Performers & contributers
lady brion
Lady Brion is an international spoken word artist, activist, organizer and educator. Lady Brion currently serves as the executive director of the Black Arts District, an organization she founded in 2019. In 2024 she was appointed by Governor Wes Moore as the Poet Laureate of Maryland, making her the youngest Poet Laureate in Maryland’s history and the only spoken word artist to ever hold this position. She received her B.A. in Communication and Culture from Howard University and her MFA in Creative Writing & Publishing Design from the University of Baltimore. During her slam career she has won the 2016 and 2021 National Poetry Slam, the 2017 and 2019 Southern Fried Regional Slam, and the 2019 Rustbelt Regional Slam. In 2021 she became the Women of the World Poetry Slam Champion making her the number one ranked woman slam poet in the world.
daniel may
Daniel May is a New York City based artist, actor and writer who can currently be seen in the Tony Award winning Broadway production of Maybe Happy Ending. Daniel's career as an actor started in his hometown of Los Angeles where he began in community and regional theatres and working as a commercial actor. His big break was being cast in the Broadway revival of Flower Drum Song starring Lea Salonga. Daniel also was on the creative ground floor of David Henry Hwang and Jeanine Tesori's thought provoking musical Soft Power and would eventually get to play the lead role in the latest production at Signature Theatre in DC. Daniel can be seen on TV/film in FBI: Most Wanted, HBO's The Newsroom and feature film Clocked. As a Korean adoptee and human in recovery Daniel is finding his voice as a writer and working on stories about identity, belonging and self acceptance that he is excited to hopefully share one day with someone other than his Mom.
The somes sound
The Somes Sound led by Gordon Falt has been cutting its teeth in the music halls of Downeast Maine in 2025. Falt is a devout country-rock fan, and historian who has studied Lefty Frizzell, The Flying Burrito Brothers, The Byrds and others, who in the late '60's mixed country themes with rock'n'roll. Ethan Miller shared a similar fascination with the genre bending of that era, and together, he and Falt started to explore and cover the material of country rock pioneers. Steve Peer saw the original trio and was bowled over by the bands enthusiasm and ability to swirl, surge and improvise. As fate would have it, he was asked the join the band. Tim Mellinnod turned the trio into a quartet, and contributes additional guitar and vocal interplay. Collectively The Somes Sound remains true to the roots of country rock while embracing southern boogie, funk, swing, blues and folk with jazz influences and improvisational jams.
🎥 InhuMAINE
Suffering is an inherent part of the human condition. Not all mental health issues are existential in cause, but most carry existential weight.
A Clinical, Social Justice, Advocacy, and Narrative Exploration of Chronic Homelessness, Systemic Failure and Human Resilience in Bangor, ME
"Some stories don’t fit neatly into clinical charts or diagnostic codes. They live in tent encampments beneath overpasses… in the quiet ache of unmedicated nights… and in the eyes of the unseen told—again and again—that they don’t belong."
From classroom to community documentarian, Rogan O’Donnell brings counseling theory to life in a groundbreaking documentary on Bangor’s homelessness crisis. InhuMAINE explores homelessness, behavioral and mental health, HIV, and systemic neglect in Bangor, Maine. Filmed over 19 months, it blends advocacy, narrative healing, and integrated clinical practice into a powerful call to bear witness.
InhuMAINE is a feature-length documentary that examines the homelessness crisis in Bangor, Maine, through the voices of those living it. Filmed over 19 months, the project highlights the intersection of poverty, mental health, substance use, stigma, and systemic barriers—while also capturing resilience, dignity, and the human capacity for hope. At its core, InhuMAINE is a call to action to see, hear, and honor people too often pushed to the margins.
The film explores the complex intersections of poverty, trauma, mental illness, substance use, and stigma—revealing how systemic barriers and social neglect shape lives at the margins. Yet, at its core, InhuMAINE is not a story of despair but of resilience. It captures the dignity, courage, and persistence of those too often unseen, while challenging audiences to confront uncomfortable truths and reimagine what compassion and justice look like in practice.
