8:15am – I work in the office 2-3 times a week so on office days I get up early-ish to travel to north London ready for what is always a lovely day in our women-only, trauma-informed community space.
9:30 – As soon as I arrive in the office, I say my hello’s and grab a cup of tea. We often have sweets/biscuits/chocolates in the staff kitchen which is great for a morning treat!
10am – Team Time is our weekly, all-staff meeting where we all share one key thing we’re working on that week. As Development Manager this can vary from getting an application submitted, writing a funding report, organising a Supporters event or updating the team on a funding success.
*If we’re in the office we celebrate any successful grant applications by ringing a bell (Selling Sunset style) and celebrating as a team which is very fun!
11am – Writing compelling funding proposals for Trusts and Foundations is a key part of my role and is the first step to hopefully getting money in and reaching our fundraising targets each year. After completing prospecting, I will work with teams across the organisation to prioritise applications and understand which projects to focus proposals on. After this, I will set about completing the funding applications (around 2-3 per month) often to tight deadlines (fuelled by lots of cups of tea in the process!)
1pm – Lunch time is one of my favourite parts of the day as we will often share a meal with Members and colleagues in either the Green Room or our lovely courtyard area. We have a group of wonderful Catering Volunteers who cook delicious hot meals 3x a week which makes for a lovely treat on office days.
2pm – Each week I catch up with our Head of Development and Communications to talk through what I’m working on and what’s coming up. I really value these weekly chats as they are a great way to check in, ask questions and make sure things are in place to support us both in completing work, which often have competing deadlines. We will work through our application/reporting trackers, discuss any events that need planning and talk through strategic plans for future funding.
3pm – Reporting: my favourite part of the job! It’s such a joy writing reports for funders to tell them about all the amazing activities that their funding has supported. These reports will be used to release grant payments, act as a renewal ask or summarise the end of grant. Reports typically comprise some key aspects: summarising delivery of projects (Members Programme, productions, prison work & partnerships), presenting monitoring data from Members/audiences and updating funders on the future of our work. Once this is all collated, I’ll spend an unnecessary amount of time making the report look good in Canva before sending to funders.
5pm – I spend time each month prospecting new funding opportunities to ensure we are aware of upcoming grants that we can apply to. Carrying out due diligence, understanding funding guidance and thinking about upcoming fundraising needs helps us to make informed decisions to support strategic plans.
5:30pm – After another lovely day in the building I head home, ready to go again tomorrow!
Clean Break is currently recruiting for a Development Manager and Development Co-Ordinator to support the expansion of the Development team. For further information and how to apply, please visit this section of our website.
Applications are open until Wednesday 12 July 2023.
"It's a space for us to be able to find a voice for our life experiences."
We talked to our co-producers of Dixon and Daughters, the National Theatre, to share our process and approach to theatre, and what it means to our Members and staff.
Dixon and Daughters is on the Dorfman Stage until 10 June.
We are thrilled to announce that Clean Break has been awarded a Silver Trauma Informed Quality Mark by One Small Thing.
One Small Thing is a women’s organisation that works to facilitate trauma-informed practice across the criminal justice system. Their Bronze, Silver and Gold Quality Marks recognise organisations who can evidence they meet a robust, accessible, and supportive set of standards for working with trauma. One Small Thing developed the awards through an extensive analysis of existing global standards, principles, and values associated with trauma informed working practices.
Jacqueline Stewart, Head of Participation and Deputy CEO: “This award is testimony to the values we hold at Clean Break, trauma-responsiveness lies at the very heart of our mission, we strive to continue learning, as we recognise this significant approach to our work, is an ever-evolving process.”
Rose Mahon, Clean Break Trustee and trauma informed champion: “I am so proud of the staff, and particularly the Members Support team, whothat worked so hard together to achieve this. The award highlights and acknowledges Clean Break’s dedication and passion for working in a trauma informed way, which is embedded within the service through language, behaviour, the environment and our policies. It’s not just what we do, it’s who we are!”
Working in this way is a huge collective effort but heartfelt thanks especially for their contributions to the submission go to: Erin Gavaghan (Executive Director), Jacqueline Stewart (Head of Participation and Deputy CEO), Tracey Anderson (Support Manager), Koonyin Ho (Admin & Support Worker), Rachael Smith (Operations Manager), Anja Kulessa (Administrator) and our Trustee, Rose Mahon.
For more information about One Small Thing, visit their website: https://onesmallthing.org.uk/
Alison Jefferis is a previous Executive Director and Head of Corporate Affairs at Columbia Threadneedle Investments and a current Clean Break Trustee. As Chair of our Development Committee, in 2020 she supported us to establish our corporate training programme, Achieving Greater Impact. Here, she discusses the unique insights Clean Break has to offer women working in corporate and business environments.
When I joined the board of Clean Break in 2019, my motivation was to contribute to an organisation supporting women with lived experience of the criminal justice system to transform their lives. Established in 1979, Clean Break is a ground-breaking theatre company that has been at the forefront of this work for over 40 years, enabling women to build their confidence and skills through theatre-based training, personal development, and well-being support. I was interested in criminal justice and wanted to learn more, and was attracted to the idea of a theatre company using creative writing and performance for social justice. Being somewhat outside my comfort zone added to the appeal.
What I didn’t expect, was to discover a new way of working that would enable me to become a more effective colleague, manager and leader, and would better equip me to navigate many of the challenges we face today as the corporate world responds to shifting expectations – from colleagues, customers, regulators, investors and society more broadly.
"Clean Break’s experience working with women to own and articulate their strengths, navigate blockages and build presence and influence felt like it had a lot to offer women working in a sector that has struggled to address gender imbalance."
Core to the success of what Clean Break does, is how it operates. From its co-leadership model to the myriad ways it ensures its Members (the women it supports) have a voice in every aspect of the organisation, it questions accepted practice, embraces genuine collaboration, draws heavily on emotional intelligence and creates an environment that empowers all to contribute effectively.
As I got to know and understand Clean Break, I discovered it to be an exceptional organisation working in complex terrain, and it struck me there was a lot we in the City could learn. Clean Break’s experience working with women to own and articulate their strengths, navigate blockages and build presence and influence felt like it had a lot to offer women working in a sector that has struggled to address gender imbalance. In a professional climate that is increasingly reliant on emotional intelligence to promote genuine inclusion, safeguard mental health, manage hybrid-working and navigate ongoing disruption across the workforce, Clean Break is unlike any other organisation in its ability to offer insights that are highly valuable.
