Single Carrot Partners With Fulbright Alum In COVID Research-Based Theatre

Fulbright Alumni and public health researchers Saraniya Tharmarajah and Emily Hurley received a grant from the U.S. Department of State's Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund to facilitate a COVID-19 research-based theater playwriting workshop and virtual performance in partnership with Single Carrot Theatre and Baltimore-based theater artists. In April 2020, the Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs invited U.S. citizen alumni of all U.S. government-sponsored exchange programs, including the Fulbright Program, the Gilman Scholarship, and Cultural and Sports Envoys, to apply for small grants of up to $10,000 as part of the Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund Rapid Response funding opportunity. Exchange alumni from across the United States submitted proposals for public service projects that addressed issues related to the COVID-19 crisis and helped build community resilience.

Tharmarajah, who has previously worked on public health research-based theater projects in Dr. Hurley's class while at Johns Hopkins, stated "Research in peer-reviewed journals is typically consumed by academics, with limited reach to lay audiences and policymakers. Our project aims to use research-based theatre to creatively disseminate and humanize emerging peer-reviewed research on health, behavior and societal aspects of COVID-19 to audiences outside of the research community, including lay audiences and policymakers. In addition to translating COVID-19 research, the project aims to build community resilience by promoting creativity through collaborations between artists, scientists and policy makers."

Covid Monologues is currently seeking playwrights to participate in this unique project. Interested playwrights are invited to apply to the workshop to develop monologues based on COVID-19 research by October 15, 2020 at www.covidmonologues.com. BIPOC playwrights are especially encouraged to apply. Virtual performances of monologues are will debut in early 2021.

Since April, the U.S. Department of State has funded over 25 projects that address the current global health crisis in cities and towns across the United States and virtually with international partners in communities around the world. Exchange alumni are contributing to their communities in meaningful ways by sharing media literacy best practices that help mitigate the spread of COVID-19, increasing access to virtual and at-home education for youth and their families, providing artistic and creative outlets for local and global audiences, and responding to other community needs.

"We are thrilled that our U.S. alumni are using the skills and knowledge they gained during their exchange programs overseas to join the worldwide effort against COVID-19," said Marie Royce, Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs at the U.S. Department of State. "These Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund public service projects uplift communities and provide them with resources and education needed to fight the pandemic."

The Citizen Diplomacy Action Fund is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and implemented in partnership with the Partners of the Americas. For more information visit https://alumni.state.gov. For questions on ECA exchange programs, contact ECA-Press@state.gov.