By blending clinical insight, narrative healing, and documentary storytelling, InhuMAINE becomes more than a film: it is a call to action, urging viewers to recognize homelessness as a human crisis that demands systemic change and a collective response rooted in dignity, empathy, and hope.
rogan o’donnell
Hurric4n3ike
Hurric4n3 Ike
I Give Em Wavez
I make motivational music to help people manifest freedom and reach new heights in life. I also make wavy 432hz beats and tell stories about my life and life in general through my music. I love making Wavez, and I release new Wavez almost every #WavyWednesday so you might as well follow and join the party to keep up
Breakthrough
Grey Maynard
Grey Maynard is an 11-year-old dancer and performer from Belfast, Maine. Born with a natural gift for expression, she has been creating through movement and performance since her earliest days. Grey has long been connected to Camp Jinka, where her mother, Lee Parent, has served as artist-in-residence since 2022.
In 2024, after the passing of her father, Keith, Grey transitioned from helper to camper. Through the arts, she has discovered a powerful outlet for processing grief, channeling her emotions into dance and creative expression. Grey’s journey is one of resilience and transformation, inspiring others with her courage, creativity, and unwavering spirit.
The Performance/breakthrough
Grey and fellow members of Camp Jinka will present a dynamic performance, Breakthrough. The piece explores the raw emotions of learning about the death of a loved one—the shock, disbelief, anger, sadness, and eventual acceptance of loss—while also reflecting the ongoing “breakthroughs” that come from moving in and out of grief’s many stages.
The performance highlights that grief is not a linear process but a deeply individual journey, with one common thread: the profound sense of light and healing that emerges each time you break through the darkness.
Lee Parent
Lee Parent is an artist, graphic designer, and owner and operator of Kids Unplugged, an indoor play space in Belfast, Maine that offers a nurturing environment for children to engage in active play, arts and crafts, and imaginative activities. She is committed to offering programs that foster creativity, connection, and joyful, device-free adventures for kids and families for many years to come. Open gym, gymnastics, summer camps, flexible childcare options, and a new indoor sandbox are just a few of the fun things to discover during your next Kids Unplugged Adventure!
Lee has also served as the artist-in-residence at Camp Jinka, Maine, since its opening in the summer of 2022. As both an artist and educator, she believes deeply in the healing power of creativity. At Camp Jinka, she guides children through a wide range of art projects designed to help them express themselves, process grief, and discover new ways of seeing the world.
Her approach is rooted in connection and empowerment, encouraging each child to transform their experiences into meaningful works of art, such as The Warrior Series. Lee’s dedication not only supports individual healing but also builds a collective story of resilience, celebrated each year through community exhibitions that showcase the campers’ artwork.
Lee invites you and your family to explore Kids Unplugged for FREE on October 10th @ 5pm! 17 Airport Road, Belfast, Maine 04915
Alexandria Wilson (CD, PCD, CEOLD)
Alexandria Wilson is a certified birth, life, and death doula and the founder of Destination Doula, offering full-spectrum support for families and individuals from womb to tomb in Belfast, Maine, and nationally.
Alexandria is also a proud teacher and program coordinator at Kids Unplugged in Belfast, where she continues to nurture growth and resilience in young people and their families through play, learning, and community.
In 2022, Alexandria became the Regional Director of Camp Jinka Maine, bringing with her 25 years of experience supporting youth through all phases of life. At Camp Jinka, she combines her passion for teaching with her commitment to holistic wellness and grief support for children and their families. She is committed to holding space through life’s hardest seasons, guiding others with compassion while reminding them that light always shines beyond the storm. She believes that healing is best nurtured with flexibility and trust in the journey, knowing that even a wrong turn can lead to the right destination.
Hymn for her
Lucy & Wayne started as a duo, raising their daughter, Diver, on the road in their vintage Bambi Airstream trailer. At an early age, Diver began joining her parents on stage to sing a song or two.
Their first album, ‘Year of the Golden Pig’, was recorded in their bedroom and mixed by Phil Nicolo (Lauryn Hill) in their hometown of Philly, PA.