After exploring the potential for a corporate training programme, in 2020 a pilot was developed with the generous support of Columbia Threadneedle Investments. Achieving Greater Impact, a one-day training session for women in business, was launched soon after. Designed specifically for women working in environments that are traditionally more male-oriented, the full-day session draws on Clean Break’s specialist knowledge and unique practice and is for women who want to strengthen their voice, create a greater impact at work and progress within their team and in their career. Each participant also has the opportunity to follow up with a bespoke one-to-one coaching session focusing on individual goals and aspirations and ways to achieve them.
"In a professional climate that is increasingly reliant on emotional intelligence to promote genuine inclusion, safeguard mental health, manage hybrid-working and navigate ongoing disruption across the workforce, Clean Break is unlike any other organisation in its ability to offer insights that are highly valuable."
Through 2021 Columbia Threadneedle’s women’s network sponsored the programme, offering the session to all female employees at junior and mid-levels. The initiative was part of a broader strategy to strengthen the firm’s pipeline of diverse leaders by supporting female talent in new ways. More than 40 women completed the one-day programme over 18 months, with exceptionally strong feedback. Many of the women cited the unique value of Clean Break’s practice along with the importance of providing a safe, creative space to explore common experiences and overcome shared challenges.
Achieving Greater Impact will enable you to focus on identifying your unique capabilities, by utilising creative tools to explore and amplify the skills and qualities you bring to your workplace.
You’ll build your confidence, becoming comfortable with expressing and owning your strengths, receiving peer support and feedback, and developing your presentation skills.
And you’ll learn how to address barriers, overcome self-limiting beliefs and workplace challenges, and strengthen your voice.
You’ll share the experience with women you may not have met but have much in common with and will likely make fruitful new connections.
Alongside all of this, you’ll be supporting an organisation that transforms the lives of individual women each day while working to achieve a society where all women can realise their full potential.
On 21 March, Clean Break spent the day at Rich Mix for ‘Inspire: Sustainability in the arts and criminal justice sector’, a one-day festival and showcase of work from the ‘Inspiring Futures’ project, which is a unique partnership of leading arts organisations working in criminal justice settings, led by the National Criminal Justice Art's Alliance (NCJAA).
The artwork for A Proposal for Resisting Darkness // Carys Wright
Clean Break’s participation in Inspiring Futures last year resulted in an innovative new play, A Proposal for Resisting Darkness, created by women in HMP Downview in collaboration with playwright Yasmin Joseph. Originally directed by Anna Herrmann and performed in the prison chapel, the play has now been adapted into an audio-drama and is due to be broadcast as part of a programme for National Prison Radio (NPR) this year. Hosted by NPR’s female presenters at HMP Styal, the full programme will be around an hour long, but a sneak peek of the recording has been made available to listen to at the Inspire showcase.
The day began with warm and enthusiastic welcomes from Brenda Birungi, aka Lady Unchained (NCJAA Co-Chair), Sarah Hartley (NCJAA Advisory Board Member) and Lorraine Maher (NCJAA Manager) before being passed to host Peaches to introduce each event.
First to the stage was the Irene Taylor Trust and members of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (RPO), presenting work from The Lullaby Project. This programme supported participants with experience of the criminal justice system to work with musicians from the RPO to write personal lullabies for their children, resulting in some deeply moving pieces of music. The Lullaby Project offers an opportunity for people in prison to connect with their creativity through music, and to have a space to reflect on their familial bonds, creating something that can be shared with their children. Four lullabies were performed, including a beautiful piece written and sung by Clean Break Member Michaela.
Image credit: Clinks
We had the chance to watch a powerful episode of Open Clasp’s filmed theatre piece Sugar, originally available on BBC iPlayer, which explores the realities of women’s lives lived in and around the criminal justice system. After the screening, we heard a panel discussion on digital sustainability featuring Clean Break Producer Maya Ellis and Open Clasp Senior Producer Carly McConnell, alongside Dr Sarah Doxat-Pratt from the University of Cambridge’s research team. It was valuable to hear varied and insightful thoughts around the successes and challenges of using digital media to connect with participants and increase the impact of theatrical work. Later in the day, Maya also delivered a workshop for attendees on using theatre in criminal justice settings with writer Yasmin Joseph.
Throughout the day there were opportunities to visit the installation of pieces developed during the project, which included audio recordings of spoken word, music and theatre, including our play A Proposal for Resisting Darkness. The showcase is open to the public until Sunday 26 March, so please do visit and experience the incredible work which has been produced during the Inspiring Futures project.
The organisations involved in Inspiring Futures were selected based on the impact their work has on people in the criminal justice system, their innovation and their experience. Alongside Clean Break, the partners include Geese Theatre Company, Good Vibrations, Helix Arts, Irene Taylor Trust, Only Connect, Open Clasp and Koestler Arts.
The partnership has delivered a ground-breaking programme of artistic work in prisons, alongside embedded participative research led by a team at the University of Cambridge Institute of Criminology (IOC), to gather the robust evidence needed for a recognition of the impact of the arts in criminal justice settings.
Inspiring Futures is on display to the public at Rich Mix London from 20 March - 26 March 2023.
Lead image credit: Clinks
Dixon and Daughters is a co-production with the National Theatre and Clean Break, the ground-breaking company producing theatre with and about women affected by the criminal justice system. It opens for performances in the Dorfman theatre from 15 April with press night on 25 April.
Róisín McBrinn (Artistic Director, Gate Theatre, Dublin) returns to Clean Break, where she was formerly Joint Artistic Director, to direct this powerful story of family and forgiveness, written by Deborah Bruce.
Mary has just been released from prison. She wants to come home and forget all about it, but Briana has other ideas. Over a tumultuous two days a family is forced to confront not just their past but themselves. Because even if you refuse to hear the truth, the truth doesn’t go away.
The cast includes Liz White (Anatomy of a Scandal), Andrea Lowe (Sherwood) and Posy Sterling (The Taxidermist’s Daughter) alongside Bríd Brennan (The Ferryman), Alison Fitzjohn (Typical Girls) and Yazmin Kayani (Nettle Day) who complete the company.
The set and costume designer is Kat Heath, lighting designer is Paule Constable, sound designer is Sinéad Diskin, movement director is Sarita Piotrowski, fight director is Rachel Brown-Williams for RC-Annie Ltd, with casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor.
Tickets for Dixon and Daughters are on sale now and available from £20. For further information, including details about assisted performances, please visit the National Theatre website.
Clean Break is looking for new Co-Chairs to join our Board, which is made up of inspiring women from many different walks of life who work to ensure we hold our vision and mission at our heart.
Tanya Tracey is one of our out-going Co-Chairs and has been a valued member of the Board for the last eight years, so we asked her three questions about being a Trustee at Clean Break. If you are considering applying but want to know more, read what she has to say about the impact it could have on your life and career, and the difference you could make in the lives of women affected by the criminal justice system.
What have you gained from being a Clean Break Trustee?
