Rewriting Justice: facilitating playwriting in criminal justice settings

Benefits of the course

Learn how Clean Break facilitates playwrighting workshops with women in criminal justice and community settings, while examining the personal and social value of this work.

Participants will gain insights from Clean Break’s four decades of using playwrighting to help women find their voices and own their stories.

Who is this training for?

Rewriting Justice is a one-day training course for theatre-artists, playwrights, facilitators and criminal justice professionals with an interest in delivering playwriting workshops in criminal justice settings, women's centres and the community.

What the course covers

Through drama and playwriting exercises, group work and discussion, participants will:

• Learn creative ideas and exercises for facilitating playwriting with women in criminal justice settings
• Identify best practice when working creatively with adults in vulnerable circumstances
• Hear insights about working in prisons as a playwright for Clean Break
• Explore next steps for those interested in pursuing this field as a career

Why Clean Break?

The only theatre company of its kind, Clean Break delivers life changing theatre workshops for women with experience of the criminal justice system, or who are at risk.

Our playwrighting workshops have helped hundreds of women build confidence and skills. Clean Break’s writing programmes have also helped produce award-winning playwrights, providing unique opportunities for women to discover their talents.

About the Facilitators

Anna Herrmann is Artistic Director of Clean Break. She has been working in the field of theatre and social change for thirty years, specialising in theatre and participation in the UK and abroad. She has been with Clean Break since 2002 as the Head of Education, leading the company’s award-winning work with women in the criminal justice system and women at risk of entering it. With Clean Break she has directed Through This Mist (co-directed with Róisín McBrinn), Sweatbox (national tour and film), Not Pretty Like The Rainbow (national tour), Catch (national tour) and Scenes from Lost Mothers (national tour). Anna has been an active member of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance for over a decade.

Lakesha Arie-Angelo is Clean Break's Associate Artistic Director. She is a theatre director, writer, dramaturg, facilitator and previously Associate Director at Soho Theatre. In her role within Soho Theatre, Lakesha co-led the Writers Lab programme and was lead programmer of theatre in the Upstairs Studio space. Her credits as a Director include The Color Purple (2022 UK tour, for Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome; Nominated for 2023 Black British Theatre Award for Best Musical Production); Sikisa-Life of the Party (Pleasance Theatre Edinburgh, Soho Theatre); Shuck ‘n’ Jive and soft animals (Soho Theatre); Summer Fest and Alive Day (The Bunker Theatre); and The Hoes (Hampstead Theatre).

Additional Information

**A limited number of bursary places are available to anyone who has direct personal lived experience of the criminal justice system (not professional experience).

To apply for these, please get in touch explaining how you are eligible (without disclosing sensitive personal information) and expressing your interest in the training event.

Bursary places are limited and are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis. These places are intended for participants with low or no income.

Please send your request to events@cleanbreak.org.uk marking your email with BURSARY REQUEST in the subject heading, at least four weeks ahead of the training date.

If you have any access requirements you would like us to be aware of, please contact events@cleanbreak.org.uk and let us know.

This training is open to participants who are women (this includes cis, intersex, and trans women)

Photography by Tracey Anderson