Update June 4th: We’ve now raised more than $15,000 toward our $25,000 goal! This is essential support for MIO’s Broken Clock tour that will help make up for canceled NEA funds.

Urgent: Help Make MIO’s Broken Clock Tour Possible - Make a Donation by June 20th

Dear Maine Inside Out community,

We need your help. The MIO creative ensemble’s original play, “Broken Clock,” is set to tour across the state in 2025, but the major funding that would have supported this tour was withdrawn by the National Endowment for the Arts. Without this $25,000 NEA grant, a year of creative work and months of planned performances are at risk.

We have 20 days to raise $25,000 to keep this tour going in Maine communities and inside prisons.

Thanks to early supporters, we've already raised more than $5,000 as of June 1st - but we need your help to make it to $25k in 20 Days, by June 20th.

This isn't just about one show - it's about amplifying voices of system-impacted people to ignite collective creativity and inspire social action. “Broken Clock” was created by and features system-impacted MIO artists, exploring incarceration, gun violence, grief, family, trust, and time - and what true repair looks like when harm occurs. Following each performance, our cast leads powerful dialogues with audiences about accountability, healing, and visions for change.

The stories we’re telling come directly from lived experience - and they’re sparking conversations that can transform how communities think about justice and healing.

Every dollar counts. The NEA grant was 20% of our tour budget and would have been our fourth year of funding from the NEA. On top of this, another large federally funded grant that has supported MIO for the past two years through the Maine CDC’s Office of Population Health Equity has ended. The tour will now rely completely on contributions from donors, foundations, businesses, and presenting partners.

“Broken Clock” aims to bridge perspectives between communities and system-impacted individuals about what's truly needed for repair and accountability. These conversations are challenging – and they're desperately needed.

Can you make a contribution to support this work? Please share this with anyone who believes in the power of the arts to inspire social change.

Thank you to all who are monthly donors or have already made a recent contribution.

With gratitude and urgency,

Maine Inside Out staff, board, and creative ensemble

P.S. Follow our countdown and behind-the-scenes updates on Instagram and Facebook.

Help MIO Raise $25k in 20 Days

Support MIO’s “Broken Clock” tour to make up for canceled NEA funds. Together, we can ignite collective creativity and inspire social action through original theater.