I have been a Trustee since 2014 and became Co-Chair in 2021, which has been an exciting and interesting experience. Being a Trustee increased my confidence to lead and as a result has bolstered my career outside of Clean Break.
I started the Co-Chair role with trepidation. Although, I had, of course, chaired many meetings before, I’d never taken on the responsibility of chairing an organisation. For me, the role meant part doing, part learning and I know that this was the same for my Co-Chair Alison Frater.
In the end, I’ve realised there are many ways to be a Chair. It works because it’s about the skills and experience you bring, it's not something you train for. It means that together we could set a broad base for chairing with both lived experience and learned experience. We share and discuss what we see and hear from each of our different perspectives. You get a stronger sense of co-production in the oversight and governance because the reach is wider and deeper.
How does being a Clean Break Trustee fit into your life?
It fits into my life because our values align. Knowing that I am part of an organisation that advocates for and amplifies the voices of women in the most difficult of circumstances feels right for me, especially as the most marginalised women go unheard.
Many of the women that call Clean Break ‘home’ or ‘family’ are women who have survived the unimaginable, including imprisonment. Clean Break’s commitment to having Members at the heart of all that we do fits well with my personal commitment of driving change through campaigning, influencing how people think about justice, co-production and centring those whose lives have been impacted by the criminal justice system.
Whilst this is the most important reason why Clean Break fits well into my life, I couldn’t have been part of the board if there wasn’t flexibility, support and understanding for Trustees' personal lives. By offering a more inclusive model of participating and contributing to the Board, I have been able to grow, develop and stay in post as Trustee and Co-Chair.
What would you say to someone who is thinking about applying?
Just apply. If the advert has caught your eye, I imagine it is because there is something about Clean Break that speaks to you. Your skills, expertise and experience whether it is lived, learned or a combination of both has value and Clean Break would love to hear from you. If you have never held a Trustee role, then let this one be your first. If you are passionate about theatre as a vehicle for change, if you are committed to anti-racism, if you are passionate about women’s voices being front and centre and challenging a justice system that harms the most vulnerable women, then Clean Break wants you!
To find out more about our Co-Chair roles please click here.
2022 has been a year full of challenges for everyone, not just us at Clean Break. However, we are so grateful to be part of a community of women who care deeply for one another, and we are incredibly proud of all our achievements this year.
Our Members programme returned to our building full time, with the highlight being our first ever Members Festival: Limitless. Designed and co-produced by Members, the festival centred around the themes of Empowerment, Freedom and Kindness and featured sharings from our Members Programme, commissioned pieces and workshops led by our Members as well as online content.
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Limitless Festival, mural workshop // Tracey Anderson
We saw more Members on stage this year, with our first production More Than We Can Bear: The Women’s Centre Workers’ Play, written by Eno Mfon. The play was part of the Keyworkers Cycle at the Almeida Theatre, a programme of new works celebrating the stories of those who kept our daily lives going during the pandemic.
Sonya Hale’s legacy continued and flourished with Blis-ta winning the Tinniswood Award at the BBC Audio Drama Awards. This was a hugely significant, moving and emotional moment for the whole Clean Break community, and testament to how compelling and valuable Sonya’s words continue to be.
At last we were able to engage once again with women in prison, with the Inspiring Futures project taking place in HMP Downview. A group of women in the prison collaborated to create a beautiful play with playwright Yasmin Joseph called A Proposal for Resisting Darkness, directed by Anna Herrmann, which some of the Clean Break team were lucky enough to go and see in the prison chapel.
The artwork for A Proposal for Resisting Darkness // Carys Wright
Our major production this year was Favour at the Bush Theatre, written by Ambreen Razia and directed by Róisín McBrinn and Sophie Dillion Moniram. Favour was part of the Bush’s 50th anniversary season, and told the story of a working-class Muslim family navigating life as one of them returns home from prison. A highlight of the production was a well-deserved nomination in the Stage Debut Awards for Designer Liz Whitbread. Liz is a Clean Break Member Artist who has been on a journey with us for the past ten years, discovering her talent and love for design.
With Favour, we saw Róisín’s last production as Joint Artistic Director of Clean Break, as she left the company over the summer. We are so grateful to have had eight wonderful years with Róisín, and continue to stay in touch as she settles into her new role as Artistic Director at the Gate Theatre, Dublin – not least because she is directing our co-production Dixon and Daughters with the National Theatre next year, which we announced in November.
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Favour at the Bush Theatre // Suzi Corker
Following Róisín’s departure, an interim leadership structure was put in place, including long-standing team member and Head of Participation Jacqueline Stewart stepping into the role of Interim Deputy CEO. The interim model has served us well whilst the company has taken this time to review, reflect and consider our aspirations for leadership moving forward.
Our leadership team saw another milestone, as Artistic Director Anna Herrmann celebrated 20 years with the company, fittingly coinciding with International Women’s Day. Anna’s continued commitment to transformative theatre was recognised by the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama with an honorary fellowship in December this year, a moment of pride and celebration for all of Clean Break.
Clean Break’s artistic team expanded as we welcomed two Creative Associates this year, Titilola Dawudu and Rachel Valentine Smith. They both have enriched our company in so many ways, including through the creation of a new Playwrights Pathway programme with the Royal Court theatre, which is an in-depth offer for six Members who want to take their playwrighting further.
The final piece of our 40 Year Anniversary Heritage project came together in May, with the launch of our Digital Archive, meaning the extraordinary gems we unearthed in 2019 can now be explored online from anywhere in the world.
Our anti-racism work continued in 2022 with us working with darvaja, a collective of women practitioners working to address systemic and structural inequality. This year we shared our anti-racism action plan with the Clean Break community, which we co-created over 18 months of work. We would like to once again thank darvaja for challenging us and holding this work with such care, and to the whole Clean Break community for your engagement and commitment on this journey.
Towards the end of this year, we received the fantastic news that our Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisation application had been successful, meaning we will continue to receive their support until 2026. We are so grateful to have this investment and to know that the transformative work Clean Break does is recognised and valued. We would like to extend enormous thanks and appreciation to our Development team, for working tirelessly to ensure we can continue changing lives through theatre.
As well as our NPO funding, earlier this year we confirmed a successful application for Capital Project funding from Arts Council England, which will enable us to improve our building and infrastructure, with a focus on ensuring we maintain a safe, trauma informed space with improved environmental sustainability.
As well as developing our physical space, we are proud to be participating in Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator for Arts and Culture, which supports arts organisations through strategic improvements to technology infrastructure.
Clean Break is the work of an extraordinary group of people and we would like to thank everyone who has been part of our company or engaged with us over the past year.
This includes our amazing partners, our Patrons, our Trustees, our community of supporters: the Arts Council England, and all the Trusts, Foundations, statutory partners, corporate partners and individual donors who have made our work possible.
