Hear Clean Break Patron Dame Harriet Walter deliver our appeal message on Radio 4 on Sunday 20 October and Thursday 24 October.
In the appeal, Harriet shares some of actor and Clean Break Member artist, Jennifer Joseph’s story. Jen has generously shared some of the challenges she faced both in and outside prison, and how Clean Break helped her to turn her life around.
In 2012, Harriet and Jen performed together in Julius Caesar at the Donmar Warehouse, part of the all-women Shakespeare trilogy directed by Phyllida Loyd, which makes this appeal message all the more special.
“This could not be a better place to put your charitable gifts. I’ve watched this work for 30 years, growing from an idea to a very professional theatre company, with outreach beyond most institutions.” - Dame Harriet Walter
We are very grateful to Harriet for delivering the message, which will be heard by listeners across the country. This appeal will introduce Clean Break to new audiences and raise much needed funds, which will enable us to continue our life changing work, reaching more women like Jen.
Hear the appeal at the following times on BBC Radio 4, or listen after the first broadcast on the BBC website.
Sunday 20 October – 7:54am
Sunday 20 October – 9:25pm
Thursday 24 October – 3:27pm
Please share our appeal with your networks, we would love our message and Jen’s inspiring story to reach as many ears as possible.
Thank you to BBC Radio 4 for broadcasting our appeal.
Join Clean Break and a line-up of acclaimed comedians, singers and performers for an ‘unruly variety show’!
Expect comedy sets from Desiree Burch, Kemah Bob, Sophie Duker and Laura Smyth, musical delights from West End star Rachel Tucker, plus more exciting acts to be announced!
Come along for your seasonal outing with friends and family, your work’s festive-do, or just a dose of comedy and entertainment for yourself!
Clean Break’s Big Night Out will be a very unserious event, with serious impact.
Every ticket purchased will directly fund Clean Break’s work, transforming women’s lives through theatre workshops and holistic support.
Women come to Clean Break for a change, for community, to learn new skills and build confidence. Without the generosity of our supporters, none of this would be possible.
Your ticket will make a real difference in the lives of women who have experienced the criminal justice system or are at risk, and we thank you for your support.
Image credit: Eloise Dorr
Because our work is about highlighting women’s experiences and providing gender-specific services to women, all of our positions are open to women only (exempt under Equality Act 2010 Schedule 9, part 1).
We are seeking an Executive Director and Joint CEO who has a background in the cultural sector (preferably theatre and performing arts), and an unswerving passion for gender equality and social justice as set out in the company's mission.
You will be an experienced senior leader in the cultural/arts sector, with a track record of producing work and an understanding of the current challenges facing the cultural sector. You may already lead an organisation or if not, you will have the ability to step up into organisational leadership through proven experience of leading senior teams and major projects, and of largescale financial leadership - setting and managing budgets and fundraising. Clean Break's current turnover is £1.3m.
You will thrive on professional challenge and be able to demonstrate the skills, understanding, emotional intelligence and confidence to take on leadership at Clean Break. As a leader you will embrace the organisation’s values, and will work collaboratively with Anna (Joint CEO) and Jacqueline (Deputy CEO), the Board and the wider company to achieve greater equity. We are committed to power-sharing across our organisation to enable women with lived experience, staff and artists to have voice and agency in shaping Clean Break’s strategic plans. You will ideally have experience of remodeling hierarchical structures and bring ideas and energy to this radical work. You will be excited by Clean Break’s ground-breaking theatre and want to play a key role in producing, disseminating and sharing our practice – our theatre, learning and expertise - across many different sectors.
We are particularly keen to attract applicants from diverse backgrounds in line with the company's commitment to equity and inclusion, and in recognition of the backgrounds of our Members and, more widely, women in the criminal justice system.
Recruitment pack - including link to application portal
Criminal Records disclosure information
Equality & Diversity Policy information
Please read the recruitment pack before applying
The application deadline is Monday 28 October at 12pm.
We are thrilled to announce the exciting line-up of films we will be presenting at our first online short film festival. Hosted on our Knowledge Hub, developed with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Programme, the festival will run from 23 September to 6 October.
We are proud to showcase a gripping range of films which navigate stories of:
Anna Herrmann, Artistic Director of Clean Break: “We chose these films believing that they offer an eclectic range of voices, perspectives and styles, wanting the experience to be broad and dynamic as a collection... I am so proud of this programme and all the terrific filmmakers we are championing. We trust that you will find something that moves you, challenges you and inspires you.”
