Veterans Empowerment Theatre

Veterans Empowerment Theatre (VET) features a variety of performing arts workshops and opportunities that give our nation’s brave service members a safe environment to voice their own heroic stories, personal tragedies, triumphs, and experiences through theatre. Many veterans upon returning from war often turn to drugs and alcohol as a way of dealing with trauma experienced during active duty – many times resulting in homelessness or incarceration. According to the American Journal of Public Health, “Veterans returning from war zone deployment are at higher risk for mental health problems and drug and alcohol abuse." These brave men and women have risked so much for us, now it’s our turn to do everything we can to make sure that they have meaningful opportunities for self-expression through the performing arts.

PROJECTS
The Veterans Short Film Project
The Veterans Short Film Project is a new program in conjunction VET with the goal of creating both a series of screenwriting workshops for Veterans and to fully produce one selected screenplay. For more info visit: The Veterans Short Film Project

The Letters Project
ArtsUP! LA and Returning Soldiers Speak believe in the transformative power of story. Through dialogue, workshop, and performance, veterans, first responders, and their families gain new understanding about themselves and the world around them. Empowered, they seek integration back into the community and at the same time the community gains new perspective and understanding about what it means to serve. Click here for more information on The Letters Project.

Heroes’ Stories
Heroes’ Stories is a program uses theatre as a form of art therapy encouraging participants to explore creative elements and use artistic expression to find a path to overcome addiction, effectively deal with PTSD, and reintegrate into society. This program presents a first hand view of the soldiers’ experiences in their most raw form, unfiltered by the press or military censorship. Productions give audiences greater insight into the difficulty facing veterans returning from deployment. Performances depict real encounters from the front lines of battle and expose the inner turmoil of the lasting scars, both external and internal endured from combat.