Their 2nd album, ‘Lucy & Wayne & The amAirican Stream’, was recorded in the airstream on a U.S coast to coast tour, mixed by Jim Diamond (White Stripes) at Ghetto Recorders, Detroit, MI. The 3rd album, ‘Lucy & Wayne’s Smokin’ Flames’, was recorded and mixed by Jim Diamond at Ghetto Records. Their 4th release, ‘Drive Til U Die’, was 1/2 recorded in Nashville, TN with Grammy award winning, Vance Powell (Chris Stapleton). The other half in NC, with Mitch Easter (R.E.M.). The 5th album, ‘Pop-N-Downers’ was recorded and mixed at Sputnik Studio with Vance, along with his right hand man, Mike Fahey. This release was written up in Rolling Stone and landed H4H a spot at UK’s Glastonbury Festival alongside Radiohead and Foo Fighters.
Hymn For Her has toured extensively throughout the U.S., Europe & U.K. In 2022, after numerous “Singalong Sundays” (weekly online performances) Diver joined the band on piano and vocals. Their 2024 new release, ‘Bloodier Than Blood’ was recorded in Hymn For Her’s “Bambi Airstream Studios” in Swampville, FL. Their neighbor, Bud Snyder (Allman Brothers/Jeff Buckley) helped mix a few tracks. Mike Fahey mixed the bulk of the record in his Nashville Studio, Starbird Sound.
‘Bloodier Than Blood’ is a reference to H4H’s deep family ties and connection to one another starting from the womb to the now. Bandmates intertwined for life, like the roots and limbs of an everlasting oak tree, these songs, the tight-knit family harmonies, this unbreakable bond, can be felt and heard through body, mind and spirit. Joyful, moving, humorous, thought provoking, ‘Bloodier Than Blood’ takes you on a colorful journey through life’s rich pallet.
Experience the music, the family and the love that is Hymn For Her. Catch this trio as they burn down the highway and tear up your town like a Wichita twister.
cant dog
Like the tool invented in Maine, Cant Dog can roll, turn, pivot, and move sound like no other folk-rock band.
Gus LaCasse (fiddle) and Peter Kirn (guitar) vigorously lay it down for Rachel Bell's voluptuary voice, and the trio is explosive. Very new on the scene, anything can, and will happen with this band
The gawler sisters
The Gawlers Sisters are a fun-loving, folk-singing, fiddle-playing trio based in their native Maine.
On banjo, fiddle and cello, Molly, Edith, and Elsie bring beautiful songs, tunes, and stories from their roots in the heart of Maine.
Their music feels cut directly from their homeland's fields and forests, and though it is rooted in traditional "downeast" music, years of curiosity and travel into the world beyond have influenced their sense of musicianship. Their extensive collection of rollicking tunes in the Scots-Irish, Franco-American and Scandinavian traditions is complemented by angelic three-part-harmony, gutsy worksongs, folk-blues, and amusing odes to everyday life. This music is part of their heritage as the three sisters were taught to play and sing by their Mom (Ellen Gawler, fiddler and singer) and Dad (John Gawler, banjo player and songster.)
The Gawler's unique arrangements are especially engaging and often go along with anecdotes of historical or humorous content, delivered in the stoic but friendly style of true New Englanders.
They are often joined by the rest of the family, their parents John and Ellen Gawler, Zeb Campbell, Ethan Tischler, and Bennett Konesni to bring the full fledged, rip roaring, sky soaring tunes and songs to their performances.
With their infectious spirit and sparkling musicianship, the Gawlers have earned a beloved place in the delighted hearts of varied audiences across the Northeast. The folk music itself brings a sense of community and grassroots connection that is welcoming and from the heart.
FReedom & Captivity Initiative
Sensitivity Warning: The performance discusses mature topics and includes adult language that may not be suitable for all audiences.
