Our October Fireside Chat will be hosted by Hanlon Kelley from the Restorative Justice Project Maine, a nonprofit organization that promotes fundamental change in communities, schools and institutions and the justice system. Our responses to crime and wrongdoing seek renewal and safety for the community, support and healing for victims, and accountability and reintegration of the offender. Come tell a story about your experiences of belonging and mattering. When and where have you felt most like you belong, and what were the qualities of that situation? Or tell about a moment when you realized that you matter, or a moment when you were convinced that you didn’t.
Waterfall Arts presents Fireside Chats, an enthusiastic experiment meant to ignite conversations, boost empathy, and offer a platform for shared stories to help all of us set new intentions for our collective future. The event will take place monthly on our front lawn for anyone to gather around warm fire pits for a night of storytelling.
Why a storytelling series? Stories have the potential to break down barriers, sharpen our radical listening skills, empower community, and make us feel part of something larger than ourselves.
Who is participating? These monthly chats will include a visit from another local non-profit organization to share about their experience serving our community, and to provide us with a theme for the evening. Community partnerships provide us with a platform for collaboration and an interdependence that is necessary as Waldo County–and the rest of the state–continue to deal with the repercussions of the pandemic.
What should I do if I want to come? Just show up! For those interested in joining the conversation, consider themes of belonging and mattering. When and where have you felt most like you belong, and what were the qualities of that situation? Or tell about a moment when you realized that you matter to someone else, or a moment when you were convinced that you didn’t. No experience is necessary to tell a story and listening is just as important as sharing, so if you’d prefer to be an active listener, that’s wonderful, too.
RSVP using the button below to let us know you’re coming, so we can ensure there’s enough warmth to go around!
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Following CDC recommendations and guidelines, Waterfall Arts will no longer require masking, proof of vaccination, or a negative COVID test for patrons, students, or visitors to attend classes, openings or any events at the Waterfall Arts building.