HISTORY OF THE PROGRAM:

Avodah’s first residency at York Correctional Institution occurred in the spring of 2002 supported by a grant from The Nathan Cummings Foundation as part of a larger $25,000 grant called The Forgiveness Project. Because the residency received such a positive response from participants and rave reviews from the staff and community at York, the program expanded for the following three years by adding year long ongoing classes by a York staff member, monthly visits with Avodah guest artists, and additional performances. Furthermore, because of the glowing success of the first residency, Avodah replicated the program in Delaware, offering week-long residencies at the Delores Baylor Correctional Institution, and then leading workshops for younger women at the New Castle County Detention Center. Avodah members and Joe Lea, librarian at York CI, gave a presentation at the Regional Conference of the Correctional Education Association in Atlantic City, NJ in June 2004. Because of the professional quality and demonstrated effectiveness of the innovative program, Edna Mahan Correctional Facility in Clinton, New Jersey, invited Avodah to produce a residency at their institution (Avodah is currently researching funding options for the New Jersey program)

Avodah’s programming grew with grant support from The George A. and Grace L. Long Foundation made possible through The Community Foundation of Southeastern Connecticut, and the Bodenwein Public Benevolent Fund made possible by Community Partners in Action. Also, The J. Walton Bissell Foundation and The Chester W. Kitchings Foundation have granted instrumental support. In Delaware, funding support has been sourced by Pacem In Terris from The Marshal Reynolds Foundation and The Apostles in Mission Fund of the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew. Individual contributions to Avodah, and in-kind support of the staff of York Correctional Institution and Baylor Correctional Institution, also make the residencies possible. Each year a new theme is selected, and previously, we have focused on the themes: Things That You Have Taken/Things That Have Been Taken From You, Forgiveness, and Rituals of Transformation.

In October 2007, Senior Avodah dancer Connie Procopio presented on behalf of Avodah Dance Ensemble at the Arts in Criminal Justice Conference in Philadelphia, PA. After working in the correctional environment many years, Avodah is happy to be a part of a growing community of artists committed to bringing arts into the criminal justice system.