Clean Break’s Film Festival 2024 is proud to present:
Adra Ni Y Môr (Our Home The Sea) - from filmmaker Mared Rees
After Time – from Kestrel Theatre Company, directed by Dorothy Allen Pickard
Buddleia: The Unchained Story – directed by Tracy Kiryango
Boiling Frogs (More Than One Story film series) - from Cardboard Citizens, directed by Chris Sonnex
Dues – from Synergy Theatre Company, directed by Esther Baker
Home – from filmmaker Nia Childs
Hope – from Clean Break, directed by Kirsty Housley
Smart Justice: animated video series – from American Civil Liberties Union and Neon Zoo
No Comprendo – from filmmaker Bukola Bakinson
Sandwiches: More Than One Story film series - from Cardboard Citizens, directed by Chris Sonnex
Snakes and Landlords: More Than One Story film series - from Cardboard Citizens, directed by Chris Sonnex
Sweatbox - from Clean Break, directed by Anna Herrmann
Violet Gave Willingly – from filmmaker Claire Sanford
Wings – directed by Billy Boyd Cape, written by Sonya Hale
Without Walls – from filmmaker Clare Richards
Booking for Clean Break's first online Film Festival is now open!
Unlock Clean Break's full programme of films by purchasing a Film Festival Pass.
We also have a range of films which are available to watch for free. Simply create a free Knowledge Hub account to start watching.
All films will be available to watch on our Knowledge Hub from 9am on 23 September until the end of 6 October 2024.
Trailer by Tea Films
Image: still from Home by Nia Childs
Get ready to explore Clean Break’s first online film festival, celebrating the intersection of film and theatre.
The festival will run from 23 September to 6 October, and will be hosted on our Knowledge Hub, which has been developed with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Programme.
Clean Break is excited to showcase short films which raise difficult questions, inspire debate, and help to effect profound and positive change in the lives of people who are criminalised, or who are at risk.
Discover a diverse and gripping programme, from a talented selection of filmmakers. We are proud to showcase authentic stories of struggle, survival and healing from a range of unique perspectives.
Watch short films that navigate stories of...
Moving image has always played a crucial part in Clean Break’s artistic practice. From Killers in 1984, to more recently Sweatbox and Hope, film compliments our on-stage work and allows us to share stories of women and the criminal justice system to audiences beyond the theatre walls.
Theatre and film have a rich shared history, having influenced each other since the birth of film in the late 19th century with the early silent films of the Lumière brothers.
In the 20th century, the rise of stage-to-screen adaptations influenced cinema’s three-act narrative structure and dramatic character arcs, as well as the stagecraft elements such as set design and lighting.
Today, we see cinema’s influence in theatre, with the use of digital projection and sound design being commonplace in on-stage productions.
We are excited to continue this legacy by putting film in the spotlight on Clean Break’s Knowledge Hub this autumn.
You will be able to unlock Clean Break's full programme of films by purchasing a Film Festival Pass.
We also have a range of films which are available to watch for free. Simply create a free Knowledge Hub account to start watching.
All films will be available to watch on our Knowledge Hub from 9am on 23 September until the end of 6 October 2024.
Keep your eyes peeled for our programme announcement!
Image credit: Eloise Dorr
Erin joined Clean Break in 2018 as Executive Director alongside Artistic Directors Anna Herrmann and Róisín McBrinn, as part of a new leadership structure and subsequently became Joint CEO with Anna after Róisín’s departure in 2022. As part of the leadership team, Erin’s huge impact has included steering major capital works to improve sustainability and accessibility; championing the company’s industry-renowned well-being and mental health commitments; supporting the development and embedding of our anti-racism practice; and achieving a Silver Award for Clean Break’s trauma-informed practice.
Natasha Bucknor MBE will take up the role of Interim Executive Director and Joint CEO for Clean Break this Autumn. Natasha brings a wealth of leadership experience having worked as an Executive Director and Senior Manager across the cultural sector, most recently as Head of Operations at English PEN and as Interim CEO at VocalEyes. Natasha is also a freelance consultant and an Associate at Counterculture. She is a Trustee at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse Theatres, and in 2019, received an MBE for services to theatre.