A special thank you to our team of staff and volunteers for their continued commitment and perseverance; to our board for guiding us once again with such passion and respect for our company; to our artists for helping realise our shared vision with such imagination; and to Clean Break’s Members for bringing our building to life every week with your talents, laughter and friendship. We are endlessly inspired by you all, your creativity, care, and commitment to building a world where women reach their full potential, free from criminalisation.
We are excited to embark on this new year with you all, and until then we hope you all have a restful break and celebrate yourselves.
From Anna and Erin and the Clean Break team.
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Lead image: More Than We Can Bear at the Almeida Theatre // Ali Wright
Our Big Give Christmas Challenge has been a huge success thanks to all of our amazing supporters.
Because of your support, we will continue to create new fulfilling pathways for women caught up in or at risk of entering the criminal justice system - supporting them to explore their creativity, build confidence and create community.
Our unique programme of support is needed now more than ever with the cost-of-living crises and mental health emergency of the last few years, and your donations have gone twice as far to ensure we can keep delivering our life-changing work.
This week our Members have generously shared their stories about how Clean Break has supported them on their journeys.
We shared an interview with Member Artist Lucy Edkins, which was published in the latest issue of Women In Prison’s magazine.
Sorcha spoke about discovering her talent and passion for writing through Clean Break, and joining our Playwrights Pathway programme.
Designer and Clean Break Member Artist Liz Whitbread wrote a blog about her ten year journey with Clean Break.
Donna shared how finding acting through Clean Break has helped her build confidence.
We re-shared an interview with Member Artist and actor Jennifer Joseph, and caught up on what she's been doing since we spoke with her in 2021.
Nicole told us how Clean Break has helped reignite her love for acting, and opened doors to new opportunities.
Aseema, Pam and Sue shared how Clean Break has supported their creativity, confidence and wellbeing in our main campaign video.
Thank you so much to all our Big Give supporters, our incredible Members, to everyone who shared the campaign, and to the Big Give, our Champion Funder, the Women and Girls Match Fund and our Pledge Donors.
We’re launching our 2022 Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign!
Clean Break is a safe space for women caught up in the criminal justice system or at risk of entering it: to come together, be creative and imagine new futures.
Our Members face intersecting and marginalising challenges including racism, poverty, trauma, domestic violence and alcohol and drug use issues. These challenges mean our Members are among the most affected by the biting cost of the living crises and the mental health emergency of the last few years.
This widening disadvantage gap means that our specialist support is needed more than ever. We are working hard to keep the doors open, the heating on and to offer hot meals and food vouchers, whilst providing creative opportunities for our Members to build positive and fulfilling futures.
Anna says: “We know that harnessing creativity provides solutions to the needs of women facing deep disadvantage, and that our work is successful at unlocking women’s potential, raising aspirations and building hope. Over 70% of Clean Break’s Members progress into education, employment and volunteering and we are proud that the transferable skills they have gained at Clean Break have been vital in their career progression and therefore in their contributions to the cultural landscape.”
Our Big Give Challenge is raising money for a programme of work building a bridge for our Members to progress beyond Clean Break. Through these pathways our Members will develop further, learn new skills, build confidence and resilience, and forge new careers and opportunities.
As always, these exciting creative opportunities will be accompanied by our holistic, specialist support offer which provides a safety net for women in vulnerable circumstances.
The campaign is match-funded, which means that every donation made during the next week will be doubled. That means one donation, twice the impact.
We know times are hard – not just for us, but for everyone. No donation is too small to have an impact, and every £1 will help to make this work possible. If you can’t donate right now there are other ways to support, like sharing our campaign on social media and signing up to our mailing list.
Donate today to support our Members’ futures
Hear from our Members about the importance of Clean Break’s work:
With many thanks to the Big Give, our Champion Funder, the Women and Girls Match Fund and our Pledge Donors.
We are very excited to announce our spring 2023 production, co-produced with the National Theatre, which will play at their Dorfman theatre from 15 April 2023. Dixon and Daughters is a powerful story of family and forgiveness, written by Deborah Bruce (Raya, Hampstead Theatre). The play will be directed by Róisín McBrinn (Favour, Bush Theatre), Clean Break’s previous Joint Artistic Director, and current Artistic Director at the Gate Theatre, Dublin.
Mary has just been released from prison. She wants to come home and forget all about it but Briana has other ideas. Over a tumultuous two days a family is forced to confront not just their past but themselves. Because even if you refuse to hear the truth, the truth doesn’t go away.
The cast includes Alison Fitzjohn (Typical Girls, Sheffield Theatres), Yazmin Kayani (Loam, Bristol Old Vic), Andrea Lowe (How The Other Half Loves, Duke of York's Theatre), Posy Sterling (The Taxidermist's Daughter, Chichester Festival Theatre) and Liz White (Shadowlands, Chichester Festival Theatre). The set and costume designer is Kat Heath, lighting designer is Paule Constable, sound designer is Sinéad Diskin and movement director is Sarita Piotrowski.
Deborah Bruce was one of five writers who contributed to Clean Break's Joanne which was performed at Latitude Festival and Soho Theatre in 2016, she was also Clean Break’s Writer in Residence between 2016-18.
Clean Break’s Artistic Director Anna Herrmann: “We are thrilled to be working with the National Theatre, bringing Deborah Bruce’s emotionally charged and powerful play, Dixon and Daughters, to their iconic Dorfman stage. It has been a privilege working with Deborah over a number of years as she gave life to this important story and we cannot wait to share it with audiences. We are equally delighted to be reunited with Róisín McBrinn as she returns to direct, alongside many talented women artists, some of whom we have had the pleasure of working with before, and others we are excited to welcome to the Clean Break community.”
In such a difficult economic climate, we are extremely grateful for this investment in our mission. This committed funding will allow us to continue to pursue our vision of a society where women can achieve their full potential, free from criminalisation. We will build women’s creativity, skills and wellbeing; produce bold, adventurous and outstanding theatre that champions underrepresented voices; and engage audiences widely with the hidden stories of women and the criminal justice system, building advocacy that is critical for positive change.
Erin Gavaghan, Executive Director and Anna Herrmann, Artistic Director, said: "We are grateful for the continued support offered by being included in the National Portfolio again. This funding enables us to continue to build on the hopes and dreams of the Clean Break community, engage brilliant artists who share our vision, amplify the voices of the women we work with, and partner with theatres to bring new stories to life for our audiences."
Arts Council England Chair, Sir Nicholas Serota, said: “We are facing economic pressures at present but this funding is about an investment in our future. This portfolio will support the next generation of visionary inventors, makers, performers and artists.”
