Unlock Drama's recent violence reduction project at a prison has shown profound impacts, opening new pathways of understanding and empathy among participants. A powerful testimonial from one of our participants illustrates the transformative experience:
Today marks a remarkable milestone—11 years of empowering lives and igniting change through the power of Applied Theatre. At Unlock Drama, we’ve spent more than a decade unlocking potential, fostering resilience, and building a community of support and growth.
Feeling creatively stagnant can be frustrating, especially when it hinders both personal fulfilment and professional advancement. However, creativity is not a finite resource; it can be cultivated and expanded with the right strategies. The good news is that there are several approaches that not only enhance your creative capacity but also enrich your life in meaningful ways.
At Unlock Drama, we're passionate about leveraging the transformative power of theatre to improve well-being and mental health among diverse groups—from young people and people in prison to those on probation.
We're committed to aligning our platforms with our values. This is why we've made the decision to move from Platform X to Bluesky. Platform X no longer aligns with our company's beliefs and mission.
Just when I thought Unlock Drama’s end of 2024 couldn’t get any better; Unlock Drama received this beautiful testimonial of our work from a past participant via our website.
This month marks the beginning of an incredible year-long journey with Serco who run HMP Dovegate. Building on the success of our initial Recovery, Dependency, and Substance Misuse project earlier this year, we are thrilled to announce a 12-month partnership to deliver one recovery project per month, supporting participants in their recovery journey and aligning with HMP Dovegate’s Drug Strategy.
It was incredibly humbling and inspiring attending Mitie Care & Custody, #OneMillsike mobilisation partnership event at York Racecourse a few weeks ago.
At Unlock Drama, we are pioneering drama-based rehabilitation programs that reshape offender management strategies within the criminal justice system. Our unique approach leverages evidence-based cognitive-behavioral techniques embedded within the transformative power of drama to facilitate meaningful change.
At Unlock Drama, our commitment to enhancing mental health and supporting recovery within the prison system is manifest through our dynamic collaboration with prison healthcare teams, substance misuse, and drug strategy units. Our innovative approach involves the integration of theatre into recovery processes, creating a powerful platform for expression and education.
Unlock Drama’s engagement with participants on probation emphasises rehabilitation, successful reintegration, and reducing recidivism through the expressive power of theatre. Our tailored drama projects provide essential skills and therapeutic benefits, fostering community integration and personal growth.
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Adam Cook is the founder of Addiction Hub, which locates and catalogs addiction resources.He is very much interested in helping people find the necessary resources to save their lives from addiction. His mission is to provide people struggling with substance abuse with resources to help them recover
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Gain more insight into some of Unlock Drama's key rehabilitation methods through theatre: Transferrable Skills, Improved Mental Health, Increased Confidence, Victim Awareness and Consequential Thinking.
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At Unlock Drama, our commitment extends beyond social impact; we are deeply invested in environmental stewardship. As a social enterprise that operates across the UK, we are acutely aware of our ecological footprint and are dedicated to minimising it wherever possible.
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We are absolutely thrilled to announce that Tristan Clarke has joined Unlock Drama as a Director!
Tristan brings with him a profound appreciation for the arts and their transformative impact within the prison system. Having witnessed first-hand the positive changes that theatre can bring to prisoners and their families, Tristan is eager to contribute to our mission of rehabilitation through drama.
We're excited to unveil our newly created Unlock Drama pin maps, showcasing the expansive reach of our rehabilitation projects through theatre across the UK. It's truly inspiring to see our impact represented visually—highlighting every location where we've brought transformative projects to prisons and communities.
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We are thrilled to announce a very special partnership that marks a significant milestone for Unlock Drama. We are now a proud supplier/vendor for Serco, and our first collaborative venture brings us to HMP Doncaster.
Read moreHad the pleasure of meeting Becky and her staff from Unlock Drama when I was at HMP Rochester back in 2015. I took part in some of their substance abuse courses, which aided me in my recovery and helped me stay clean and focus on the future.
