Heard

Mission

“You are the class they do not want to miss.”
— Heard program partner

Heard hires local artists to teach creativity and life skills through art to adults, families, and youth facing systemic barriers — including people in recovery, survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault, LGBTQIA+ individuals, older adults, immigrants, people who are incarcerated, and those transitioning from incarceration or homelessness.

Through partnerships with Alexandria-area nonprofits, local government agencies, and detention centers, we bring high-quality arts programming directly to communities that too often lack access to creative opportunity.

We offer classes in:

• Acting

• Creative writing (journaling, memoir, fiction)

• Dance

• Yoga

• Improvisation

• Poetry & spoken word

• Public speaking

• Singing

• Visual arts

Participants don’t just take a class — they discover voice, agency, and community. Many come for one art form and leave having tried several. With Heard, creativity is not a luxury. It is a pathway.

Since 2018, Heard has also hosted annual writing contests with the Alexandria and Arlington Detention Centers. Participants submit fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for nominal cash prizes. Entries are judged by regional poet laureates, writers, and publishers, and winning works are shared with local media and city events — amplifying voices too often unheard.

In just eight years, Heard has delivered nearly 1,500 classes to more than 10,000 adults and youth — while directly investing in local artists as paid teaching professionals.

Our impact speaks for itself:

Participant:
“I learned to speak up, express my inner thoughts, share my life story, learn from others’ stories, and gain confidence to stand in front of people and say something that impacts others’ lives.”

Program Partner:
“Heard has been such an amazing partner. The teachers bring creative, engaging activities the kids love.”

Teaching Artist:
“Witnessing this transformational creativity and participants using their agency is a spiritual journey I truly cherish.”

This Spring2ACTion, your impact grows even further.
Thanks to generous matching grants from the Mason Hirst Foundation ($10,000) and the Hess Collins Family Fund ($7,000), your donation will be doubled — and in some cases tripled.

A $50 gift becomes $150.
A $250 gift becomes $750.

Your support fuels artists, uplifts participants, and strengthens our entire community.

How We Started

Heard was founded in 2017 by Jane Collins, inspired by her mother’s artistic talent and her father’s quiet philanthropy.

What began as a single class has grown into a dynamic, community-embedded arts organization serving thousands across the region.

From one classroom to partnerships across the DMV — we are just getting started.

What’s Next

Our model works: hire local artists, fund them with local dollars, and deliver meaningful arts programming to communities who need it most.

Now, we’re scaling.

Under the leadership of Executive Director Kelly Carnes, Heard is:

• Expanding partnerships across the DMV

• Deepening services with existing partners

• Increasing writing contest visibility and civic engagement

• Exploring digital programming to reach carceral facilities nationwide

• Strengthening infrastructure to ensure long-term sustainability

At a time when federal and DEI-related funding has declined sharply, community support matters more than ever. Spring2ACTion is not just a giving day — it is a lifeline that allows Heard to continue serving participants and paying artists equitably.

"We have more stories to help people tell.
More artists to hire.
More communities to serve.

We hope you’ll join us."

— Kelly Carnes
Executive Director, Heard

Who We Are

Heard contracts with professional local artists to deliver creativity and life-skills programming to adults, families, and youth across Alexandria and the greater DMV region.

We primarily serve individuals who are:

• In recovery

• Survivors of domestic violence or sexual assault

• LGBTQIA+

• Older adults

• Immigrants

• Incarcerated or formerly incarcerated

• Transitioning from homelessness

Beyond creative expression, Heard programs help participants develop:

• Confidence as they shape and share their own stories

• Decision-making skills through focus, discipline, and revision

• Empathy and listening skills by engaging with others’ lived experiences

• Practical communication skills applicable to employment and life transitions

• Inspiration and forward momentum toward independence and personal goals

Heard believes creativity builds agency.
And agency changes lives.