Dear MAM members,

I am writing to share information about a public humanities project planned for fall 2021 that may be of interest to your organization. The project, Freedom and Captivity, is a statewide coalition-based, public humanities project to explore abolitionist visions for Maine. We are interested in exploring the connections between historic and current forms of abolitionist organizing and visioning, and in opening spaces for considering the kind of future society we want to build toward in Maine.  Our particular focus is on how to envision a society that reduces harm and incarceration through greater equity, justice, and mutual care.

Freedom and Captivity currently has over 50 collaborating organizations and includes several components:  exhibitions,  performances, and programming offered by participating organizations; an online exhibition on Art on Abolition juried from a national open call; documentary projects and workshops in prisons; a podcast; linked courses taught across eight Maine college and university campuses, and more.  

The Freedom and Captivity website will feature this work and promote the programming and exhibitions being offered by the participating organizations.  The website will also offer a lot of background material. I am attaching a project description.

Please be in touch if your organization would like to participate by offering a webinar, performance, exhibition, or other programming. We'd love to work with you.

Best regards,

Catherine Besteman

Coordinator, Freedom and Captivity