Culture story sections
AGENDA
A. Welcome & Introductions/Check-in (5 min)
B. Invited Guests – The Grammar School (15 min)
C. Invited Guests – Centre Congregational Church (15 min)
D. Invited Guests – Town Arts Fund (15 min)
The Boards of Windham Southeast School District and Supervisory Union invite you to bring your questions and concerns to a Community Forum which will take place:
April 25, 2026
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Brattleboro Union High School Auditorium
An evening of creativity and community returns to Next Stage Arts on Thursday, May 21, as Vermont Timbre hosts its popular Open Mic night.
Located at 15 Kimball Hill in Putney, Vermont, Next Stage Arts provides an intimate and welcoming setting for this ongoing series led by Amelia Struthers and Mike Mrowicki. Performers of all kinds—musicians, poets, storytellers, and other creatives—are invited to share their work in 10–15 minute sets, resulting in a varied and engaging evening shaped by local voices.
All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church will present the one-woman show BLACKOUT: How I Became White in America on Saturday, April 25 at 2 pm. This original show is written and performed by Ethelyn Friend, actor, teacher and writer. Her performance reflects one white woman’s process of facing her direct links to slavery, a somatic, musical, and theatrical exploration of denial, guilt and response. Friend notes this performance directly addresses “white America.” The 90- minute show is followed by an optional community conversation.
PUTNEY, VT — Twilight Music and Next Stage Arts present an evening with acclaimed folk singer-songwriter John Gorka on Sunday, May 17 at 7:00 pm (doors at 6:15 pm) at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill in Putney.
Described by Rolling Stone as “the leading singer/songwriter of the New Folk movement,” Gorka has spent decades crafting songs marked by emotional depth, wry humor, and a resonant baritone voice. From his formative years at the legendary Godfrey Daniels coffeehouse in Pennsylvania to stages across the U.S. and Europe, Gorka has built a reputation as one of contemporary folk’s most compelling storytellers.
Reflecting on events in our lives that have helped to create the person we are can help us better understand the person we have become. There are certain times in our lives that pop into our consciousness from time to time, perhaps signaling to us to think about what they mean in our personal evolution.
The year was 1971 or 1972 and a friend and I spent a weekend at Allen Ginsberg’s farm in upstate New York. It was a weekend filled with insight and meaning for me. The world was in flux and the transformations of the 1960’s were lingering in the air.
The Queralt Giralt Soler Trio will bring a distinctive blend of global influences and intimate musical storytelling to Next Stage Arts on Friday, May 15, at 7:30 p.m., with doors opening at 6:45 p.m.
Led by cellist, vocalist, and composer Queralt Giralt Soler, the trio offers an evening of original music and inventive reinterpretations that move fluidly between classical, jazz, and Catalan folk traditions. Giralt Soler’s work is rooted in a deeply personal musical language, where cello and voice intertwine to create textures that are both lyrical and exploratory.
Guilford VT artist, Gregory Damien Grinnell has worked in multimedia for most of his career, engaging painting, sculpture, film, audio, and site-specific installation to create works that explore both narrative and non-narrative perspectives.
His current practice investigates the sequential nature of these mediums, examining how a body of work can operate as a meta-narrative composed of interconnected sub-narratives. Within this intentionally constructed framework, thematic elements may be read either as deeply interrelated components of a unified environment or as more autonomous actions unfolding within a shared world.
DIANA WHITNEY’s powerful poems tell the truth of her experiences – they are dynamic, subversive, brave. The beauty of her words connect us in their authenticity. Diana is also an advocate for “Out in the Open”, our local LGBTQ+ community, and her new book “Girl Trouble” had just been published.
Next Stage Arts invites the community to a powerful evening of music, history, and film with a special screening of Sing Sing Thanksgiving on Saturday, May 9 at 7:00 PM. This event is the second in a three-film series presented by acclaimed regional filmmaker Alan Dater.
Produced in 1973, Sing Sing Thanksgiving documents a remarkable live performance at New York’s Sing Sing Prison featuring legendary artists B.B. King, Joan Baez, and others. Filmed at a time when few such events were captured on camera, the concert stands as a moving testament to the power of music to transcend walls and connect people across divides. King himself later described the performance as one of the greatest of his career, while the New York Daily News called it one of the most extraordinary moments in live entertainment.
PUTNEY, VT — Next Stage Arts presents an evening of literary conversation with acclaimed author Victoria Redel, joined by award-winning writer Robin MacArthur, on Friday, May 8 at 7:30 PM at Next Stage Arts in Putney.
The event will center on Redel’s highly anticipated new novel, I Am You, a sweeping and intimate story set in 1600s Amsterdam. Drawing on historical inspiration, the novel follows the intertwined lives of Gerta Pieters, a young girl raised as a boy in service to a Dutch household, and Maria van Oosterwijck, a painter forging her path in the Dutch Golden Age. Through their stories, Redel explores questions of love, identity, gender, and the constraints placed on women throughout history.
