On May 31, Governors State University and the Social Justice Initiative will present a special, live-streamed performance featuring incarcerated women participating in the Logan Initiative at Logan Correctional Center in Lincoln, IL. The event will bring together theater, storytelling, academic research, and community engagement as part of the university’s growing prison education efforts.
The performance will showcase original stories and scenes created by women participating in the theater storytelling workshop led by Prof. Quenna Barrett, Monica Cosby, who is formerly incarcerated and an advocate for others, and additional collaborators connected to the Logan Initiative. Throughout the workshop, participants have been developing stories inspired by personal experiences and larger social issues affecting women and incarcerated communities.
The performance is expected to explore themes such as domestic violence, police brutality, trauma, resilience, family relationships, and survival. Organizers hope the event will give audiences a deeper understanding of how people from many different backgrounds can become impacted by incarceration and systemic inequalities.
Barrett said the storytelling process has been designed to create a safe and creative environment where participants can express themselves openly and build community with one another. Through theater and performance, the women have been encouraged to share stories that might otherwise remain unheard beyond prison walls.
In addition to the live-streamed performance, the May 31 event also will include presentations from students working with Dr. Sayoni Bose. Their research focuses on housing opportunities and support systems for survivors of domestic violence returning from incarceration. By combining academic research with artistic storytelling, the event will highlight the connections between education, advocacy, and lived experience. Organizers believe the event will demonstrate how arts programming can become an important part of prison education. Rather than focusing only on punishment, the workshop emphasizes creativity, healing, critical thinking, and personal growth.
The May 31 program also will represent an important milestone for the Logan Initiative itself. Since the program is still in its early stages, the event will serve as both a showcase of the participants’ work and an opportunity for Governors State University and community members to continue building support for future prison education and arts initiatives.
Together, the Social Justice Initiative, the Logan Initiative, and the upcoming storytelling performance reflect a larger effort to connect education with social change. Through legal advocacy, community engagement, prison education, and creative expression, these programs continue to strengthen the relationship between the university and communities often overlooked or underserved.