“My story isn’t just about me; it’s a testament to the power of resistance and the fight for liberation. I hope it ignites a spark within the audience, prompting them to reflect on their own place in the struggle for justice.”
– Joan Kinaro, storyteller
We believe deeply in the power of storytelling to liberate both the speaker and those who listen.
Stories for Freedom is a true storytelling program highlighting the voices of activists, artists, and changemakers who are working to challenge oppression in their lives and communities. Stories for Freedom is inspired by practices of liberation that have emerged from Black and Indigenous communities, and aims to challenge us all to take bold action in the disruption of systemic oppression.
Storytellers featured include authors, visual artists, activists, educators, musicians, and scholars, all of whom use storytelling in their work to build a world where we all are free to speak our truth.
“I joined the Workshop Leader Training program because I believe in the power of storytelling to create transformation—not just for the storyteller, but for the entire community. Conversations rooted in truth and vulnerability have the ability to heal, challenge perspectives, and inspire action.”
– Shaniqua Bowden, storyteller and TMI Project Workshop Leader
Our 2025 performance introduced our community to 12 new TMI Project workshop leaders, who crafted their Stories for Freedom in a 10-session TMI Project Signature Workshop – the same immersive storytelling experience they will soon be guiding others through. We believe that those who lead this work must be deeply rooted in it – by personally experiencing the transformative power of crafting a true “TMI” story and performing it on stage themselves.
2025 Performance Video coming soon
Stories for Freedom debuted in 2024, featuring a cast selected from an international call, hailing from our home in New York’s Hudson Valley, across the US, and as far afield as Kenya and South Africa.
“I jumped at the opportunity to participate as a storyteller in TMI Project’s first workshop and performance of #BlackStoriesMatter in early 2017 and, later that year, as a TMI Project teacher-trainee. I can’t think of more important work than helping people tell their true stories. If you think it’s simple, you should try it sometime.”
In addition to leading TMI Project workshops, Dara is an author and manuscript coach. She received a B.A. in Film & Theater from Vassar College and M.F.A. in Creative Writing from Hunter College. Dara grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and migrated in the early 1980s to West Berlin, Germany, where she tended bar, wrote and performed in the theater while living in different communities of squatters, Green Party activists, journalists, teachers, and social workers. Her first book, Great Space of Desire; Writing for Personal Evolution, is a memoir and creative guide for writers wishing to tell their own stories.
“One of the most rewarding parts of working at TMI Project is seeing what storytellers look like when they step off the stage. It often looks like they’re floating out of the theater. They look taller; lighter. It’s as if something has truly been lifted. To be able to witness that over and over fills my spirit. I can’t think of anything else I’d rather do.”
Eva Tenuto co-founded TMI Project in 2010, spearheading a movement using true storytelling as a liberation practice for social justice. With an unwavering commitment to releasing shame and stigma through true storytelling, Eva has propelled TMI Project from her living room to the United Nations, and many places in between. Since then, she has guided thousands of people to write and share their stories.
In addition to being TMI Project’s executive director, Eva is a multi-disciplinary artist. She is the co-host of the award-winning podcast, The TMI Project Story Hour. She is the editor and director of multiple solo shows, one of which was awarded Best Comedic Script in the United Solo Festival. Her award-winning documentary shorts Vicarious Resilience, Locker Room Talk, and One Story at a Time: Celeste Lecesne have screened around the world, including at esteemed festivals like DC/DOX, Woodstock Film Festival, and GlobeDocs by The Boston Globe. Eva’s personal essays have appeared in assorted anthologies and online publications.
Eva is a sought-after speaker on topics such as storytelling, social justice, women’s leadership, recovery, and shame. She has presented at many institutions, including UN Women, Omega Institute, and A Call to Men, among others. In 2018, she had the privilege of presenting #MeToo founder Tarana Burke with the Eleanor Roosevelt Center’s Medal of Honor.
“TMI Project does the exact kind of work that the world needs. From the moment I learned about them I wanted to contribute to the way they spread outstanding courage, community, and kindness. TMI Project makes the world a more honest, open place and I am honored to be given the chance to help foster and facilitate their mission.”
Raine Grayson is a multi-genre writer whose work focuses on exploring and uplifting the LGBTQIA+ community. He specializes in social action theatre and also dabbles in academic essays and creative non-fiction. He founded “Queeries Blog” – a space for queer artists to publish their work freely. He’s worked with The TMI Project before in conjunction with the Trevor Project for “Life Lines: Queer Stories Of Survival”. He’s spoken his suicide survival story on nationally streaming platforms for Trevor Live in support of their suicide prevention chat line. His nonfiction work can be found featured at Queeries Blog, Go Magazine, The Paragon Press, Weasel Press, and soon So Say We All’s magazine “The Whole Alphabet”. His playwriting has been featured by The Playwriting Collective, The Tank, NY Madness, KIT Theatre, The Rosendale Theatre, and Virtual Theatre Collaboration. He is a recipient of the SUNY Thayer Fellowship and Patricia Kerr Ross Award for his playwriting, as well as being recognized as a runner-up for the The Playwriting Collective’s Ball Grant. If you’d like to queer up your timeline, find him on social media @rainerpism.
Sign up here to watch Stories for Freedom.
The Julie Novak Storytelling Club is a place to be your full self — radically free, fully seen, and wholly welcome. To make sure our programming lives up to that promise, we’d love to learn a little more about who’s in the room. This information also helps us demonstrate to partners why this work matters.
Your responses are confidential and will never be used to identify you individually. All questions are optional — skip anything you prefer not to answer.