Join us for It’s Hard to Talk About: Stories of Incarceration in Maine, a performance of true stories from the state's first archive dedicated to the experiences, insights, and knowledge of Maine’s incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Presented by the Freedom & Captivity Initiative’s Hard to Talk About… will feature five justice-impacted cast members sharing narratives that bridge the gap between those on the "inside" and "outside” and challenge oversimplified public narratives about crime and punishment by highlighting paths of transformation and growth.
Maine is unique for having some of the harshest sentencing practices in the entire country. Research shows, the majority of people held in Maine’s prisons and jails have experienced major life traumas and struggle with substance use disorder, mental health challenges, poverty, and low educational levels.
The performance runs 45-minutes, followed by a 30-minute Q&A and community conversation. This event is free and open to all.
The Cast
Linda Small is the founder and executive director of Reentry Sisters, a gender-responsive, trauma-informed support organization led by and for justice-impacted women. As an abolitionist storyteller and educator, she centers the voices of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals in every aspect of her work. Linda is deeply involved in the Freedom & Captivity Project, contributing to the development of community-based courses taught by incarcerated people that explore accountability, healing, and liberation.
A Columbia University Women’s Leadership Fellow and member of the Justice Scholars Network, Linda brings both lived experience and intellectual rigor to the pursuit of justice. Her work spans public humanities, program facilitation, developing a new model for reentry, and radio advocacy as a DJ for Justice Radio. She remains committed to transforming narratives and institutional practices through abolitionist, community-rooted storytelling and education
Catherine Besteman is an abolitionist educator at Colby College. She founded Freedom & Captivity, the Freedom & Captivity Curriculum Project, the Freedom & Captivity Archive of carceral experience, the Colby Across the Walls prison education program, and the Colby College Justice Think Tank and is a DJ for Justice Radio. She has researched and published on carcerality, security, militarism, displacement, and community-based activism and transformation, focused on Somalia, South Africa, and the U.S.
Ellen M. Taylor teaches at the University of Maine at Augusta, and in the Prison Education Program at the Maine State Prison, where she teaches writing and literature. She has published three collections of poetry, Floating (2009), Compass Rose (2015) and Homelands (2022), as week as scholarship on Maine women writers Celia Thaxter, Elizabeth Coatsworth, and Kate Barnes, considering intersections between gender, language, and ecology. She lives in the hills of Appleton, Maine.
Katrina Hoop is an anti-carceral educator and sociologist who has taught in the prison system in Maine. She has worked with many Maine-based non-profits engaged in justice work and currently serves on the board of Reentry Sisters.
Brandon Brown is a PhD candidate at George Mason University’s Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution. The focus of Brandon’s scholarship is on the ways in which narrative functions within the U.S. criminal legal system and social conceptions of justice. His journey into criminal legal reform work began when, at the age of 21, Brandon was arrested and subsequently sentenced to serve 17 years in prison, during which time he earned his Associate’s, Bachelor’s, and Master’s degrees, as well as completing the first half of his PhD program.
As a consultant, researcher, podcaster, public speaker, and advocate, Brandon uses narrative theory to uncover the master narratives which permeate society and stand in the way of comprehensive criminal legal reform, using his voice to advocate for system-wide policy change that centers the voices of affected stakeholders, draws on more complex stories from directly impacted people, and bridges the divide between marginalized people and society as a whole. Brandon is a 2024 Soros Justice Fellow, a project coordinator for Maine Prisoner Advocacy Coalition, and the co-creator and host of “Behind the Door” podcast; he has also worked on numerous grant-funded projects involving reform and abolitionist efforts both locally and nationally. Additionally, Brown has been adjunct faculty at University of Maine Augusta and Colby College and continues to teach college courses both inside and outside of prisons.
Nicole Lund is a prison abolitionist, artist, speaker, and writer pursuing a master’s in counseling psychology at the University of Maine at Farmington. With Buddy Bieler, she co authored Stuffed Behind Bars: Secret Recipes From Inside Maine State Prison which explores themes of community and connection as it relates to prison food systems. The two are working on their second collaboration, Cuffed & Buffed: How to Get Prison Jacked Without Weights.
Vals porter
Freedom and Justice Summit 2025 Performance Description
Performance performed by: Vals Porter... made by Miss Staikes.