Our Members (women caught up in the criminal justice system or at risk of entering it) will be at the heart of all our work, and we will invest in and nurture their voices, experience, expertise and aspirations. Through all our work – our collaborations, co-creations and co-productions – we will champion diversity on-stage and behind-the-scenes, always committing to our values of anti-racism, justice, inclusion and care.
We know this has been a difficult day for many organisations who have received cuts or haven’t been funded, and we send our love and support to our peers across the sector.
Thank you to everyone who is part of Clean Break’s community: Members, artists, staff, Trustees, volunteers, and audiences - we look forward to engaging you all in this work all over the next three years.
As part of the London Women’s Services Alliance, we have been successful in a bid to continue to deliver services to women under probation supervision, and those at risk of contact with the criminal justice system in London. We are proud to be one of the sister organisations who will be delivering this work, alongside Women in Prison, Pecan, Housing for Women, Hibiscus, Advance, Working Chance and Together.
The work is co-commissioned by MoJ, MOPAC, NHS England and Lambeth Council and will mean our trauma informed, gender-specific services in women’s centres can continue until March 2025.
Clean Break’s role in the partnership is to deliver creative interventions and opportunities for women, including workshops in storytelling, singing, drama, performance poetry and creative writing, which complement the range of activities and support on offer at the centres.
“The work that women’s centres do is really really valuable, I have been so lucky to work in them over the years. I’ve met such a wonderful array of women and the workers who are really committed to supporting the women and getting them into a better place.” JB Rose, Creative Group Work Practitioner
“Made me feel a sense of achievement. [it was a] friendly, open, non-judgemental environment.” - Creative group participant
Sonya Ruparel, Chief Executive of Women in Prison says “We are thrilled to continue to work with our fantastic partners to meet the specific needs of women in South and Southeast London who are at risk of contact with the criminal justice system or are under probation supervision. Women who have been criminalised face serious barriers to thriving and we are proud to be able to work alongside them. This funding will enable us to continue to provide our trauma informed, gender specific services and reach more women across South and Southeast London.”
Watch this video to find out more about our work in women’s centres, including how we worked during lockdown.
Image credit: Ali Wright. From More Than We Can Bear: The women's centre play
Clean Break has a track record of supporting women working in corporate environments to strengthen their voices and create a greater impact in their teams. We are looking for new corporate partners to work with and receive our fantastic offer of training and coaching.
We have been working with women in the criminal justice system and in the community for over four decades, using theatre to build confidence and harness creativity. This wealth of experience gives our facilitators a unique perspective and valuable transferrable skills, which we have used to develop a ground-breaking training offer for corporate partners. We offer a comprehensive package of training and coaching sessions for companies looking to provide development opportunities for the women in their teams. Some of the topics we specialise in are:
Clean Break is the industry leader in inclusive practise and radical empathy, with a specialism in working with women to achieve their goals, amplify their voices, and make spaces accessible and inclusive. Our corporate training is bespoke to meet the needs of our partners, but all aspects focus on equipping women with the tools to create a greater impact within male-dominated environments.
“It's unlike any training I've experienced before, an opportunity to reflect and connect with other women and to discuss less frequently discussed topics.”
We receive excellent feedback for our training, with attendees regularly sharing that being in our women-only space is an empowering experience, igniting their own creativity and giving them space to focus on personal strengths.
A key piece of feedback which we often receive from participants, is how Clean Break training reveals the self-limiting beliefs which affect the confidence of so many women. We teach the women on our courses how to transform unhelpful ways of thinking into empowerment.
“It has helped me to appreciate that other people have doubt in themselves but don't show it.”
Our training not only helps women to understand how to create impact by changing the way they view themselves, but also how to create better outcomes from uncomfortable situations. Working in a male-dominated environment means that gender dynamics are often at play. Our training helps women to better address difficult situations and micro aggressions which arise in the workplace, and have their voices heard.
“A thought provoking and empowering day in such a supportive atmosphere.”
Our training package includes:
A one-day training at Clean Break’s studios specifically for women at managerial level. We provide a non-hierarchical, creative space to help women advance within male-dominated environments and to identify ways to overcome shared challenges.
A bespoke one-to-one coaching session focusing on each participant’s individual goals and aspirations in the context of the training and looking at ways to achieve them. This would take place one week after the training day.
A group follow up session held twice per year, (at your office or online) for those who wish to attend, to check in on progress made, receive peer support and share strategies and next steps.
Advanced modular training sessions (3-4 per year) on themes flagged in the introductory day; including dealing with micro aggressions, communication and presentation skills, resolving conflict and personal power.
To find out more about our corporate training offer, including costings please contact our Producer, Dezh: dezh.zhelyazkova@cleanbreak.org.uk
We are overjoyed to share that Liz Whitbread, the incredibly talented set and costume designer for Favour has been nominated for a Stage Debut Award! These are the only awards which specifically recognise and celebrate emerging artists and creatives in theatre.
Liz started her journey with Clean Break as a Member in 2012, developing her skill and passion for design while on our programme. Her introduction to the world of theatre was through Clean Break, and after taking some short courses with us, she went on to study Theatre Design at Wimbledon College of Arts, graduating in 2019. This journey led to her assisting artist Miriam Nabarro to create a mobile exhibition that toured alongside our production of Sweatbox (set inside a prison van) in 2019 and then co-designing I am a Theatre: 40 years of Clean Break exhibition at Swiss Cottage Gallery in 2021. Favour, which Clean Break co-produced with Bush Theatre this summer, is her first major theatre production, designed with mentorship from Kat Heath.
Ashna Rabheru and Renu Brindle in Favour at Bush Theatre / Suzi Corker
Liz designed Favour’s naturalistic and authentic set, which was based on traditional South Asian homes in East London, with a thorough research process. The play primarily took place in Nanoo (Grandmother) Noor’s living room, featuring patterned wallpaper, a well-used sofa, sunken kitchen and intricate details in the nick-nacks placed thoughtfully around the space, which gave the audience insight into the characters' lives.
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Rina Fatania in Favour at Bush Theatre / Suzi Corker
The dynamic set featured technical brilliance throughout, as it had the ability to transform from a muted and homely living room into a bubble-gum pink, dream-like beauty salon, during a scene which slips the play into the surreal.
Avita Jay and Ashna Rabheru in Favour at Bush Theatre / Suzi Corker
The set has not only been recognised by The Stage with this nomination, but was also praised by the press for being “fantastically designed” (North West End) and “finely detailed” (Broadway World), becoming “almost a character in its own right” (The Times).
Liz has responded to the news by saying "I'm so grateful for the opportunity I was given to design for Favour and extremely delighted about the nomination."
Ambreen Razia, the writer of Favour shared: “Liz's level of detail and sensitivity towards creating a working-class Pakistani home was inspiring to watch, she created a space with such a rich history it felt like the walls could reiterate it back to the audience. Liz is a truly special artist, and I can't wait to see what she takes on next.”
