clean break
Clean Break uses theatre to keep the subject of women in prison on the cultural
radar, helping to reveal the damage caused by the criminal justice system.
Through our unique work, we raise difficult questions, inspire debate, and help
to effect profound and positive change in the lives of women with experience of
the criminal justice system. Since 1979, Clean Break has been the only women’s
theatre company of its kind, and we continue to inspire playwrights and
captivate audiences with our ground-breaking plays on the complex theme of women
and criminalisation. Through theatre workshops and projects in prisons and in
the community which build confidence, resilience and wellbeing, we transform the
lives of women who have experienced the criminal justice system or who are at
risk of entering it due to the challenges they are facing, such as mental health
or drug use issues, which place them in circumstances that make interaction with
the criminal justice system difficult to avoid. Our Members Programme is
available to women aged 18 and above. The Programme offers a range of workshops
and performance opportunities led by esteemed female theatre artists,
underpinned by comprehensive support. Clean Break’s women-only identity is
crucial to our rationale. The treatment of women by the criminal justice system
is one of the clearest demonstrations that our society is still unequal and that
women are judged by different standards to men. Our vision is of a society where
women can realise their full potential, free from criminalisation, and we
believe that theatre enables women to challenge their oppression by society in
general and by the criminal justice system in particular.