First, we want to thank Julie Potter of Catching Fireflies Wayshowing and Reiki, for her guidance and honest reflection to support me in remembering myself: This performance is named “Livin Outside the Lines”, by Valsporter. We refer to ourselves as they them because of our multi dimensionality. For many years- many, many years, we had a hard time finding our voice and expressing ourselves. Freedom of expression, was not a liberty afforded to us in our childhood. It took us years to have the courage to say things in which people understood our truth. We immersed ourselves with seven years of learning about compassionate communication. To ensure we said everything “right”, because we didn’t want to hurt other people the way we had been hurt. Others observed that we appeared frozen with our expression of our face, our voice, and our body. Today, we want to present this performance in the spirit of vulnerability. To thaw the frozenness within that is an expression of trauma. This performance, is intended to be made with mistakes. We will stumbleover our words; there will be moments when our words elude us. We did this to have the experience of freedom through the creative process: To make mistakes, to be human. This work was intentionally created to reflect the infallible nature of being human. We would not call this a performance. We would not call this acting. We would call this a genuine expression of who we are. And that is freedom. We will be sharing the stage with her divine gloriousness the Hat Oracle. She represents justice by the reclamation of our personal power from ancestral, and systemic conditioning. She embodies a complex expression of our most painful and playful experiences. We invite you on a heartfelt journey of an authentic and honest human experience of freedom.
the healing garden
Immerse yourself in the healing vibrations of women's voices, drums, singing bowls, wah-wah tubes, chimes and more as The Healing Garden transports you through dimensions to explore your divine spirit and spiritual freedom. Allow the medicine of the healing instruments to ignite a deeper connection to the song of your soul, inspire your Artivism, and connect you to the sacred source of life within you. Enjoy the feeling of being in community with others who value authentic healing and return to the roots of human healing through sound therapies that allow you to remember who you truly are...a safe, empowered, inspired, loving being.
Diana Maria Chapin, Biography
Diana Maria Chapin, M.S., is a professional energy healer, HeartMath® Certified Trainer, organizational consultant and public speaker based in beautiful Belfast, Maine. With over two decades of experience in behavioral wellness and a decade in the study and practice of energy medicine, her mission is to empower individuals to find inner peace, navigate life’s challenges, and embrace their true potential. Diana helps organizations improve cultural coherence and employee wellness through resilience training and the art and science of heart-brain coherence.
In addition to her private practice, Diana is President and founder of The Healing Garden, a mid-coast Maine-based educational non-profit dedicated to removing financial barriers and creating greater access to holistic wellness education, training, and care.
A scientist by training and a lover of words and communication, Diana has devoted herself to mastering the intricacies of neurology, energetics, and biochemistry related to stress, trauma, and healing. She is passionate about translating complex concepts into relatable, practical, and accessible knowledge for people from all walks of life.
As a professional speaker and organizational consultant for employee wellness, Diana shares "The Coherence Advantage," an evidence-based HeartMath® Institute resilience program that offers naturally easy heart-based tools and techniques for individuals and groups. With the power of heart-brain coherence, Diana guides people to improve their emotional self-regulation skills, access their best decision-making abilities, tune into the intelligent intuitive power of their heart, and enhance overall well-being.
Liz Jezorski
Liz’s studies of consciousness began late in her teen years after an underworld initiation into archetypal consciousness. She came face to face with own shadow and began the work of deconstructing personal and collective ego patterns.
Elizabeth has traveled inner and outer worlds for several years as a psychonautic explorer before formalizing her study of yoga at Yogi Hari's Ashram. After this, she continued her own healing process, immersing herself in practices of 5 Rhythms, Authentic Movement and astrology.
In 2012, Elizabeth received a bachelor’s degree in Transpersonal Psychology from Prescott University. Her studies include Jungian psychology, dream work, meditation, tantra and shamanism.
In 2018, Liz received a master’s degree in clinical mental health with a specialization in Dance Movement Therapy from Lesley University. Through this program, Liz has developed roots in Laban Movement Analysis, group dynamics, social justice and trauma informed care.
