Maine Inside Out

10/05/2026

✨ 2025 Impact Report✨

2025 was a year of prioritizing internal culture, organizational stability, and vibrant, powerful programming. As a staff team, we worked to match our project work and budget decisions to a dramatically changing national and local landscape.

We’re proud to share the story of what we accomplished together last year. 💙 From the “Broken Clock” tour to open mics, from youth projects to public dialogue, the numbers are only part of the story.

Take a look and see the impact that our community of supporters made possible. 🎭

Read more here: https://www.maineinsideout.org/2025annualreport

10/02/2026

📖✨ Maine poet E.C. Jay’s debut book of poetry is now available through The Telling Room.

Written while he was incarcerated in juvenile detention, these poems are part of E.C. Jay’s process of self-discovery and finding his voice through writing. 🖊️

He hopes his book will inspire others, especially young people impacted by the corrections system, to find their own voice and tell their stories. 💙

Read more and order the book through The Telling Room. 📚

10/01/2026

10/01/2026

Lewiston Youth Workshops Continue🎭💙

Maine Inside Out’s latest series of youth workshops, held in Lewiston in collaboration with Somali Bantu Community Association, have been engaging 10-12 teens in theater games and trust building activities. 🎭 Youth participants have brought high energy and laughter as they learn to use theater as a tool for communicating beyond words. 🗣️✨ They’re bringing in topics they’re most focused on: joys and stressors, mental health, and balancing schoolwork and social challenges. 💙

pictured: MIO project facilitator Stacy Perez with youth theater workshop participants. 🎭

09/30/2026

🎭 College student volunteers to co-facilitate theater projects in 2027!

Two Bowdoin College students have signed on for independent studies co-facilitating MIO theater projects inside prisons beginning in January. We’re thrilled about this volunteer collaboration! 💙

We’re seeking up to two more student volunteers for 2027 who are interested in co-facilitating theater projects alongside MIO artists.

Interested in learning more? Reach out to us! ✨

👉 Contact us:

09/30/2026

🎭 MIO theater projects with artists incarcerated inside Bolduc Correctional Facility and the Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center are going strong.

Over the past month, participants inside each facility have been sharing stories and playing theater games that are building trust and creating the foundation for plays that each group will create together. 💙

In their own words:

💬 “I noticed that I opened up more today, and that we all did.”

💬 “I can see that even though we come from different lives, we are all grappling with the same problems. We are all connected.”

🎭 Join us for original performances and dialogue with these artists:

📅 Monday November 30, 6:00-7:30pm
📍 Southern Maine Women’s Reentry Center, Windham

📅 Tuesday December 8, 6:00-7:30pm
📍 Bolduc Correctional Facility, Warren

To attend a show:
Email [email protected] by November 12 with your full legal name, date of birth, and which show(s) you’d like to attend. Your spot will be confirmed once the Maine Department of Corrections approves your visit.

09/29/2026

Last year, Maine Inside Out had the opportunity to work with The Bridgespan Group () to more fully articulate our theory of change, and we are thrilled to share the result of that work.

Our theory of change is rooted in our vision. MIO envisions communities and systems that see each person’s humanity, our shared connection, and our place in the natural world. Together, we are transforming a culture of punishment and isolation to one that thrives in connection, dignity, and community-led accountability.

09/28/2026

We are thrilled to share that this year's four Young Emerging Authors books are now available for preorder on our online bookstore: https://www.tellingroom.org/store.
⁠
Authors E.C. Jay, Len Harrison, Lily Jessen, and Anna Grey Bergstrom took part in the 15-month Young Emerging Authors fellowship to write, revise, and publish these beautiful collections of poetry. We will be celebrating their book launch on Monday, August 17th at SPACE from 5:00pm (doors open at 4:30pm), and it's free and open to the public, with books available for purchase.⁠
⁠
These forthcoming books include raw recounts of confinement from a student's time in the youth incarceration system (LET ME CORRECT MYSELF), poetry exploring introspection from the mountains of Vermont at The Mountain School of Milton Academy (UNIVERSAL LANGUAGE), a novel in verse on womanhood through the eyes of Shakespeare's famous female characters (THE PLAY'S THE THING), and experiences with chronic illness from a writer's childhood into her young adult life (SOFT BIRD THAT I AM). Each one is moving, earnest, and authentic to the confidence these writers have built over the span of 15 months. We're sending a warm congratulations to E.C., Len, Lily, and Anna for this major literary accomplishment.
⁠
Preorder today to have them shipped to you, or pick them up at the book launch on Monday, August 17th at SPACE—you don't want to miss the experiences our authors have had and to house their works on your bookshelf!
⁠

09/28/2026

💙 Welcome, new MIO Board Members!

We’re so excited to welcome three new members to Maine Inside Out’s Board of Directors: Moe Beaulieu, Atiim Boykin, and Jeremy Litchfield!

🌱 Moe Beaulieu deeply believes in the power of connection, storytelling, education, and building community. After 12 years in outdoor and leadership education, Moe returned to her classroom roots as an English teacher for multilingual learners. She now works with Lewiston Adult Education as a school counselor and teacher.

🎨 Atiim Boykin is a mental health clinician and multidisciplinary artist with more than 20 years of experience across the criminal justice, mental health, and nonprofit sectors.

❤️ Jeremy Litchfield is the Vision Steward of Heart-Strong, a nonprofit grounded in a simple belief: the world works better for everyone and everything in it when more of us are pulled by love than controlled by fear.

We’re grateful to have their experience, creativity, and care joining our board and helping support the work of MIO.

Visit our website to read their full bios and learn more about our new board members!

09/25/2026

🎙️ Have you heard our Co-Executive Directors Joseph Jackson and Chiara Liberatore on the radio?

Joseph and Chiara were recently interviewed by Leif Erickson for *Community Connections*, a radio show that aired on September 13 across stations throughout southern, central, and midcoast Maine.

They talked about Maine Inside Out, our work with system-impacted young people and adults, and the power of theater to build connection and create change. 💙

Give it a listen and hear a little more about the work we’re doing across Maine!
https://www.spreaker.com/episode/maine-inside-out--75087573?blm_aid=0