April is Poetry Month ! Check out store windows in Brattleboro for “Poems Around Town” which is just one of ARLENE DISTLER’s many projects. She also co-founded “The Women’s Film Festival,” the Town Tree Board, and “Write Action”, among lots of other great assets to our town. A poet, journalist and artist, Arlene’s creativity and hard work are an inspiration for us all and have helped this community thrive.
[Brattleboro, Vermont] — Windham Southeast School District Board announces that a seat on the Board has recently been vacated. The Board is seeking Brattleboro residents who may be interested in serving the remainder of the term.
School Board members play a vital role in shaping the direction of schools in Brattleboro, Dummerston, Guilford and Putney, including setting policy, guiding budget planning, affirming and growing Social Justice systems, examining procedures that support student and staff growth, and ensuring that all students receive a high-quality education. This is an opportunity for a committed community member to contribute directly to the governance of WSESD.
PUTNEY, VT — On Saturday, May 2, Next Stage Arts Project and Twilight Music present a special evening of contemporary folk in an intimate “in-the-round” format, featuring four acclaimed singer/songwriters: Alice Howe, Freebo, Sam Robbins, and Halley Neal. The concert begins at 7:30 pm, with doors opening at 6:45 pm, at Next Stage Arts, 15 Kimball Hill. Tickets are $24 in advance, $28 at the door, and $10 for a livestream option, available at nextstagearts.org.
This unique shared-concert experience brings the artists together onstage throughout the evening, blending solo performances with spontaneous collaborations, storytelling, and musical interplay. The “in-the-round” format invites audiences into a more personal and conversational style of performance, where songs and stories unfold in a dynamic, communal setting.
Tiny Theater will celebrate National Poetry Month this April with an expansive four-weekend series of poetry readings honoring the rich diversity of poetic traditions across history and cultures. The FREE program will feature performances and readings spanning major poetic movements—from classical traditions to contemporary spoken word—along with special guest appearances and themed events.
Each weekend in April, hosted by ByWay Books & More, Tiny Theater will host gatherings that highlight influential poetry periods and genres including Renaissance and Metaphysical poetry, Romantic and Victorian poetry, Faith and Devotional poetry, Modern and Postmodern poetry, and Contemporary forms such as spoken word, performance poetry, slam, and hip hop poetry.
The Brattleboro Area Interfaith Youth Group has only a month before they depart on a weeklong service and learning trip to South Carolina during April spring break and they are still $3800 away from their fundraising goal. The group will learn about the history of Charleston and its connection to issues of systemic poverty, inadequate housing and racism while building their own skills of leadership and agency.
To date the group has raised money through initiatives such as a spaghetti supper, a chili supper, and a concert and presentations each week to businesses and churches. The group has many newcomers in it as well as young people raised locally. In order to take all the interested youth, regardless of their ability to pay, they need help from the community. If you would like to contribute any amount, please visit the Youth Group’s GoFundMe page at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-brattleboro-youths-charleston-service-trip
Friday, April 24 | 7:30 PM | Next Stage Arts, Putney, VT
Experience the transcendent music of Ablaye Cissoko and Cyrille Brotto, two masterful musicians bringing their acclaimed project Djiyo—meaning “water”—to Next Stage Arts. With the kora and diatonic accordion at the center, the duo creates a luminous dialogue that flows like a river across cultures, blending Manding and Occitan traditions into a sound both meditative and deeply human.
After nearly three years of touring and over 100 concerts worldwide, Cissoko and Brotto reunite for an intimate performance full of grace, warmth, and emotional depth. Their music is at once contemplative and quietly ecstatic, inviting listeners on a spiritual journey that clears the mind and awakens the senses. Hailed as “a gem from start to finish” by Songlines UK, Djiyo exemplifies the beauty of musical conversation and cross-cultural collaboration.
The Brattleboro Arts Committee will meet on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 at 5:00pm at the Brooks Memorial Library.
Step into a vibrant world of music, dance, and tradition as the Veronica Robles Quartet brings its electrifying performance to Next Stage Arts in Putney on Sunday, April 19. Doors open at 1:15 PM with the show beginning at 2:00 PM.
Veronica Robles, a celebrated female mariachi singer, musician, and Latin American folkloric dancer and choreographer, has become a cultural icon in Boston’s Latino community. Known for her powerful voice and dynamic performances, she weaves together music, dance, and storytelling to celebrate Latin American heritage and the beauty of cultural diversity.
As one of our premiere local gardeners, HELEN O’DONNELL talks about the heart and soul of growing plants and making gardens, and the influence of working at Hidcote Manor and Great Dixter Garden in England, and Hayward Gardens here in Westminster West. With her husband, sister and their families they own and operate The Bunker Farm in E. Dummerston. Helen is also a painter and printmaker.
Enjoy Helen’s wonderful stories of connecting to the land.