Liz is a certified and experienced yoga teacher, practiced astrologer and student of Shunyamurti at Sat Yoga. Creator of the Grateful Dead Tarot, she also facilitates events such as Cacao Ceremony, Red Tent Temple and Ecstatic Dance.
Nitasha Sidhu
Natasha Sidhu, LLB, AHC.
-AYURVEDA for mental, emotional, spiritual balance and alignment
-HERBS & LIFESTYLE PRACTICES
-BODYWORK AYURVEDIC & CHI for nervous system and energy alignment
-SOMATIC THERAPY
-VEDIC COUNSELLING
-QUANTUM HEALING
Combining the East and the West in today’s world. The Ayurvedic term of health is defined as "to be established in one self "- where "body, mind, senses and spirit are balanced and aligned in any individual" according to our own special uniqueness.
Soma therapy that goes into the body and acknowedges the keeping of emotions and energy that we need to tend to, understand and release.
Yoga, ayurvedic wisdom, a learning environment, good healthy food made with good intentions, a space to be calm in or inspired in, a community that shares, gives and is open to one another is what we hope to offer with the sincerest intention, together with our special practitioner team.
Erik Jackson & Jesse Steiger
Ghee & Abhyanga: Ancient Rituals for Modern Resilience
Join Ayurvedic Health Counselor Erik Jackson and Conscious Café co-founder Jesse Steiger for an experiential dive into two of Ayurveda’s most time-honored practices: ghee-making and abhyanga (self-oil massage). In this hands-on demo, participants will witness the full alchemical transformation of butter into golden ghee — a healing fat revered for its digestive, mental, and cellular benefits. You'll learn the sacred process, its uses, and go home with your own small batch to integrate into your kitchen or self-care routine.
We’ll also explore abhyanga, the grounding practice of warm oil massage, known to calm the nervous system, support immune function, and restore a sense of inner steadiness. A short demo will walk attendees through the key marma points and daily rhythm of this practice, with time for Q&A and reflection. Whether you're new to Ayurveda or returning to its roots, this gathering offers a chance to slow down, reconnect, and restore
Jonathan Plengey
Jonathan built an airplane, a boat, a house, and a life of adventure. He has flown his homebuilt airplane from Maine to the Southwest, to Alaska, to Nunavut, Canada to the Penny Ice Cap and back. He sailed his home built steel sloop up and down the Maine Coast for over 15 years. His work life has included steel fabrication and teaching welding at the Waldo Tech Center and He lives in Freedom.
May hathaway & Aliza dwyer
May Hathaway and Aliza Dwyer have come together to create a highly original and interactive performance
May Hathaway is a 27 year old Maine-based performer and mixed-media artist with a passion for storytelling and community advocacy. Art and life are one thing for them, and they spend as much time as possible sitting by the sea with their cat exploring anything from quilting and book arts to printmaking and political puppetry. They spent 3 years organizing, performing, and directing as a resident company member of the Bread and Puppet Theater, traveling the country in a circus bus bursting with colorful cardboard and paper machê. They believe firmly in the importance of cheap art, street theater, and in the brilliance and creativity of children. They are most delighted when their work centers the dreams and voices of youth. They have co-led experimental dance and performance art workshops with children all over the country, exploring whimsy and absurdity as tools for peaceful revolution and community connection. They are forever inspired by world folklore, the resilience and collaborating of moss and fungi, lighthouses, and bubbles !
graphic harvesting w/ deb hensley
Graphic harvesting, also known as graphic recording or visual harvesting, is the process of creating a visual record or summary of a presentation, meeting or event. It involves attentive listening, the creative synthesis of information, and visually representing key messages and ideas. A Graphic Harvest focuses mostly on images but text is combined to augment the visuals. The result is a graphic summary or story capturing the essence of what has been presented.
A compelling graphic harvest helps participants understand, retain, and share information more effectively than traditional methods. When the harvest is completed and presented, it offers everyone a simple, fun, and useful opportunity to recall, share feedback and take delight in steps needed for going forward.
