A Tribute to Caroline Georgiou and the Transformative Power of Innerdance in Prisons

Some stories pass through walls, locks, and bars to remind us that the deepest freedom does not depend on a physical space, but on the state of the soul. One of those stories is the one our dear friend Caroline Georgiou, from Innerdance Scotland, has been weaving with immense dedication in different prison systems in Scotland and the United States.

Her work, documented in The Transformative Impact of Innerdance in Prisons (2024–2025), is living proof of how music, sound, and energy can become vehicles of transformation in the harshest environments. In a place where violence, trauma, and despair often dominate daily life, Caroline has opened spaces of calm, trust, and reconnection with what is most human.

A safe space in the midst of confinement

Innerdance is a guided somatic process that uses music to support emotional regulation, nervous system balance, and self-awareness. In her prison sessions, participants simply lie down with their eyes closed, while music creates an inner journey. There, in silence, many discover something they may never have felt before: rest, clarity, connection, and a peace difficult to put into words.

The testimonies are moving:

“It was like being a free bird, I forgot I was in jail.”

“I could see my son, I felt the heartbeat of the drum anchoring me.”

“It’s life-changing to know that peace is just a soundwave away.”

“I relaxed and felt love and gratitude, as if I was with nature and the universe.”

In recent years, Caroline has facilitated Innerdance in HMP Perth in Scotland, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, Ironwood State Prison, Calipatria, and Oregon State Penitentiary. In the United States, this work expanded through a collaboration with the non-profit GOGI (Getting Out by Going In), where Caroline was joined by her colleague Lisa Butcher to bring Innerdance into California prisons.

Beyond data: shared humanity

Reports include statistics and observations, but the most valuable outcome may be the intangible one: the chance to feel seen and accompanied in a place where anonymity and hardness usually prevail. Caroline doesn’t just bring music; she brings presence, she brings listening. The result is that many incarcerated people find a space where they can take off their “mask,” cry, laugh, remember their families, or imagine a different future.

Thanks to the partnership with GOGI, Innerdance soundscapes were even distributed on personal tablets inside prisons, potentially reaching over two million people.

And in Scotland, recognition of this work is growing too. The prison radio has dedicated specific segments to Innerdance, and during one week in October they will play one of Caroline’s soundscapes every night at 11 p.m. In addition, HMP Perth is creating a Wall of Achievement photo display, where Caroline’s Innerdance and her work in America are proudly featured.

A birthday song in the silence

Within this journey, there was also a symbolic gesture that connected us in a very special way. Caroline once shared that many prisoners in California had never been sung “Happy Birthday.” The absence of such a simple, human ritual was a silent wound.

That’s how the idea of creating a unique birthday song for them was born. We composed it with a gentle texture, a hint of Californian blues, a subtle solo, and a calm crescendo of two minutes—crafted not to be overly active, but rather to feel like a sonic embrace. A melody that could be both refuge and celebration.

It may be just a drop in an ocean, but that song is also a reminder: music can restore dignity where it seems to have been taken away.

A necessary homage

This tribute is for Caroline—for her courage in entering these spaces with an open heart, for holding so many forgotten people with tenderness and strength, and for reminding us that no one should be reduced to their past.

And it is also for the men and women who, even within prison walls, found through music a breath, a moment of inner freedom, a chance to remember who they truly are at their core: connected, worthy, and whole.

Thank you, Caroline, for your tireless work and for showing us that hope can blossom even in the most unexpected places.