Ditty Bops returns January 29–31, 2027 at Oklahoma Contemporary: three performances where Oklahoma Veterans take the stage, supported by professional musicians, dancers and theater artists, and an exhibit of nearly 200 masks made by Veterans in SPARK! workshops. We are inviting a small group of Oklahoma companies to make it possible, with sponsorships from $500 to $5,000.

How it began

In 2023, a dozen Oklahoma City artists came together to tell the story of U.S. Air Force Veteran Dr. Neil Chapman, a Morse code interceptor during the Vietnam War who spent six years waiting on a VA disability claim. Underneath it all was one plea: please believe me. Ditty Bops brought his fight for care to public attention, inspiring 275+ signed letters to elected officials in its first year. Its documentary was presented at the National Endowment for the Arts in 2025.

New in 2027

Six Veterans, in their own words: interviews recorded with the Library of Congress Veterans History Project, translated into music, dance, theater, spoken word and film.
Veterans on stage, supported by professional artists, performing work they created.
The mask exhibit: nearly 200 masks painted by Veterans across Oklahoma, installed as one work.
Three performances, January 29–31.

Why it matters

Every Veteran on stage, and every Veteran whose mask hangs in the exhibit, first came to a free SPARK! workshop. Ditty Bops is where that work reaches the public. Audiences don't just thank Veterans from a distance; they listen to them as artists.

60+ workshops and events in FY26 · 300+ Veterans served · 95% felt more connected to others · 100% would recommend SPARK! to another Veteran

"SPARK! didn't change what I've been through, but it changed what I believed I could do." Zack Milner, U.S. Navy (Ret.), workshop participant turned Alumni Coordinator, facilitator, and Ditty Bops performer

In 2023, Oklahoma's Veteran suicide rate was 56.9 per 100,000, compared with 35.2 nationally (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Oklahoma Veteran Suicide Data Sheet, 2023, published October 2025). SPARK! builds connection, purpose and belonging, the protective factors that matter.

Put your name behind it

Four levels, one presenting sponsor. Every sponsor is thanked by name for what their gift made possible, not just with a logo. Ditty Bops reaches well beyond the theater, to SPARK!'s 1,500+ newsletter subscribers and 3,000+ social media followers, and through our documentary and public events. Presenting and Production sponsors are also invited to help install the mask exhibit at Oklahoma Contemporary.

Sponsor by December 15 Commit by Dec 15 for printed recognition; logo and agreement due Dec 18. Payment can be made in 2026 or 2027 to fit your budget year, and we're happy to invoice. Later sponsors are thanked from the stage and online.

Prefer to pay by check or invoice? Checks payable to SPARK! Creative Lab, Inc., P.O. Box 54343, Oklahoma City, OK 73154. For an invoice, contact Nicole Poole at nicole@sparklahoma.org or (917) 678-2786.

SPARK! Creative Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, EIN 87-3915781. Every sponsor receives a written acknowledgment.

Sponsor Ditty Bops 2027

Oklahoma Veterans Onstage. Hear them OUT.