Project Connect
PROJECT CONNECT 2019:
In the fall of 2019, Project Connect was created by Belfast Creative Coalition now dba ARtivism in Maine. Little boxes were left around town to invite people share to how they felt about their connections within the community. These thoughts and ideas were used to create a collaborative mural as a part of the 3 day conference that took place in November of that year, the Art in Action Project & Conference which addressed the opioid epidemic and how healing can be fostered through the arts. The mural was painted by a group of volunteers from the community, community partners and the men's reentry center in Belfast, Maine; where it is now hanging on display.
FREEDOM & JUSTICE BOX PROJECT 2025
As part of the Freedom & Justice Summit 2025; Artivism in Maine is reigniting the box project! Be on the lookout for message boxes at sponsor locations listed on website and social media to leave a message in one of the locked boxes on what Freedom & Justice means to you. Messages will be collected and we will begin a graphic harvesting process to be created into a mural in 2026 and as part of the show in some way for all responses to be represented from the communities in Waldo County and Hancock County. Artists interested in helping to create a mural in 2026, please reach out to us!
IVY LOBATO
Ivy Lobato - stage manager
Ivy loves all what we call art be it painting, poetry, sculptures, dance, performing in whichever way. She herself is active on as well as backstage with the Belfast Maskers. She thanks you, our beloved community for your support and wishes you all love, peace and justice.
Your Hosts
LARRAINE BROWN
Larraine is Executive Director at AIMe (www.artivisminmaine.org). Early in her career she worked with Boal trained Jesuit organizers to create an alternative community government in Riverdale, using the powerful tools of the arts: spoken word, theater, dance, music, visuals to form a community based government to address, what at that time, was one of Toronto’s poorest and most crime ridden neighborhoods. She has facilitated a number of collaborative experimental theater and writing projects throughout the country.
Since the early 2000’s she has been a member-facilitator of the Brecht Forum’s TOPLAB (Theater of the Oppressed Lab) collective based in NYC. She created and directed the improv team Playing in Traffic, a group of high energy actors who performed original improv and audience participation pieces around Maine. She founded and facilitated The OutCast Players, a group of twenty plus adults and their allies who were not able to read and write English. Larraine uses a wide variety of performance, storytelling, and writing techniques to develop authentic voice, make art and facilitate change for individuals and groups. Her play Secrets, about the price of holding powerful political, cultural and personal secrets, won an International Women’s Playwriting Perishable Theater award. She operated the Post Office Studio in downtown Belfast where she coached students and prepared aspiring actors for auditions. She founded the 15 minute theater festival, an international playwriting competition, based in Belfast involving several hundred dedicated volunteers. She directed three of the winning entry plays and a fourth play written for the festival by Tony award winner, Mark O'Neill. Larraine taught creative writing and theater in two jails in Maine. She formed and directed R.A.W (Restorative Art Works), a theater group that provides a focused space for actor members to explore true stories and turn them into theater.
Pre covid in 2018, with partners Robyn Goff and Norman Kehling, she founded and produced ‘What’s Art Got To Do With It?’ a three day arts conference that addressed the opioid epidemic. Several years later, on the heels of the covid crisis, the team produced PLAN B, a second intensive three day look, using the arts, to address the dual covid and opioid epidemics.
Larraine began writing stories of Norman Kehling's extraordinary life, in and out of prison. Together they turned them into a full length theater piece. ‘For The Next Guy' was performed at The Strand Theater in Rockland for three nights of packed houses offering dynamic ‘talk back’ after each performance. The play was optioned for a movie by Out There Productions. Norman and Larraine are currently working on turning ‘For The Next Guy' into a full length film.
The team is honored and delighted to be producing Freedom, Justice What’s Art Got To Do With It? in Ellsworth, a vibrant city teaming with authentic creativity and powerful talent.
NORMAN KEHLING
Norman George Kehling was born in Dorchester Mass on June 22 1958. He entered prison in 1989 and left Maine State Prison via the Maine Coastal Regional Reentry Center March 27th, 2018.
