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Huntercombe Huntercombe
Case Study

Creative Project exploring racism

A creative project exploring racism and cultural barriers between staff and prisoners.

All work

In 2021 HMP Huntercombe invited us to collaborate with them to create a training package that would enable staff and prisoners to explore experiences of racism and to interrogate some of the cultural barriers that exist between the two groups. 

Huntercombe

A series of initial research and development sessions with different focus groups within the prison was followed by deeper exploratory sessions with a group keen to work creatively through some of the issues which had been uncovered. 

Ultimately the group devised a performance that was shown to a live audience of prisoners and staff and also filmed, providing a longer-term resource for the establishment. The project generated significant conversation and provoked debate within the establishment about issues of racism and, whilst solving the issue was clearly beyond the scope of the project, this has provided the prison with a firm foundation on which to build future initiatives. 

  • “Geese Theatre Company create such a positive experience for both the individuals taking part and the staff assigned to the project. They have developed a safe space for individual growth as well as the opportunity to approach difficult conversations. Thank you.”

    – Staff member
  • “It showed me that there is more than one way of communicating. Putting things into drama was so powerful.”

    – Participant
  • “The experience has made me see another side of myself. I feel great about what I did.”

    – Participant
  • “It’s made me think about a career in this.”

    – Participant
  • “I couldn’t fault it. It has been excellent.”

    – Participant
  • “This needs to be around…it’s a form of therapy.”

    – Participant

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