Clean Break and Birth Companions

Clean Break is a women's theatre company changing lives and minds - on stage, in prison and in the community.

Clean Break was founded in 1979 by two women prisoners who believed in the transformative power of theatre to change lives. Our vision is of a society where women can realise their full potential, free from criminalisation. We pursue this vision by producing ground-breaking theatre which puts women’s voices at its heart and creates lasting change by challenging injustice in and beyond the criminal justice system.

Through theatre workshops and projects in prisons, the community, and our specialist centre in London, we help to build confidence, resilience, and wellbeing, transforming the lives of women who have experienced the criminal justice system or who are at risk of entering it. Our Members Programme offers a range of workshops and performance opportunities led by brilliant female theatre artists, underpinned by comprehensive support.

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Birth Companions was founded in 1996 to support pregnant women and new mothers in Holloway Prison. Since then we’ve developed an expertise in the needs of perinatal women in the most difficult and disadvantaged circumstances and have become the UK’s leading organisation in this field.

The women we work with face a range of difficulties which can often make the birth of their baby a time of anxiety, stress and hardship. These can include being in prison, immigration issues, homelessness, financial difficulties, mental ill-health, involvement with social services and a history of domestic violence or sexual abuse.

We support mothers who experience several of these issues at the same time, making them particularly vulnerable at this important point in their lives. The right support can make a huge difference to the outcomes of mothers and their babies.