At the time of his initial incarceration he had a seventh grade education. Now he possesses a BA from University of Maine and two Associates Degrees. While studying Precision Machinery at Kennebec Valley Community College he was given the Fred Whitney Award for Perseverance and was one of only three students nominated for Student of the Year.
During his past seven and a half years of freedom he has established an organization HIIT - Helping Incarcerated Individuals Transition under the auspices of a non profit 501c3 organization.Through HIIT he co- produced two statewide conferences,’The Opioid Epidemic - What’s Art Got To Do With It?’ and 'Life is All About How You Handle PLAN B' which used the power of the arts to address the dual opioid and covid pandemics and attracted policy makers, law enforcement, recovering addicts, formerly incarcerated, social workers and artists from all genres.
Norman is a co-director of a small theater group 'RAW - Restorative Art Works' that takes true life stories of struggle, challenge, redemption, resilience, hope and turns those stories into live theater presentations. On October 7/8/9 2022 a play about his own life in and out of foster homes and incarceration premiered at the Strand Theater in Rockland. 'For The Next Guy' sold out three performances and is now under contract to be turned into a feature movie.
Since leaving incarceration more than seven years ago Norman has dedicated himself to improving the environment, support systems and opportunities for those who become involved in our criminal justice system, those who are currently serving time, those who are transitioning into our communities and those whose lives are fragile and vulnerable to future incarceration due to challenges related to mental health, illness, poverty, lack of education, addiction. While incarcerated he assisted numerous residents with a variety of appeal processes.
He welcomes the opportunity to co-produce, once again with Larraine and Robyn, Freedom, Justice - What’s Art Got To Do With It? In Ellsworth where he feels the immense potential and opportunities inherent in working with powerful artists, musicians, dancers and spoken word performers.
Norman currently lives in the Midcoast Maine woods, amidst many rescued animals, for whom he is their primary caretaker. He feels incredibly fortunate to engage a strong, healthy support system of friends, family and colleagues. He is a grateful sober man. That gratitude is his everyday touchstone and guiding light.
ROBYN GOFF
Robyn Goff is an Independent Community Consultant and Grant Writer working locally in Ellsworth and nationally. She brings over 14 years of nonprofit program development experience and has helped organizations secure more than $4.6 million in grants. She has over 19 years experience in the areas of diversion, deflection, reentry supports, and the intersections of criminal justice, substance use, and mental health.
Robyn has held various professional licenses; including working as a Substance Use Counselor, Social Worker, Mental Health Rehabilitation Technician and Peer Support. In Kansas, Robyn served as the Senate Bill 123 (SB123) Liaison between the treatment center and community corrections. SB123 was a program for the first drug felons, and she was awarded Excellence in Solutions, for being one of the first trained in the state’s pilot project of Recovery Coaching, in 2007, implementing the first recovery coaching program at the facility at which she worked.
Robyn holds a Bachelor of Science from The University of Maine in Augusta, Majoring in Mental Health, and Human Services, and an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science in Addictions Studies, from Butler Community College in Kansas, Robyn is also trained in Mediation, Moral Injury, Non-Violent Communication and Restorative Practices.
In 2024 and 2025 Robyn was invited to speak at 4 National Conferences on topics of Diversion & Deflection from incarceration, Embedding Clinicians into Law Enforcement Agencies and cross county collaborations which used blended funding, for her work in a four-county district approach to corrections. She was also asked to speak at the American Corrections Association on the Importance of the Arts in Carceral settings and Robyn recently was accepted into the Associations of Women Executives in Corrections (AWEC); and is currently part of a yearlong mentorship program through AWEC.
Robyn is currently supporting Heart of Ellsworth and the Trust for Public Land project by collaborating with the community to gather input and data that will shape the vision for the Franklin Street Parklet.
Robyn is also enthusiastic about arts programs and holistic pathways focused on healing and community connection and she is one of the primary project leads for the Freedom & Justice Summit taking place in downtown Ellsworth in November of 2025.
Robyn is a proud Ellsworth homeowner and she considers raising her two daughters in Hancock County her greatest accomplishment.