Over 200 people celebrated the launch of season two of Life in the Heart Land (LITHL) at an event last week hosted by co-producers VPM and Staunton-based Deep Structure at The Wayne Theater in Waynesboro. View the slideshow of photos (above) for an inside look at the event.
Attendees enjoyed live music performances from Robin and Linda Williams (writers of the opening music for LITHL), panel discussions featuring community partners, spoken word performances by local artists Angela Mickens and Lady Taij and more. Several community partners were in attendance, including The Valley Libraries, Community Foundation of Central Blue Ridge, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum and Valley Program for Aging Services (VPAS).
Another community partners in attendance included January Gerow, director of operations at Vittles for Vets. “Congratulations to all at Deep Structure and VPM for such an outstanding production! I watched the episode on the drive back from the reception last night, and again just now,” said Gerow. “I'm so impressed with the wonderful job everyone did in telling each veteran's story, their motivations and challenges.”
Watch season two of Life in the Heart Land on the PBS App.
“We learned a lot in the first season of the show about how resilient these rural communities are and why that’s important,” said VPM executive producer Mason Mills. “We want the series to offer hope and connection to other communities facing similar challenges, and we’re excited to share more stories that will hopefully spark inspiration to alleviate some of these problems.”
LITHL dives deep into the heart of Virginia to meet the neighbors, communities and organizations that are addressing long-standing obstacles head-on and serving as an example for other rural locations. These collaborators are breaking down divides and roadblocks to build new pathways to meaningful, positive outcomes with the power to inspire better understanding and action. Read more about LITHL and the issues facing rural Virginians.
