This Saturday, May 28, Cleveland Public Theatre’s annual Station Hope 2022 will return to live in-person programming at in Ohio City's St. John’s Episcopal Church—Cleveland’s first authenticated Underground Railroad site.

This is the ninth year of Station Hope, where attendees can engage with more than 200 artists and more than 50 Northeast Ohio arts cultural organizations at the free community event that celebrates Cleveland’s social justice heritage and explores today’s struggles for equity.

This year’s Station Hope will tackle topics like immigration, education, police brutality, human trafficking, gun violence, income inequality, racism, and gender discrimination. These modern topics will be paired with historically based works that celebrate the people and stories that make up Northeast Ohio’s Underground Railroad history. 

will feature pieces about activist Angela Davis, Ghanaian dance, Afghanistan drumming, and the last slave ship Clotilda. The event will also have exhibits featuring the African American Quilting and Doll Guild;  superhero posters designed by Black, Latinx, Native American, Asian American and Arab American youth who are living with serious illnesses and disabilities; and a performance by the children of the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority’s (CMHA) Lakeview Terrace in Ohio City.

Station Hope is free and open to the public. The event is Saturday, May 28 at 7 p.m., St. John’s Episcopal Church, 2600 Church Ave. Please note that attendees must wear masks while inside of the church. Some areas of the church may not be accessible to people with limited mobility.

Additionally, there will be a free virtual panel discussion, “Action is Hope,” on Friday, May 27 from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Local leaders who have changed their community through activism in different ways speak about their process and what called them to activism. The discussion is a call to action and a sharing of ideas to move us all toward action within our communities.

Panelists include playwright, actor, director, poet, singer, songwriter Jaiie Dayo-Aliya;
playwright, mentor and playwright/script analysis instructor Michael Oatman; journalist, essayist, novelist, poet and New York Times bestselling author Marya Hornbacher; and choreographer, dancer, director, and dramatist Dianne McIntyre

Click here for tickets to the panel discussion.