Voices Unbarred employs a tactic of Theater of the Oppressed, a revolutionary art form that helps people analyze the world around them, explore social and political issues, and create solutions, to examine issues surrounding incarceration. It employs games, dialogue, and including those directly impacted as a framework for the development of creative policy ideas that reimagine the system!

The Rehearsal for Change series happens in close partnership with DC Justice Lab, a team of law and policy experts researching and advocating for changes to the District’s criminal legal system. These interactive community events explore using Theatre of the Oppressed (TO) techniques and performance to spread awareness in our communities, center the lived-experience of systems-impacted individuals, and offer an entrypoint for community members to engage in deep conversation and brainstorm better policies.

Join us on May 18th to focus on the issue of overpunishment in our carceral system. We will explore the ways in which we overpunish people who are incarcerated, what is currently being done in DC, and develop a new system that focuses on holding people accountable and healing harm rather than inhumane punishment.