sites on March 27 right after that. In some ways you can say there is about to be an announcement where it's growing even further. I just wanted to let you know. We will also link you to a video that has been pretty effective as well. I think it's great to echo the veteran artists that express their gratitude. 

>> This is really gratifying work. I just want to encourage you to keep leaning into it. If you do, be prepared to have a very complicated response for someone saying to you who has served, thank you for your service. There is no better reason to have a difficult emotional response than to try to sort out why this is good and why it was worth it. [APPLAUSE] 

>> I was just thinking during the talkback. Axis has been in Tampa and Duane is partially based in Tampa and has actually done workshops with some of the same veterans that I do workshops with. We just had this convening with Americans for the arts in Tampa and some of the veterans I work with on a regular basis went to see point perform. -- Dwayne perform. He was so inspiring to them to feel like they are part of something much larger than what they are experiencing locally. So I just want to say that what occurred to me is if there's a way for us to continue not only convening but maybe to do exchanges or maybe some way that these projects who work with real veterans in local communities get to connect with each other and know that they are part of something larger and something national and that their voices are in the room with us even when they're not here. It would be fabulous to see some of them here. I just wanted to offer that. 

>> Thank you. I'm going to give you the final word over there. 

>> Maybe gratitude. I feel I learned so much personally. And so much that I think will be important for the work we are trying to do. I wanted to echo what is it that makes a life worth living? We heard that in the bigger sense from Liz about risk, purpose and love. And I felt that and saw that and I feel so grateful for that. I wanted to share other things I learned. So much of the power of when I was exposed to was in the particular. I think all the artists know that. The power is in the particular. I was also struck that the importance and the healing importance is in the universal. Particularly as I watched that last piece around trauma. It's universal, it's human. That magical dance between the particular and the universal I think is the empowering structure for this whole area of work. I had the feeling that -- why couldn't more people see what I just saw? This fantasy -- could the new secretary for Veterans Affairs have been sitting with us? Watching, just watching. Not to have an opinion, although he would. He's a very humanistic person. And I just had that fantasy. I think it's achievable. The power of the work is universal and if we put it out there it will connect. 

>> Thank you. [APPLAUSE] 

>> Just one final thing from my end. It takes a ton of people to put a convening together. There's always the heart of the convening. Really the heart of this convening and I know because I saw the meeting for hours and hours over the last months, one who we mentioned earlier, Jamie gallun. And the last person is Jane Preston from NEFA who has done a tremendous amount of work. So thank you. [APPLAUSE] 

>> Thank you all. Thank you. Back at you. Tomorrow is Judith Smith's birthday. [APPLAUSE] 

>> So perhaps we could have another group sing-along. And sing happy birthday to Judith. ♪ happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday dear Judith Happy birthday to you  ♪ [APPLAUSE] 

>> Sarah, no one tipped us off about you. Sorry about that. ♪ happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you Happy birthday [APPLAUSE] 

>> Thank you all. There have been a lot of Thank you's but I get to wrap them up and my favorite thing to do is express gratitude so I'm going to do some more of that. First of all to all of the artists who were with us from the beginning of planning for this convening and really were the core of building who is here and gave us the art and the performances that wove throughout the time. Thank you to all of the artists. [APPLAUSE] 

>> And then to call out again the HowlRound folks. Carl, David, Jamie. My pal forever. [APPLAUSE] 

>> And the amazing HowlRound staff and the technical folks who just always are so much the collaborators in making these things happen. So thank you all. This was beautiful. [APPLAUSE] 

>> I have to thank my NEFA colleagues. Keith Sullivan and Sarah Nash who do this work every day. [APPLAUSE] 

>> Such a pleasure to work with brilliant strategists and designers and program folks. Thank you to the funders. Duke, melon, NEA. I think this is the beginning of coalescing with other funders to build this work. So thank you for getting it started. [APPLAUSE] 

>> OK. We are going to be sending some stuff out. We are going to be sending out a contact list which many people have been requesting and we are on it. We are going to send out a brief evaluation and I think I will just racket that by saying we also want to spend some time thinking about the questions we want to continue to feed out and build all of this conversation over time. Our amazing documentation consultant, Maureen White, who has been quietly with us the whole time. [APPLAUSE] 

>> I can't believe she still has fingers. Maureen has an amazing way of synthesizing themes and big picture. She will help us with some of the questions and we will get a report back out to you. And then out to the field as soon as we can do that. We also work a lot with Chris wire and we will continue those conversations with Chris about some follow-ups and case studies in building lexicons and the aesthetic conversation in particular. HowlRound, as Jamie and Carl and David have pointed out is an ongoing resource. It's an ongoing place to post thoughts and writing about this. Consider yourselves all connected to HowlRound and of course to NEFA. This is the course of our work and this has been such a revitalizing project for me so I thank you all. [APPLAUSE] 

>> And as a last thing, if people can kind of move down for those of you who are left here, we would love to capture one last photo. Let's actually -- is it possible for everyone to come to the stage? That would be -- no, of course. That was the original location actually.