working with families of prisoners in partnership with Sussex Prisoners' Families and Uninterrupted Theatre Collective. Funded by Chalk Cliff Trust, Lewes Town Council and Sussex Community Foundation, this project is focussed on these ever present members of our communities, who are often overlooked, stigmatised and unsupported.

 

Through pilot activity initiated in 2018, we recorded interviews with women who have a family member serving prison sentences, and created a collection of their stories with the aim to produce an original live performance. The stories describe the hidden sentence served by families, following their journeys from an initial arrest to, in some cases, release from prison.

 

The project explores the nature of love under extreme stress and the shadows cast upon whole families when someone receives a prison sentence.

 

Through a process of collaboration between professional creatives and these experts by experience, we are building a platform for education and community engagement including performances, presentations, discussions and training sessions. We are working across Sussex and beyond through live and digital platforms. 

 

Invisible sentences

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In 2021, we had the first showing of Invisible Sentence, a play written by Dinos Aristidou, directed by Julia Roberts with original music by Charlie Suff, at The Old Market, Hove. The play is based on first hand accounts of the lives of the families of prisoners.

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It is well documented that repeat offending is greatly reduced when prisoners are able to maintain family ties during a sentence. This play explores why this is so difficult and how the justice system challenges and changes these familial relationships.

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The latest performances took place on Tuesday 17th May  and Wednesday 18th May at The Old Market Theatre in Hove, as part of the Brighton Fringe Festival.

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You can watch a trailer for the play below:

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For further information about the project please email us at info@cultureshift.org.uk