Erin Gavaghan, Executive Director and Joint CEO: “Working with the women at Clean Break has been such a rewarding experience, one that has generously offered me the opportunity to learn and grow into the leader I want to be. Clean Break is an extraordinary company which consistently punches above its weight, producing excellent theatre that truly changes hearts and minds and through this, changes society for the better. I will miss the dedicated and passionate team and trustees who have inspired and supported me through the past six years, especially my joint CEO Anna Herrmann whose vision and artistic leadership shines so brightly.”
Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE and Sarah-Jane Dent, Clean Break Co-Chairs: “As incoming Co-Chairs, we would like to take this opportunity to thank Erin for her great work leading Clean Break. Her unique strength, skills and dedication are present in everything she does and leave a lasting impact on the company, its team, Members and everyone it with whom it engages. We wish Erin joy for the next step in her journey."
Anna Herrmann, Artistic Director and Joint CEO: “Erin has brought her passion for theatre and her values of equity and inclusion along with her rigour with finance and operations, her love of all things data and her expertise in people management. Amongst other achievements, she has spearheaded brilliant work on company culture, wellbeing, governance and impact measurement. She leaves the company in a strong, healthy position, and with an abundance of love and respect for her across the staff team, trustees and Membership. I will miss her and wish her incredible success in her move to Canada and her new position.
I am also thrilled to have Natasha join us in this interim period – bringing such a wealth of expertise from her various roles in the sector, and invaluable experience as an interim. We are very lucky that she could support us in this moment.”
Natasha Bucknor MBE, Interim Executive Director and Joint CEO: “Clean Break is a company that I’ve admired for a very long time. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with Anna and the team over the next few months, whilst they recruit for the permanent role.”
Clean Break’s recruitment for a permanent Executive Director and Joint CEO will begin in September.
Photography: Tracey Anderson
This year Clean Break is celebrating 25 years in our Kentish Town studios with an event, Women’s Spaces: Landmarks on the Journey, part of this year's Being Human Festival. The event will take place on 7 November 2024. There are two time slots to chose from, from 2pm - 4pm or from 4:30pm - 6:30pm, both at Clean Break's building.
This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 7 – 16 November 2024. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, with generous support from Research England, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please visit the Being Human website.
The theme of this year's festival is Landmarks, to celebrate the landmark 10 year anniversary of the festival. We couldn't think of a better theme to acknowledge the anniversary of Clean Break's building, which has been a landmark of community, healing and creative discovery for hundreds of women over the past quarter-of-a-century.
At Women’s Spaces: Landmarks on the Journey, join Clean Break Members, Artistic Director Anna Herrmann and Dr Shona Minson from University of Oxford's Centre for Criminology, for an exciting day of creative engagement. Expect a screening of our film Sweatbox, an exhibition of Clean Break-inspired artworks by Laura Dean, insightful discussions and more.
Together, we will be exploring the importance women-only spaces hold for those with experience of the criminal justice system, and asking how a physical space can become a site of healing and liberation.
Come and celebrate this landmark anniversary with us, and explore what else Being Human Festival has to offer.
Award-winning actor and director Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE and writer, actor, and Clean Break Member artist Sarah-Jane Dent have been appointed co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees for Clean Break. Josette and Sarah-Jane take up the position from 24 July, succeeding Alison Frater and Alex Rowse, who step down from their roles as co-Chair and interim co-Chair respectively, with Alex remaining a Trustee. The company also welcomes new Trustee Joni Emery.
Josette Bushell-Mingo is Principal of Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (CSSD). Her career has included performances with the RSC, National Theatre, and Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester and she was nominated for an Olivier Award for her role as Rafiki in the West End production of The Lion King. As a director, she was Founder and Artistic Director of PUSH, a Black-led theatre festival with the Young Vic Theatre and through this work she was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to the arts. She is an active spokesperson for inclusive arts and politics and has served on the board of Swedish Film Institute, as Chair for CinemAfrica, and as Patron of the Unity Theatre, Liverpool.
Sarah-Jane Dent has been in several Clean Break productions including devising and performing in The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women (Clean Break’s co-production with LIFT at Brixton House), Hours Til Midnight by the late Sonya Hale, Hear by Deborah Bruce, and collaborating with Chloë Moss on Through This Mist. Further stage credits include Donmar Warehouse’s all-female Shakespeare Trilogy directed by Phyllida Lloyd, and Zina, a one-woman show by Naomi Westerman at Vaults Festival.
Joni Emery enjoyed a 14-year legal career and has worked in the criminal justice voluntary sector with the charity User Voice and infrastructure organisation CLINKS. She leads on four main areas in her work including finance, income generation, HR, and governance. Her passion for supporting women in difficult and challenging circumstances stems from her own lived expertise and enables her to bring an authentic outlook.