Dezh Zhelyazkova is a Producer at Clean Break and produced the play alongside the team at Bush Theatre. She has said: “We are immensely proud to learn that Liz has received this nomination. Working with Liz and watching her vision evolve to create the intricate physical world of Favour in such a meticulous relationship with the text was a wonderful experience. It is great to see Liz's hard work and talent recognised and we look forward to seeing what's next for her.”
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With thanks to the Maria Björnson Memorial Fund and Royal Victoria Hall Foundation for their support of Favour.
At Clean Break’s Annual General Meeting this week, we announced three new trustees who will be joining our board, with three members leaving.
“We are incredibly grateful to our exiting board members Ellie Kendrick, Deborah Coles and Sara Forbes for sharing their knowledge, passion and time with Clean Break during their terms as trustees, all of which has had a profound impact on the organisation. It has been a pleasure and an honour working alongside them to guide our important and ground-breaking theatre company through challenging and joyful times.
As we say farewell to such valuable members of our board, we are thrilled to welcome three extraordinary women into the Clean Break community. We are delighted to announce Emily Ashton, Rania Jumaily and Rose Mahon as trustees of Clean Break, and cannot wait to feel the impact their expertise will have on the company.” - Clean Break’s Co-Chairs Alison Frater & Tanya Tracey
Emily Ashton graduated from University of Nottingham with a degree in Finance, Accounting and Management in 2013, then started working at Karcher UK in Retail Sales. Originally intended to be a short-term job, Emily enjoyed the work so much she stayed. Since then, Karcher has supported her in achieving her Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification, and she has worked her way through the Finance team doing every role; before being promoted to Financial Controller in February 2021.
Emily shared: “I'm absolutely delighted and honoured to join Clean Break as a Trustee. Clean Break is a truly incredible charity that does such important work in raising women up and giving them a platform that they wouldn't have otherwise had. As my day job is working for a company that has an all-male Board of Directors, supporting Clean Break has so far been enlightening and empowering and I look forward to continuing to support their great work.”
Rania Jumaily has been a freelance theatre director and facilitator since graduating from Bristol University and Birkbeck College, and training as an Assistant Director at the Royal Exchange in Manchester.
Her work has included being the Resident Director at the Orange Tree Theatre, for Paul Miller during his first season, and working at The Tank in New York, as Co-Artistic Director. She has always worked with young people in education and has taught at the University of Huddersfield, Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and British American Drama Academy. She has worked with Company 3 and Shakespeare Schools Festival, been lead workshop facilitator for the Royal Court and most recently; Director in Residence at Westminster School. She felt lucky to come to work for Clean Break on two consecutive projects in 2018/19, which was a long held ambition. Rania has commented: “I am honoured to be joining Clean Break as a trustee and I can't wait to be an advocate for their vital, radical and inspirational work.”
Rose Mahon has been involved in developing trauma informed, gender responsive residential and community-based services for women since 2004. She has a track record of developing services to support and divert women away from the criminal justice system and developing projects to support women involved in survival sex. Rose is a passionate advocate for trauma-informed approaches and reflective practices. She was the recipient of the inaugural Howard League Criminal Justice Champion award in 2017.
Rose is currently an advisor to trauma-informed justice charity One Small Thing and works as a coach and an Action Learning Set Reflective Practice Facilitator for organisations in the voluntary sector. She has told us: “I am delighted to be a member of the Clean Break board of Trustees. I have been an admirer of the work of Clean Break for many years whilst working myself in services diverting women away from the criminal justice system, and I am now proud to support Clean Break and their work as a Trustee.”
Favour’s incredible cast members Avita Jay and Rina Fatania have been nominated for best lead and best supporting performance in the Offies Awards. These nominations are so well deserved, with Jay bringing the chaotic and hopeful Aleena to life "with boundless energy and verve" (The Spy in the Stalls) and Fatania turning the gossiping ‘aunty’ Fozia into "a gorgeous comic monster" (The Arts Desk).
The Offies are the The Off West End Theatre Awards, recognising the very best in Off West End productions in London. Previous winners include Linda Bassett, Mimi Ndiweni and Sarah Niles.
Sophie Dillon Moniram, Co-Director of Favour said “I am thoroughly pleased for Avita and Rina to have their brilliance and hard work recognised through their Offie Nominations. We have had such an incredible time working with our fantastic, dedicated cast in honouring Ambreen's important play.”
Favour is on at Bush Theatre until 6 August 2022. Don’t miss your chance to see our ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “revolutionary” and “heartfelt” play, following three generations of South Asian women rebuilding their lives and their relationships as one of them re-enters the community after being in prison.
Our new play Favour by Ambreen Razia is a hopeful and touching drama following Leila, a daughter caught between her westernised mother Aleena and traditional grandmother Noor. The family navigates life as Aleena returns from prison to their home in the heart of a South Asian Muslim community in Ilford. Feeling the conflict between her mother and grandma, and pressure from either side to live life on their terms, Leila must decide what she wants her life to look like – for herself.
The duty, expectation and familial shame that comes with being a daughter are themes at the centre of Favour. While exploring these topics at Clean Break, a brilliant organisation called Home Girls Unite came to mind straight away.
Home Girls Unite are a small but impactful organisation which exists to support eldest daughters from immigrant families - ‘eldest’ not only referring to birth order, but the ‘parentification’ which many daughters experience. The organisation was formed by Hanna and Yasin, two young women who participated in the FORWARD* Young Women’s Leadership Programme. After taking part in the programme, the founders realised that eldest daughters are a group who have huge expectations placed upon them by families and communities, but are often overlooked. From this, Home Girls Unite was formed.
While Favour was in rehearsals, Home Girls Unite came to visit Clean Break’s building to meet the cast and sit down with Ambreen to discuss the play and how its themes intersect with their mission. Listen on Apple, Spotify, Google, or here:
Favour is on at Bush Theatre until 6 August 2022.
We will also be holding two post-show events during the run:
12 July – Parental imprisonment and the impact on families
Hosted by Clean Break, including Sarah Burrows, founder and CEO of Children Heard and Seen and Kate Fraser, Head of Prison Partnerships and Participation at Women in Prison and Ambreen Razia, writer of Favour.
27 July (evening) – Women, racism and cultural disparities in the Criminal Justice System
Hosted by Clean Break Co-Chair Alison Frater, including Sofia Buncy, founder of Muslim Women in Prison and Marchu Girma, CEO of Hibiscus Initiatives and Ambreen Razia, writer of Favour.
*FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development) is the leading African women-led organisation working to end violence against women and girls.
