Since 2019, Open Sky participants and Founder & Director Derek Lucci have been busy. 

In addition to attending weekly classes in the NH State Prison for Men's gym, the residents who participate in Open Sky have put on roughly 40 free performances between two plays, performed in front of over 600 individuals, been featured on NH Chronicle and in NH Magazine's 603 Diversity, and more. 

The program itself has been recognized statewide, and both Open Sky and Derek have been awarded by the NH Business Committee for the Arts, the NH State Council on the Arts, and the NH Governor's Awards. 

Throughout all of this, Open Sky has also been designated a Promising Practice, proving through preliminary findings that the model positively impacts the emotional and mental health of those involved, and teaches prosocial skills crucial to re-integration. 

See below to learn more about all the work that's been done, the work that's still happening, and where we go from here.

ART by Yasmina Reza 

Between September and October 2024, Open Sky participants at the NH State Prison for Men offered 16 free performances of Yasmina Reza’s ART for the general prison population, the Commissioner, and program supporters and stakeholders.

​All performances took place in the prison gym and featured talkback sessions with the cast. The performance’s playbill, advertisements, tickets, set, and more were all designed and produced by program participants.

The sky’s the limit – Open Sky and 603 Diversity

In their February 2025 issue, 603 Diversity included an introduction of and article about Open Sky.

The introduction, written by Editor and Publisher Ernesto Burden, shares Ernesto’s experience attending a performance of ART in the fall of 2024. He thoughtfully outlines art’s ability to teach us about ourselves, create empathy and connection, and support rehabilitation.
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The sky’s the limit, written by Suzanne Laurent, includes an interview with program Founder and Director Derek Lucci as well as quotes and testimony from program participants.

​To access the issue, visit nhmagazine.com/603-diversity/.

NH Governor's Award: Arts in Health

Every two years, the State Arts Council and Governor’s office recognize the contributions of artists, organizations, and individuals to New Hampshire’s cultural life.

The Arts in Health Award recognizes those who provide increased access to the arts and contribute to public health priorities to reduce stigma and inspire positive change for NH populations and communities. Open Sky and Founder Director Derek Lucci were awarded with the Governor’s Arts Award in this category in September. Members of the Open Sky Board as well as friends of the program attended a ceremony with Governor Ayotte in October to accept the award.

Open Sky: A Promising Practice

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​In November 2024, Open Sky received a Promising Practice designation from New Hampshire’s Service to Science Expert Panel.
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Programs endorsed as a Promising Practice have demonstrated readiness to conduct a high-quality, systematic evaluation with the ultimate goal of acheiving a status of Evidence-Based – as is Open Sky’s next step.

​To learn more about Service to Science and the varying designations, visit nhcenterforexcellence.org/service-to-science/.

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What does it mean to be a Promising Practice?

Open Sky News

Keep up on Open Sky announcements and updates.
"True West" Comes to Concord

The inaugural performance for Open Sky participants was held in October 2022 in the prison gym. The production was a play called "True West" by Sam Shepard, and was directed by Derek Lucci. 

In addition to the performances  for fellow prison residents that took place over the course of two weeks, a special Commissioners performance was featured on WMUR's NH Chronicle.

​Click here to watch it.
Open Sky Founder the 2023 Artrepreneur

Open Sky Founder and Director Derek Lucci was honored by the NH Business Committee for the Arts (NHBCA). At their 39th Annual Arts Awards Gala, Derek was presented with the 2023 Bayberry Financial Services Artrepreneur Award. 

This award recognized a professional NH artist who uses innovated methods to build creative and successful businesses.
In the program evaluation process, Open Sky has been working closely with JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. evaluators to determine program efficacy. JSI conducted the initial analysis that helped the program acheive it's Promising Practice designation, and continues to work closely with Derek and the participants as they move toward Evidence-Based. 

JSI is a global public health nonprofit working to improve health and education outcomes around the world in within our local communities. The New Hampshire office, known locally as the Community Health Institute, is located in Bow, NH. To learn more, visit jsi.org. 

​The Data Behind the Promising Practice
Learning to answer the question: Who Am I?

All Open Sky participants partake in a self-reflection exercise that asks them to, in their own words, answer the question... Who am I?

Each cohort completes a minimum of two essays answering this prompt, which is left intentionally vague:

  • Pre-Essay: written at the beginning of each year, usually in conjunction with new members or cohorts joining the program. This helps establish a baseline.
  • Post-Essay: completed toward the end of the year, usually just before performances are held.

From pre- to post- essays, program evaluators at JSI Research & Training employ a variety of analyses to track participant attitudes and outlooks. Themes present across essays and which spoke to program outcomes detailed in the logic model were coded, and their frequencies tracked.
​What we found in Open Sky "Who Am I?" essays ​after program involvement:

Looking Ahead to Evidence-Based
Programs endorsed by the Service to Science Expert Panel as Evidence-Based:
This process of manualization and continued evaluation ensures that programs are rigorously tested. The key here for Open Sky is replicability.

​Continuing the progress toward program manualization, and sustaining evaluation efforts using the “Who Am I?” essays and a new psychological self-assessment designed using validated mindfulness and empathy subscales, Open Sky also plans to expand the program’s reach into other prisons in the state.
The Path Forward

​To expand the program to other incarcerated populations in New Hampshire,
​Open Sky plans to: