Tag Archives: prison partnership project

Theatre Graduates and Staff work with NSPCC and Yorkshire County Council

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We are delighted to be working in collaboration with North Yorkshire Safe Guarding Board, National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and Connecting Youth Culture (CYC) at North Yorkshire County Council.

Theatre academics Rachel Conlon and Jules Dorey Richmond have been commissioned to produce a participatory play for the campaign and are employing recent BA Honours Theatre graduates to create and perform the theatre performance to raise awareness, and explore paths out of harmful and dangerous situations surrounding E-Safety. This high profile project will initially be delivered to young people within secondary school settings throughout North Yorkshire, but it is envisaged that this highly beneficial work will be developed for both a younger audience and parents in a bid to stop sexual exploitation of vulnerable young people.

This project is part of the Faculty of Arts commitment to social engaged arts practice, and sits alongside the Prison Partnership Project, the International Centre for Community Music, and Converge.

Clean Break Performance & Workshop

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Clean Break Performance at York St John University. Photo Jen Todman,
Clean Break Performance at York St John University. Photo Jen Todman,

Last week we were delighted to present  ‘Sounds Like an Insult’ – by Clean Break Theatre Company. ‘Sounds like an Insult’ was commissioned by Clean Break in association with NOMS and the Department of Health and performed by graduates of Clean Break’s theatre education programme. Written by Vivienne Franzmann the show explores the experience of women offenders with complex mental health needs and the challenges of diagnosis and treatment within the criminal justice system. This event was in association with the Prison Partnership Project.

The Prison Partnership Project was conceived back in September 2013 by Rachel Conlon in the theatre programme, within the Faculty of Arts at #YSJ, HMP Askham Grange and the nationally acclaimed theatre company Clean Break. It was born out of the idea and desire to provide a unique, creative arts partnership between education, the arts and the prison service.

The aims of the partnership are to support the already recognised work of Clean Break at HMP Askham Grange, to give York St John theatre and arts students an invaluable, enhanced learning experience of working in the community and to gain real-world understanding of the social impact of theatre and the arts within a criminal justice setting

Clean Break presented the work as part of our Performing House series of programmed performances on campus. Followed by a Q & A and drama workshop with Anna Herrmann (Author of Making a Leap – Theatre of Empowerment) and Head of Education for Clean Break.