New Podcast Season: “Black Stories Matter”

In alignment with the Black Lives Matter movement, season two of The TMI Project Story Hour will feature underrepresented stories of the Black experience in America

TMI Project is a nonprofit transmedia organization that believes in the power of changing the world one radically true story at a time. Recognizing the power audio has to amplify the stories that are often overlooked by mainstream media, TMI Project recently added a free quarterly podcast to its portfolio. On October 28, 2020, the organization will launch The TMI Project Podcast Season 2: Black Stories Matter.

Each episode of the 12-part season will feature a personal narrative from a TMI Project storyteller focused on the “too much information” parts of their story usually left out due to shame, embarrassment, fear or cultural expectation. In season two, we touch on themes of identity, racism, gentrification and homelessness, coming of age and self love, family and forgiveness, addiction and recovery, abuse, and the everythingness of Blackness. Black Stories Matter will be of particular interest to the growing Black Lives Matter movement to end systemic racism as activists and allies continue the work of amplifying Black voices. Listen to the trailer here.

FROM OUR HOSTS

“Writing and then sharing my story in my first TMI Project performance in 2017 allowed me to affirm and claim an important part of my life experience.  Performing with and now mentoring other groups of TMI Project workshop writers, I’ve found the family I always wanted: a family based on telling stories with truth, courage and compassion,” said Dara Lurie (she/her), TMI Project’s Black Stories Matter co-director and workshop leader.

“White America, by choice and by ignorance, has been denied our stories and is maybe now recognizing how unhealthy that dynamic has been. Supporting the development of our stories, our truths — there’s really nothing more important to me,” said Micah (he/him), TMI Project’s Black Stories Matter co-director and workshop leader.

The TMI Project Podcast is produced in partnership with Radio Kingston, a non-commercial platform dedicated to a vibrant, just, and healthy Kingston centered around community storytelling, artistic and musical expression, conversation and connection.

About TMI Project

TMI Project is a nonprofit transmedia organization that believes in the power of changing the world one radically true story at a time. Since 2010, TMI Project has led nearly 150 true storytelling workshops and staged live storytelling performances by more than 3,000 storytellers, which have been presented to audiences of over 250,000 people in schools, colleges, prisons, mental health clinics, theaters, community centers and the United Nations. The culminating content – written stories, live storytelling performances, videos, and now a podcast – is accessible to an all-inclusive audience.

In 2017, TMI Project responded to the outcry for racial justice by launching Black Stories Matter, a Black-led true storytelling program where Black folks can write about, share, and reflect upon their lived experiences without having to justify, explain, or defend their truth.

To learn more about this program, visit tmiproject.org/blackstoriesmatter

To learn more about season 2, visit https://tmiproject.org/podcast-press-kit-season-2

Contact:
Shantae Howell
shantae@tmiproject.org 

My Covid-19 Message in a Bottle

Dear Friends,

Like everyone, all of us at TMI Project are doing our best to stay calm and make the best-informed decisions possible as the COVID-19 landscape changes daily. We are committed to the well-being of our local community and have decided to postpone our April 1st Podcast Launch Party and all other in-person programs until we are confident it is safe for all to attend. 

So this is my message in a bottle. During this time, TMI Project will remain dedicated to helping you tell your stories and stay connected even if we can’t be in the same room with each other. To that end, I’m excited to announce that we are hosting our first-ever digital mini TMI Project Storytelling workshop in lieu of the podcast launch party at 7pm on April 1st!  

We’re going to do what we do best – offer a mini TMI Project workshop with spontaneous writing and then daring ourselves to read it in community. Warts and all. It’s scary, it’s exhilarating, it’s cathartic. And for the first time, we’re going to do it virtually. 

So if you’re sick, a caretaker, or just bored from the drudgery of social distancing, join us! Space is limited. 


Listen to a special message I recorded for our TMI Project family.

If you haven’t yet, subscribe to The TMI Project Podcast wherever you get your podcasts to receive a notification on April 1st when our first series, Tragedy + Time = Comedy launches with eight binge-worthy episodes! If you can, listen to the premiere episode about the amazing Verna Gillis prior to the workshop. We promise it will provide much-needed laughter and inspiration. 

In the meantime, stay safe, wash your hands, try not to panic and leave some toilet paper on the shelves for your neighbors. And, if you’ve got something on your mind, something that’s weighing you down, join us for the online workshop and write about it! You won’t regret it. 

Stay safe and well. Sending much love to you all.


Eva Tenuto (she/her)
Co-Founder/Executive Director
TMI Project

P.S. If there’s an online offering you would like, let us know. We’d love to hear your ideas. Email info@tmiproject.org with the subject line “Virtual Programming Ideas.”