Art as Transformative Practice

Engages in activist efforts including attending parole hearings, conducting speaking engagements, and performing at colleges to educate the public about women's incarceration and the prison experience.

Provides executive production support for prison-impacted artists and holds quarterly board meetings to guide organizational operations. Co-founded and is led by a Co-Executive Director who oversees strategic direction.

Delivers musical instruments and production gear to incarcerated musicians, enabling them to create music within prisons. The organization has delivered over 150 pieces of equipment valued at over $20,000 to 13 correctional facilities.

Raised $25,000 through a virtual concert series to distribute 30,285 masks to 26 prisons and jails across 16 states during the pandemic.

Provides a platform for currently and formerly incarcerated artists to produce high-quality multimedia art, including albums, album art, videos, literature, and performances. The organization has released 3 LPs, 4 EPs, and 18 singles by prison-impacted musicians, generating over 100,000 streams.

Supports the recording of music by incarcerated individuals within prison cells, including the production of full-length albums. The organization has recorded music with 65 currently incarcerated and 18 formerly incarcerated musicians across 17 prisons in 10 U.S. states.

Published a report on the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) to prisons during 2020 and has published annual reports summarizing organizational activities and outcomes from 2020 through 2024.

Conducts in-school residencies and educational theatre programming through the Theatre-in-Education Program, using performance to engage students in dialogue around social and community issues.

Provides internship opportunities in artistic and administrative roles such as social media, marketing, and production assistance to support training and professional development in the arts.

Runs a theatre program for individuals impacted by the criminal justice system, providing theatre skills training and supporting the collaborative development of original scenes and plays. The program includes weekly sessions and has produced works such as "Delia Divided" and the radio play "Steppin' Into My Shoes," developed from oral history interviews with people who have experienced incarceration.

Runs an out-of-school theatre program for youth in grades 7–12 in Tompkins County, NY, that explores community issues and creates interactive plays to address them. The program includes spring and fall sessions and has produced plays such as "Indigo," "Fly Mei to the Moon," "Dungeons & Divergence," "Our Sun Will Rise Again," and "The Voices in My Head."

Creates and stages original theatre productions developed through multi-year community engagement processes, including story circles, workshops, and collaborations with community members, on themes such as family, criminal justice, labor rights, and social equity. Productions include "Fertile Grounds" (2023), "The Next Storm" (2019), "Climates of Change" (2018), "The Class Divide" (2017), and "Delia Divided," performed for public audiences in Ithaca, NY, and made available via streaming or radio play formats.

Offers free monthly performative and expressive arts workshops for adults aged 18 and up through the Beloved Artistic Community Meet Up program and hosts Community Soup events combining theatrical performances with community dialogue to foster public engagement.

Provides individualized, arts-based supportive services to youth, families, seniors, and individuals returning from incarceration in East Harlem to interrupt violence, criminality, and systemic entanglement with the carceral system.

Co-founded and leads the Arts Justice Safety Coalition in partnership with Phoenix Players Theatre Group and artist Shaun Leonardo to advance art-based approaches to justice reform and community safety.

Runs a hands-on service, leadership, and professional development program for youth and young adults aged 16 and older, including participants from SYEP, YouthBuild, and John Jay College, through civic and creative community projects.

Hosts public events including community forums, health and wellness workshops, art showcases, and civic dialogues to promote community empowerment, shared learning, and public engagement.

Hosts community symposiums and discussions to promote public safety, reduce poverty, and develop community-based solutions in East Harlem, including convenings with stakeholders in 2022.