"Broken Clock" | Maine Inside Out Creative Ensemble | TEDxDirigo

Quick Overview

The Maine Inside Out Creative Ensemble performs a spoken word piece about the systemic challenges faced by individuals navigating the justice system, using personal anecdotes about family struggles, the desire for justice and equality, and the constant state of vigilance required in their streets.

Key Points: The ensemble performs a piece titled "Broken Clock" highlighting systemic issues and personal struggles related to the justice system. Performers recount personal stories, including one speaker needing childcare for their sick baby and another reflecting on their son's sixth birthday while they were incarcerated. The performance emphasizes the lack of empathy within the system, noting that time stops when a gun pops or a cell door locks. A core message is the desire for justice, equality, and support resources for mothers and formerly incarcerated individuals. The piece details the constant tension in their neighborhoods, where addicts do not sleep and people blindly follow patriarchal values. The ensemble concludes with the group embracing and bowing to the audience after delivering their powerful message.

Context: The video captures a live performance by the Maine Inside Out Creative Ensemble at a TEDxDirigo event. The ensemble, composed of five individuals dressed in all black, uses spoken word and expressive movement to share a powerful narrative about the pervasive impact of the criminal justice system on their lives and families, touching on themes of incarceration, systemic failure, and the longing for societal support and change.

Detailed Analysis

The performance begins with the group standing together, eventually breaking into a rhythmic, synchronized movement sequence that mimics the actions described in the spoken word lyrics, like holding a phone to the ear (00:17) or putting a finger to the lips for silence (00:13). The narrative weaves together personal anecdotes illustrating the harsh realities of life under systemic pressure. One speaker details an emergency where they needed childcare for a sick baby while trying to make rent (00:31-00:45). Another speaker shares a painful memory of missing their son's sixth birthday because they were incarcerated (03:03-03:07), emphasizing the emotional toll. The piece then broadens to systemic critique, lamenting that time stops when violence occurs or a cell door locks (06:55-07:04), and noting the lack of empathy and the constant threat in their streets (07:14-07:23). The performance culminates in a collective expression of hope and a call to action: dreaming for justice, equality, and the necessary support and resources for mothers and formerly incarcerated people (09:03-09:11). The piece concludes with the entire ensemble embracing in a circle before bowing to the audience (09:31).