Engage Rural Team Visits Virginia!
Department of Public Transformation is collaborating with Virginia Commission for the Arts, Randolph College, and Small Town Big Arts to launch the Virginia Small Town and Rural Arts (SARA) network pilot in Spring-Summer 2026!
SARA connects arts and civic leaders in small and rural communities across the state of Virginia, offering opportunities to network, learn about funding sources, explore strategies for arts and civic engagement, and apply those strategies to support local initiatives. The pilot program focuses on Virginia Commission for the Arts Region 8, but a statewide workshop on April 29th and the SARA Resource and Toolkit Library are available to rural arts and community engagement practitioners across Virginia.
Ash Hanson (DoPT’s CEO) and Vivian M. Cook (Engage and Amplify Rural Program Coordinator) spent three days in Virginia in March 2026, working with Geoffrey Kershner (Small Town Big Arts and Randolph College) and Bobby Vinson to launch the SARA pilot. They facilitated workshops; learned about the amazing creative work happening in rural Virginia; dreamed and planned the next steps for SARA, Engage Rural, and Amplify Rural; and drove through beautiful rolling hills, mountains, and trees – even stumbling upon rural arts initiatives, like Wolfbane Performing Arts Center, while on the road! This work is happening everywhere!
The SARA workshop series was launched in South Hill, Virginia, generously hosted by the Colonial Center for Performing Arts. Shoutout to Karen and Alethea and the whole team! The room was full as Ash, Vivian, and Geoff were joined by rural arts and civic engagement practitioners from across Region 8. Participants explored arts-based civic engagement strategies and examples, connected with fellow practitioners to share opportunities and challenges, mapped the many assets that already exist in their communities, and brainstormed creative ways to integrate those assets and strategies into their own work. They identified a new or existing project that they want to develop throughout the SARA pilot, and they’ll take next steps with that project during workshops and coaching sessions in April, May, and June!
Ash, Vivian, and Geoff then drove to Blacksburg, Virginia to host an arts-based civic engagement workshop with students, faculty, and staff at Virginia Tech. Shoutout to Jon and Amanda for coordinating! And how wonderful to learn about the many meaningful, interdisciplinary initiatives happening at Virginia Tech in Applied Theatre, Arts Leadership, Directing and Public Dialogue, the Center for Communicating Science, Urban Affairs and Planning, and the Center for Food Systems and Community Transformation!
The team’s final day in Virginia was in Lynchburg, home to Randolph College and Geoff and Bobby! A short, but sweet visit included: a delicious and laughter-filled meal at a favorite pizza restaurant, a late night review of all of the thoughtful feedback from workshop participants, and an exciting morning planning the next SARA workshops! Ash and Vivian bid farewell to Virginia for now, with hopes of returning soon. And until then, DoPT will continue to collaborate virtually with SARA!