Overview

Virginia’s food and agricultural systems are facing growing social, economic, and environmental challenges. Building resilient food systems requires more than technical solutions—it depends on collaboration, creativity, and strong community partnerships. The Cultivating Resilience project explores how arts-based facilitation can support open scholarship practices that make research more transparent, inclusive, accessible, and actionable.

Through a series of trainings, networking opportunities, and a statewide summit, the project will bring together researchers, Extension professionals, community partners, artists, and food systems leaders to develop collaborative approaches for strengthening food systems resilience across Virginia. The project aims to:

  • Increase awareness of how arts-based facilitation and open scholarship can support food systems transformation.

  • Build the capacity of researchers, Extension professionals, students, community partners, and artists to lead collaborative and participatory processes.

  • Strengthen a statewide network of food systems leaders committed to transparency, inclusivity, and community-engaged innovation.

  • Develop models and resources for arts-based facilitation that can be adapted and replicated by other institutions and communities.

Project Activities

  1. Virginia Food Systems Summit
    At the 2026 Virginia Food Systems Summit, arts-based facilitation activities were woven into the program to help participants collectively interpret and apply findings from statewide food systems listening sessions. Through creative and participatory processes, attendees worked together to identify strategies for strengthening food systems resilience throughout the Commonwealth.

  2. Arts-Based Facilitation Training
    A one-day interactive training will provide Extension personnel, researchers, graduate students, community partners, and artists with practical tools and techniques for leading collaborative processes. Participants will learn how arts-based facilitation can support engagement, knowledge sharing, and co-creation of innovative solutions. Save the date for Thursday, September 3!

  3. Virtual Networking and Capacity-Building Sessions
    Two virtual sessions will connect participants across institutions, organizations, and communities. These gatherings will encourage peer learning, resource sharing, and the development of new partnerships and collaborative projects around arts and cultural approaches to food systems change.

This project is made possible by funding offered through the Open Research Community Accelerator (ORCA) project.