Ahead of our new play Favour opening on 24 June, writer Ambreen Razia caught up with Bush Theatre, our co-producers on this groud-breaking play about a working class Muslim family. Read their story below.
Currently rehearsing at the Bush Theatre is our next show, Ambreen Razia’s Favour the world premiere of a touching and hopeful family drama that tackles duty, addiction, and the battle of putting yourself back together. Favour is co-produced with Clean Break Theatre Company, directed by Clean Break’s Joint Artistic director Róisín McBrinn and Sophie Dillon Moniram and with a cast including Avita Jay, Renu Brindle, Rina Fatania, and Ashna Rabheru.
We dropped into rehearsals to speak to Ambreen and learn more about the actress and writer from South London. Her previous work includes the critically acclaimed play The Diary of a Hounslow Girl which toured the UK before being adapted as a BBC Three pilot. Her play POT which focuses on girls in gangs and children in the UK care system toured the UK in 2018. Ambreen also co-wrote the short film Relapse which centred around reoffending after prison. Her screenplay Romani Girl was commissioned and produced by Theatre Royal Stratford East in 2020.
On radio Ambreen co-edited the BBC Radio 4 chat show Gossip and Goddesses with Meera Syal and she has been part of the BBC writers’ room and on the BBC Talent Hotlist as well as being a member of the Royal Court Writers Group. As an actress, Ambreen’s recent credits include Hounslow Diaries (BBC), Scrapper (BFI/Film 4), Black Mirror (Netflix), This Way Up (Channel 4), Starstruck (BBC), and The Curse (Channel 4). She has won awards including ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Asian Media Awards, Eastern Eye’s ‘Emerging Artist’ award, and ‘Best Newcomer' at the Edinburgh Television Awards.
Ambreen said, ‘I love telling stories, I trained as an actress and couldn’t always rely on acting to be able to do that. You spend your time walking towards a character or a story which has already been written, it’s incredible and I love it, but I also had a burning desire to tell my own, introduce audiences to exhilarating characters I’ve known and tell stories which I’ve desperately wanted to see. It’s also probably been my way of working things out in my own life and contextualising it with a character or a story. My first play ‘The Diary of a Hounslow Girl’ it opened a lot of doors for me. I’m inspired by the truth, even if it hurts a bit’
For someone who has such a contemporary style, her inspirations are wide, ‘I love the classics, Shakespeare, Lorca, Coward, stories from the Quran or religious texts, I love a contemporary play with the depth and the roaring nature of a classical, even if it’s set inside a job centre or at a bus stop. I like anything that’s written from a place of depth and necessity, even if it’s a bit messy and mad.
I remember reading ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ and going wow! This is the only play I’ve read that captures the intensity and powerful nature of the women in my family. I’d say the main inspiration for my new play ‘Favour’ is my mother.’
Ambreen is a devoted cinema and theatregoer and raves about the Bush’s recent family drama House of Ife. ‘I love having a good old natter before the play, about life or a bit of celebrity gossip then reminding myself I’m at the theatre now and should compose myself and have a bit of class!’ Although the Favour rehearsal period means she’s spending less time at home Ambreen’s been enjoying settling into a new flat and the domesticity of cooking. ‘I’ve become a big fan of Ikea’. It sounds like another family story is being created.
We would like to say a massive THANK YOU to our incredible community of volunteers. At Clean Break, we are proud to have an excellent volunteering programme, developed by our Volunteer Manager Sammy McNeil.
The mutual benefits of volunteering are important to us at Clean Break. We are grateful to have a group of dedicated and talented volunteers who support our ground-breaking work in a range of ways. Our volunteers provide therapeutic support for our Members, cook nutritious lunches, assist facilitators on our creative groups programme, support our team with administrative tasks, and more! Through our thoughtful and flexible approach to providing volunteering opportunities, Clean Break volunteers develop valuable skills, experience and confidence in our unique and welcoming women-only environment.
To celebrate Volunteers Week, Sammy sat down with three volunteers, Chloe, Sara and Sophie, to hear from them about what it’s like being part of Clean Break:
If you are interested in volunteering with Clean Break and would like to find out more, please get in touch with Sammy at volunteering@cleanbreak.org.uk - we would love to hear from you!
Photography by Tracey Anderson.
Co-Directed by Clean Break’s Joint Artistic Director Róisín McBrinn (Typical Girls, Sheffield Theatres) and Sophie Dillion-Moniram (POT, Rua Arts), full casting includes Renu Brindle (Margaret D'Anjou, LAMDA), Rina Fatania (NW Trilogy, Kiln Theatre), Avita Jay (The Comedy of Errors, RSC) and Ashna Rabheru (The Animal Kingdom, Hampstead Theatre).
‘There’s going to be some changes round here, sugar and TV allowed whenever you want’
From writer Ambreen Razia (Diary of a Hounslow Girl), Favour is a touching and hopeful family drama that tackles duty, addiction and the battle of putting yourself back together.
Leila is happy living at home with Noor, her loving but traditional grandmother. When Aleena, her fiercely independent mother, returns home from prison determined to deliver a new world of fun and excitement, their calm lives are upended in a blur of nail varnish and sweet treats. Family secrets come tumbling into the light, and Leila finds deciding on her future more difficult than she first thought.
Favour is a strikingly frank story of a working-class Muslim family in a way you’ve never seen before on stage.
Co-directors Róisín McBrinn and Sophie Dillon-Moniram: “We are thrilled to be working with such an extraordinary group of talented women, to tell this important story of four women whose lives are touched by imprisonment. We can't wait to collaborate with them to embody Ambreen’s magnificent script, exploring realities which are often untold.”
Favour will be at the Bush Theatre from 24 June to 6 August, including relaxed, captioned, BSL and audio-described performances, as part of their 50th anniversary season. Tickets are available from bushtheatre.co.uk or at the Box Office on 020 8743 5050.
Creative team
Ambreen Razia - Writer
Róisín McBrinn - Co-Director
Sophie Dillon Moniram - Co-Director
Sonum Batra - Sound Designer
Hester Blindell - Assistant Stage Manager
Sally Ferguson - Lighting Designer
Kat Heath - Design Mentor
Tabitha Piggott - Production Manager
Vicky Richardson - Casting Director CDG
Gemma Scott - Stage Manager (Rehearsals and tech)
Kala Simpson - Stage Manager (run)
Sabia Smith - Costume Supervisor
Liz Whitbread - Set and Costume Designer
Dezh Zhelyazkova - Producer
This unique online tool has been built from the extraordinary gems we unearthed during our 40th Anniversary Heritage project in 2019. We have brought this treasure trove of artifacts to life by weaving it together with the story of Clean Break. Bringing this to you in a digital format means it can be explored from anywhere in the world, at any time, allowing more people to discover the rebellious history of Clean Break and extending the reach of our legacy.
