Maria Schaedler-Luera

Author of BE THE PROTAGONIST

Maria is a Brazilian-born educator, artist, and consultant with extensive experience in theater, music, arts and literacy, mindfulness, and cross-cultural engagement. Maria is the co-founder of Atomica Arts, where she designs and implements arts integration programs, bilingual initiatives, and wellness workshops. She also serves as Co-Executive Director of LifeLine Productions Inc., a nonprofit using the arts to destigmatize mental illness and amplify marginalized voices through storytelling and performance.

Maria is an Arts Integration Consultant for Focus 5 Inc., a national leader in arts integration, and a Drama and Mindfulness Teaching Artist for the Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall and the Sarasota Performing Arts Center Foundation, where she pilots teaching models and workshops for schools and nonprofits, focusing on culturally relevant teaching, bilingual programs, and mental health. As Programs Officer at the Arts and Cultural Alliance of Sarasota County, Maria leads arts education, arts and health initiatives, and serves as Patriot Plaza Coordinator, overseeing tours and guide training.

Maria is an Engagement Team Member for The Patterson Foundation, co-leading the ESOL/ELL initiative as part of the Suncoast Campaign for Grade-Level Reading.

She studied with theater director Augusto Boal and has taught Theatre of the Oppressed techniques for the American Repertory Theater, Harvard Extension School, Lesley University, and nonprofits in Boston, MA, and Sarasota, FL. Maria previously worked at the Harvard Art Museums, developing and teaching gallery classes to immigrants in English, Portuguese, and Spanish, and at the Community Art Center in Cambridge, MA, leading community programs and public art initiatives.

Maria served as Manager for Arts Integration for Any Given Child Sarasota at Sarasota County Schools. She is a certified Pre-Texts facilitator, trained through Harvard University’s Cultural Agents Initiative, and a Chopra Center Certified Primordial Sound Meditation teacher, Reiki Master, and Ayurvedic Health Counselor, integrating arts, mindfulness, and well-being into her work.