MIO Spring Events Recap & Invitations
Congratulations to MIO Lewiston Middle School and King Middle School student artists!
Photos from Lewiston Middle School and King Middle School Spring Performance Series, May 2023
In May, MIO’s two groups at Lewiston Middle School and two groups at King Middle School premiered four new original plays for over 1,000 audience members of youth, school staff, families, and community members. The plays were created by the groups over 12 weeks and portrayed themes of friendship, peer pressure, false accusations, trust, bullying, domestic violence, drug addiction, gun violence, loss, and more. The plays resonated deeply with youth and adult audiences who engaged with the performers in post-show dialogues. Thank you to everyone who attended a performance and contributed to the conversations and cultural shifts initiated by these powerful performances.
Another powerful aspect of the work in schools this season was gathering all the MIO youth artists from King Middle School and Lewiston Middle School to share their plays for each other. This gathering of MIO youth artists from two different communities was filled with play, laughter, courage, creativity, leadership, and connection.
Join us for Juneteenth: “A Change We’ve Been Waiting For”
MIO’s Juneteenth event
On Friday June 16 from 4:30-6:30pm in Lewiston's Kennedy Park, Maine Inside Out and partners will host a public celebration of Juneteenth. The event honors the emancipation of enslaved people in America while recognizing that the systems and structures of chattel slavery are still intact today.
“Juneteenth: A Change We're Waiting For” will feature original artistic performances by MIO members and BIPOC artists from the community and includes tables hosted by a diverse coalition of Lewiston organizations, grilled food and drinks, and fun activities for families.
This is a collaborative event with other organizations working toward racial justice.
Thank you to “Juneteenth: A Change We’ve Been Waiting For” Partners & Sponsors
ACLU Maine, Androscoggin Bank, Athena Lynch, Bates College, Berman & Simmons, Church of Safe Injection, Community Organizing Alliance, The Francis Hotel & Spa, KeyBank, L/A Arts, L.L. Bean, Maine Community Integration, Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, Maine People’s Alliance, Maine Prisoner Re-Entry Network, Maine Youth Justice, New Beginnings, Recovery Connections of Maine, Safe Voices, Shukie & Segovias, St Mary’s Nutrition Center, Trinity Church, Vitalius Real Estate Group, Wright-Ryan, Youth Justice Clinic and Center for Youth Policy & Law at Maine Law, YWCA of Central Maine, and Zachau Construction
RSVP to MIO’s Performance at Mountain View Correctional Center
Maine Inside Out incarcerated artists present an original play Courage Beyond Control followed by a dialogue and reception. Join us for a powerful evening of performance and dialogue.
Thursday, June 22, 4-5:30pm
Mountain View Correctional Facility
1182 Dover Rd, Charleston, ME 04422
If you’d like to attend, please RSVP to morgan@maineinsideout.org with your full name and date of birth by June 15.
Now Booking Theater of the Oppressed Workshops for Fall 2023 and 2024
MIO Theater of the Oppressed workshop at Maine Law School, April 2023
Maine Inside Out offers a 1-2 hour Theater of the Oppressed (TO) workshop for groups. TO originated in Brazil by playwright Augusto Boal and offers games and exercises to deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world. Participants will leave the workshop having had the opportunity to experience and learn MIO theater methods for building trust and deepening dialogue within a community or a system.
Maine Inside Out artists offer us creative visions and community forums to build connection and leadership across boundaries, identities and generations.
Your support is an investment in the leadership of youth and young adult activists and artists working for racial justice, criminal justice reform, economic justice, and community health.