TYPE OF WORK
Theatre in education, theatre for development, interactive theatrical workshops enhancing literacy; digital video training (shooting and editing) for development; theatrical production

TARGET GROUPS
Inmates, ex-offenders and professionals both inside and out of the UK and Irish criminal justice regimes

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT
UK, North America, Central and Eastern Europe, Western and Southern Europe

COMPANY POLICY
To employ Shakespeare and the works of other major dramatists as a tool for effective interaction in order to promote confidence amongst prison inmates and ex- offenders.

As well as its workshop programme, LSW produces public performances of original inmate writing involving casts of professionals and ex-offenders.

LSW also runs video shooting and editing training programmes for offenders, ex-offenders and professionals. These programmes are distributed throughout prisons in the UK and Ireland on a complimentary basis in association with Prisons Video Magazine.

SCALE OF PROJECTS
Number of practitioners: 12
Number of participants: 20–25
Preparation time: Varies
Contact time: 1–6 months

PERMANENT STAFF
Bruce Wall, Director and Founder, LSW Prison Project
Amy Stanley, Developmental Associate, LSW Prison Project

The Wax King (UK, 2003)
A production of Shakespeare’s Henry VI, Part 3 entitled The Wax King, at Pentonville Prison, utilising 12 professional performers, 18 inmates, plus additional education staff and prison officers. There were performances for inmates and the general public and two films were produced at the same time (Bully Me; Bully Who? and How do You Know My Daughter?) to be distributed to all UK and Irish prisons in tandem with a practical digital video shooting and editing course.

Michael Billington in The Guardian noted: “The production’s blend of theatrical professionals and prison inmates worked at the highest level…What was impressive was the commitment of the entire company and…its rare passion for language.”

Catherine McCarthy, Chief Monitoring Officer for Arts Council England remarked in her review of The Wax King’s Effective Evaluation and Monitoring Report: “I was very impressed with the debrief session – both this session and the reactions post-performance, showed how the project has been highly beneficial to inmates, actors and prison staff alike. I realise that it is difficult to measure the long-term impact on prisoners of being exposed and involved in the theatre but it would appear that your work is quite remarkable in its ability to engage a difficult client group and allow them to effectively participate in a performance within such a short time frame.”

Partners: Arts Council England, Prisons Video Magazine.

LSW is currently running active projects in 43 different prisons in the UK on a national basis. Special events in 2003 include the recording of a CD of original inmate writing (Bullingdon Prison) for national distribution; production of original inmate writing, Royal Opera House (summer 2003); week-long residency with Stratford and Shaw Festivals and Shakespeare Works (Canada, October 2003) and production of a fifth film for national distribution (Guilty Kindred of the Queen) in the Dreaming Will programme.