Josette Bushell-Mingo OBE: “To say that this is a total honour would be too short a response. Clean Break's work to serve, to champion, and to understand chimes with my belief that the arts are fundamental to a person's life and wellbeing and help to create meaningful societal change within our communities. This is a shared Chairwomanship, and I am delighted to work alongside the talented Sarah-Jane Dent and to welcome new Trustee Joni Emery. Clean Break is an iconic organisation using theatre to transform women's lives in prisons, on stages, and within communities. Anti-racism, care, equity, and justice are central to everything they do - and they prove that whatever our herstories, they are never a barrier to greatness. I look forward to this journey."
Sarah-Jane Dent: “I am absolutely thrilled to be taking on the role of the co-Chair at Clean Break, alongside the brilliant Josette Bushell-Mingo and a board of such skilled and diverse women. To be part of the incredible work the women of this company do in helping to empower other women is phenomenal. It is an organisation incredibly close to my heart and I cannot wait to contribute and help to shape its future, putting our Members at the forefront of its work. I look forward to continuing the great work of the previous co-Chairs and am thankful for all their work and commitment to the company.”
Joni Emery: “I am honoured to be joining the board of such a valuable and impactful organisation. Clean Break is truly inspiring to women within the justice system and I am proud to step into the role of Trustee and add my support to the work in whatever way I can. I know first-hand their work as an authentic audience member, through working relationships, and now to be directly involved on a personal basis is wonderful.”
Erin Gavaghan, Anna Herrmann - Clean Break’s leadership team: “We are thrilled to welcome Josette and Sarah-Jane as co-Chairs, and Joni as a Trustee to the Board of Clean Break at this pivotal moment where we deepen our resolve to achieve greater equity, diversity, and lived experience representation at every level of the organisation. Josette is such a powerhouse who speaks passionately about the transformative role of the arts, and her energy and commitment to theatre and inclusion is infectious and energising. Sarah-Jane has been connected to Clean Break since 2010 and throughout that time her passion for women, for justice, and for theatre has shone through. She shows great compassion, care, and understanding for others, and we cannot wait to get started with them both, alongside Joni and our existing trustees, on leading Clean Break into the future.”
Clean Break thanks outgoing co-Chairs Alison Frater and Alex Rowse (who remains a Trustee) for their invaluable contribution to the company in the role of co-Chairs:
Erin Gavaghan, Anna Herrmann: “We would like to give our heartfelt thanks to Alison and Alex for their support as we transition leadership of the Board. Alison in particular, came into post as Chair in July 2020 and supported the charity through the pandemic, then with her wisdom and insight nudged us towards a co-Chair model, bringing lived experience and diversity into the heart of decision making. Alex, who stepped into the Interim co-Chair position, following Tanya Tracey’s end of term in July 2023, has offered her counsel and her expertise, and together they have held our values close to their hearts. We thank them for their kindness, gentle challenge, support, and unswerving belief.”
Image credits
Josette: Cam Harle Photography
Sarah-Jane: AKTA Photography
Clean Break’s biennial Members Festival is back this summer with an exciting line-up of original stories, performances and workshops by Clean Break Members. Beyond is a celebratory event led and delivered by our Members*, dedicated to showcasing the creative talents and personal projects of the women at the heart of Clean Break.
Connection, discovery and healing are the central themes of this year’s festival. Audiences are invited to connect with Clean Break’s creative community, at an event which will inspire and nourish.
The festival is proud to be a participatory and community-focused event organised by our Members Festival Committee.
Taking place from Thursday 11 to Saturday 13 July, the first day of the festival is for the Clean Break community, including Members, staff, volunteers and supporters. On the Friday and Saturday, members of the public are invited to join the performances and activities.
Tickets are free, with the option to donate to Clean Break. All donations are gratefully received, and help us continue our transformational work.
