Description
When you have been in prison for a long-time like any of us, it is easy to become numb, you forget what you were like before... During Beside Me they see you more as Dad and whatever other relationships you are.” – project participantBetween March and October 2023, a team of artists from Dundee Rep Theatre worked with Dads currently living in HMP Perth and their children. The goal of the BESIDE ME project, was to co-create a performance that would enable the families to connect, spend quality time and co create something brand new together.
Supported by Families Outside and the Scottish Prison Service, BESIDE ME was part family party, part performance and part creative learning project. It was structured around weekly rehearsals held in the social hub (former wood assembly shed) at HMP Perth and culminated in three performances for a public audience. It was specifically designed to provide practical and creative opportunities for Dads to connect with their children, and discover new things about them (and themselves). Finally, there was an emphasis on children to have extended and meaningful access to their Dads in a creative environment.
This presentation will share the key learning and experiences that have emerged from the project, in so doing it will examine the power and potential of the arts as a tool to support families separated by incarceration. Ultimately, BESIDE ME represents the possibility for new narratives around love and connection in the criminal justice system, that to a significant extent alleviate the pains of imprisonment through improved family connections.
| Period | 10 Jul 2024 |
|---|---|
| Event title | Criminology in Times of Transition: British Society of Criminology Conference |
| Event type | Conference |
| Location | GlasgowShow on map |
| Degree of Recognition | International |