Neda Izadi , Summer 2026 Travel Placement

Neda Izadi is a Ph.D. candidate in Art Education with an M.F.A. in Dramatic Arts, specializing in puppetry. Her work explores the intersection of art, education, and human rights, with a focus on using puppetry as a tool for social awareness and critical engagement.  This summer Neda will participate in an internship with the Bread and Puppet Theater in Vermont, one of the oldest and most influential puppetry companies in the United States. This internship will allow her to study their artistic methods, which are grounded in community-based theater and socially engaged performance. She previously served as a Program Specialist at the Dodd Center for Human Rights, where she developed educational programming that integrated artistic practice with human rights themes. Through community-based projects, including collaborations with refugee and immigrant women, Neda is committed to participatory storytelling and socially engaged art. She plans to continue advancing this work through research and creative practice that fosters empathy, dialogue, and awareness.