During our heritage project, we sat down with some of the incredible women who have been part of this journey, including Members, our team and Patrons, to hear about Clean Break’s impact both on their lives and on society. From these conversations, we created a video which you might have seen as part of our I am a Theatre exhibition at Swiss Cottage Gallery in 2021. We are delighted to now share this with you online for the first time.
To celebrate the launch of our new digital archive, we are also pleased to share proud moments from two women who played key roles in Clean Break’s formation and early success. Jacki Holborough is one of the theatre company’s founders, and Ann Mitchell is an actor and director, who was instrumental in Clean Break’s journey.
Jacki Holborough on being the first group of serving prisoners to perform outside of prison:
“There are so many proud moments, but I guess the first time that, when we were still serving prisoners, we went to play [Efemera, an original show] to the public at the York Art Centre. A group of twenty women, most of them never been in a theatre, it was just wonderful. We did a two hour show and we’d written it ourselves, directed it ourselves. It brings tears to remember just how proud, happy and joyful it felt. It was such a success.”
Clean Break Efemera by Ask 'em out programme 1978 / Clean Break Digital Archive
Ann Mitchell on directing the original Voices from Prison with the Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC):
“When I was acting at the RSC, I was asked if I would direct one of their first platform performances. Now, most of the actors understandably wanted to direct themselves in different plays or different scenes, but I didn't want to do that. I felt that the RSC, what I had experienced when I was there, was a sense of elitism so I wanted to bring in Clean Break.
The team, Clean Break women, wrote to prisons and got information and poems, just like the new Voices from Prison, which I think is wonderful. I had about 20-30 people on stage. We inherited the most amazing set, it just was like the gods had smiled on us, it was a set of trees and I placed all the actors in them, all wearing black with the occasional flash of red. They all had about four to five lines to learn, professional actors as well, and that's what we did, and it was remarkable.
I was so pleased, and very touched that Jenny [Hicks] had said in some ways that was the beginning of Clean Break being acknowledged in a wider world, and it was certainly the beginning for the RSC of having the community in - the critics said ‘the RSC opens its doors to the community’.”
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Voices From Prison, Barbican, 1987 / Clean Break Digital Archive
The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is isolation. The lockdowns of the past two years have brought this to the forefront of more people’s consciousness, and for the many people who isolation was already a part of life, the affects were amplified. For women in prison or other secure settings, isolation was and continues to be devastating, with the effects also felt sharply for women in the community who already experience mental ill health.
To mark Mental Health Awareness Week this year, we are sharing Lara to watch online until Tuesday 17 May. This short film was created by Clean Break Member Artist Sarah Cowan and artist Deborah Bruce in the first lockdown, as part of Clean Break’s 2 Meters Apart project, and follows a woman who has experienced complex mental health distress.
2 Meters Apart was set up during the first lockdown to give our Members, women with experience of the criminal justice system or at risk of entering it, a creative outlet and an opportunity for connection during an extremely isolating time.
Some of the themes in the film might be difficult to engage with, particularly if you are personally affected. For this reason, we have created a self-care guide containing content warnings, which we would recommend you read before watching the film.
Available online until Tuesday 17 May.
Deborah Bruce and I started writing together for 2 Meters Apart at the very beginning of the pandemic. All we were given is the title, with no pressure or expectation of a result - we didn’t even know at that point if theatre would ever exist again. We wrote over Zoom, email and WhatsApp, and all of the filming was done on our phones.
2 Meters Apart offered a creative haven in which we could share experiences and reflect on the state of the terrifying world around us in the height of the pandemic.
Creative collaborations definitely reduce feelings of isolation because you connect and work together in such a unique way. Consistency and feeling safe are important too, which, like the writing groups at Clean Break, made it feel like a port in a storm. It gave me a focus when everything was so uncertain, and support and encouragement to try and find my voice and keep going. I believe nurturing human connections through creativity and storytelling is valuable to everyone's mental health and understanding one another is vital to society. Because, when the world falls apart around us, all we have is each other, and no woman is an island.
So, Lara was made during lockdown, a time when the world seemed unreal and frightening when we were kept in our homes and away from loved ones, where conspiracy theories were rife, and relationships were strained in pressure-cooker environments. Some of the things Lara lives with on a daily basis.
Lara is the story of someone who struggles to cope with her experience of the world, her thoughts, her feelings, and her relationships. She finds it impossible to manage and communicate her distress and has become enmeshed within the mental health and criminal justice systems.
The inherent trauma caused by living in theses environments and persistent systemic failings, along with inadequate support, keep her trapped in a cycle of destruction. At this point in her story, she has to move in with her mother after being released from a psychiatric ward to the care of ‘the nearest relative.’
Our digital short aims to capture snapshots of Lara’s world and is part of a much bigger story.
Sarah Cowan
Deborah Bruce
Helena Lymbery
Fiona Whitelaw
Catherine Rose Evans
Patch the dog
and to all at Clean Break for supporting this film.
With thanks to Arts Council England, DCMS, National Lottery Community Fund and Camden Giving.
Additional thanks to Jerwood Arts and The Garrick Charitable Trust for their support of new writing at Clean Break.
Over the next three years, we’ll make some big changes: we’re going to make our building more accessible, including working with our Members to embed trauma-informed design; we’ll upgrade our on-site tech; and we’ll work to improve the environmental sustainability of our building.
This has all been made possible by a grant of £232,500 from Arts Council England’s Capital Investment Programme. As part of these 2021-22 and 2022-23 grants, over £22.7 million has been awarded to 66 cultural organisations across the country, including Clean Break. The Capital Investment Programme aims to help cultural organisations across the country transform their buildings and equipment so they can operate safely post-pandemic, improve access, seize technological opportunities, and reduce environmental impact. From Barrow-in-Furness to The Isles of Scilly, the organisations receiving funding share a vision to build a fit for the future cultural sector, which all members of their communities can access.
Darren Henley, Chief Executive, Arts Council England said “World class creativity and culture needs a resilient and sustainable infrastructure to allow it to flourish. With these investments in the buildings, equipment, and digital systems of cultural organisations across England, we are helping to secure the future of that infrastructure, and making sure that people from every part of the country can continue enjoying all the benefits it delivers for years to come.”
Clean Break’s Leadership Team, Anna Herrmann, Erin Gavaghan, and Róisin McBrinn said “Our home is a vital safe and creative space for the women we work with, and this investment is significant as we mark 25 years in Kentish Town. We are excited to transform it for the future, fore-fronting access, care and environmental sustainability and working with our community to realise these ambitions. Inclusion and justice are at the heart of our work and improving our building in this way will support us to achieve the positive change we envision.”
A huge thank you to Arts Council England on behalf of everyone at Clean Break, we can’t wait to start this journey.
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