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We are passionate about empowering incarcerated individuals with essential life skills that foster personal growth and rehabilitation. Our dedicated projects aim to enhance reading abilities among prisoners, recognising the pivotal role that literacy plays in reducing reoffending rates.
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We are thrilled to share the achievements and feedback from our first neurodiversity-focused workshop at HMP Elmley. This ground-breaking initiative was designed to empower neurodiverse individuals through the performing arts...
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At Unlock Drama, we have been privileged to run impactful social prescribing sessions at HMYOI Swinfen Hall, supported by Practice Plus Group.
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We recognise the profound impact that innovative rehabilitation projects can have on reducing reoffending rates. Our theatre-based programs are meticulously crafted to confront and transform offender behaviour by directly addressing the underlying triggers and consequences of criminal actions.
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We are thrilled to share our latest achievement - a groundbreaking workshop on violence reduction at Lincolnshire Secure Children’s Home. This initiative marks a significant step in our mission to foster positive change through Applied Theatre.
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As the calendar page turns, we find ourselves commemorating a significant milestone – Unlock Drama is 10 years old today. A decade has passed since Rebecca Boden, our visionary founder, embarked on a mission to make applied theatre an accessible rehabilitation tool across the UK prison estate.
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We are thrilled to share a recently published article evaluating Unlock Drama's innovative drama project in a category C prison HMP Guy's Marsh exploring Substance Misuse. This project exemplifies our commitment to harnessing the transformative power of drama for social change and rehabilitation.
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Our initiatives are not just programs; they are lifelines to those often labeled as the ‘hardest to reach.’ We have trialed and tested drama projects with young offenders who struggle to engage with the standard curriculum due to neurodiversity and other complex needs.
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We’re thrilled to launch the official LinkedIn Community page for Unlock Drama! This is a space dedicated to connecting, inspiring, and sharing the transformative power of drama within the criminal justice system and beyond.
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We’re elated to announce that we’ve been honoured with the title of ‘Best Rehabilitation Social Enterprise 2023’!
This award not only reflects our unwavering commitment to using applied theatre as a tool for rehabilitation but also celebrates the incredible stories and transformations of our participants.
Our mission goes beyond the spotlight of the stage. Through Applied Theatre, we create a sanctuary of transformation and growth.
Delve into the multifaceted impact of our projects:
We’ll be delivering community rehabilitation projects through theatre in Shaw Trust’s CFO Activity Hubs across the east and West Midlands!! CFO programmes are part-funded by the European Social Fund.
Our deliveries started in June and are running until the end of September!!!
This week saw our second delivery of four at HMP Leeds. Nella worked with a small group to explore and raise awareness of gangs and violence reduction. The group were engaged from the start with the help of two Unlock Drama Peer Mentors who had completed the previous project on psychoactive substances; offering peer lead learning and a sustainable approach to our deliveries...
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Last Friday Unlock Drama worked with a group of men from the Nehemiah Project tackling themes around violence reduction and team building. This was our second full day of drama partnering with this fantastic community organisation: www.tnp.org.uk...
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Last week Unlock Drama completed our third violence reduction project working with a mixed group of young people from Park Academy. Facilitators Beth, Harriet and student placement facilitator Carys worked with the young people from Monday - Thursday to consider the short term and long term consequences of violence between peers through the medium of drama...
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Unlock Drama recently completed our second violence reduction project with young people in a Pupil Referral Unit, working with a group of year 11 pupils from The Young People’s Academy. Facilitators Safura, Julia and student placement facilitator Carys worked with the young people from Monday-Thursday to consider the triggers and impacts of violence and how changes in behaviour might reduce violence, all through drama....
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Last week, Unlock Drama completed our first violence reduction project with young people in a Pupil Referral Unit, working with a group of young people from The Skills Hub. Facilitators Beth, Julia and student placement facilitator Carys, worked with the young people from Monday-Thursday to consider the impacts of violence and how changes in behaviour might reduce violence, all through drama.
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