Clean Break community only
Sliding Doors – an audio drama by Sue Sandeman
Health and Wellbeing Sharing – from Clean Break’s Members programme
Creative Space Sharing – from Clean Break’s Members programme
Down at the Sycamore Tree – by Inka J Lorde
Writers Circle Sharing - from Clean Break’s Members programme
Women only
Sliding Doors – an audio drama by Sue Sandeman
Movement Workshop – by Michelle Hamilton
Open Mic Event
Open to all
The Self-Love Sessions – by Denero Richards
Le Starlet – by Natasha Sparkes
Soul Sisters – by Sharon Leigh
Rebirth – by Susannah Gale
Nether Regions – Nubian Co-heARTs
Dance Project – in collaboration with The Place
Artist in Residence, Christina Shultz - Walls of Breath: from inside out
Open to all
Sliding Doors – an audio drama by Sue Sandeman
Nether Regions – Nubian Co-heARTs
Rebirth – by Susannah Gale
Dance Project – in collaboration with The Place
Le Starlet – by Natasha Sparkes
Theatre Makers – from Clean Break’s Members programme
Artist in Residence, Christina Shultz - Walls of Breath: from inside out
*women with experience of the criminal justice system or at risk of entering it.
We are excited to be welcomed as one of three new partner organisations of The National Women’s Justice Coalition (NWJC), alongside Kairos WWT and Trevi.
Established in September 2021, the NWJC is dedicated to achieving social justice for women by driving transformative changes within the criminal justice system (CJS) to reduce stigmatisation and improve outcomes for women and girls. The coalition’s membership group now includes 22 organisational partners, all expert in delivering trauma-informed support through women’s centres, women’s prisons and women-only premises. NWJC partners also include national women’s organisations that provide specialist services to women in custody and the community.
In November 2023 NWJC invited applications from UK based women’s organisations working with women in contact with the criminal justice system. This was with the intention of welcoming up to six new partners to increase the coalitions reach, increase representation and support the NWJC’s growth. The coalition plans to welcome a further three new partners before the end of June 2024, taking its membership group up to 25 specialist women’s organisations from across England and Wales.
Our Artistic Director Anna Herrmann said, “We are thrilled to announce Clean Break's membership of the National Women's Justice Coalition and join their community of organisations doing such vital work with and alongside women who have experience of the criminal justice system. We look forward to bringing Clean Break's unique perspective to the coalition, and to learn from their growing membership”.
Women who dare to transgress will face judgement.
The world premiere of The Trials and Passions of Unfamous Women asks what is justice, and who has the power to decide. This bold and theatrical experience immerses us in the haze between the shared rituals of theatre and the halls of justice.
A passion is what obsesses us, what we take risks for. Throughout history, driven by "passion", women have crossed the line between the legal and illegal, the moral and immoral and, because of that, faced the laws of their time. Whether in public trials or in the intimacy of homes, a visible and invisible struggle has been waged against women who are judged for their passions.
Brazilian theatremakers Janaina Leite, Lara Duarte and Clean Break theatre company Members devise an epic journey through the theatre of judgement. We encounter the voices of historic, mythic women and the personal stories and passions of the women on stage, labelled as transgressive as truth and fiction collide.
London's International Festival of Theatre | Brixton House | 14 - 22 June 2024
Credits
Created by Janaina Leite, Lara Duarte and Athena Maria, Yvonne Wickham, Sarah-Jane Dent, Dominique Lavine Wood-Whyte and Kim Teresa (KT) Marsh
Concept, Dramaturgy and Direction - Janaina Leite
Co-Direction, Dramaturgy and Writing - Lara Duarte
UK Associate Artist and Dramaturgy - Rachel Valentine Smith
Production Director for Artist team - Carla Estefan
Set & Costume Designer - Alex Berry
Sound Design - Mwen
Light Design - Sarah Readman
Artwork: Peek Images
Did you know 47% of women identify workplace environment and culture as the primary obstacle to their leadership development? It is therefore unsurprising that 44% believe their organisations aren’t prioritising enough support for women to achieve career goals. [The Pipeline, Women Count, 2023]
This is why throughout March, Clean Break will be offering a limited number of one-hour training sessions for businesses who want to support their female colleagues in reaching their full potential and cultivate a culture of empowerment in their organisation.
Celebrate International Women’s Day by challenging the expectations put upon women in the workplace, from a position of awareness and empowerment, whilst supporting a charity that transforms the lives of women who have experienced challenges such as criminalisation, homelessness and mental ill health.
Book a session for your team, and our expert facilitators will come to your workplace to share Clean Break’s unique insights, developed over four decades of supporting women to achieve beyond their highest expectations, and raising awareness of the visible and invisible ways which gender dynamics impact women professionally.
The expert facilitators who will lead your session are Anna Herrmann and Katherine Yates. Anna is Artistic Director of Clean Break and has been working in the field of theatre and social change for thirty years. Katharine is a facilitator and coach, who uses creativity to lead cultural transformation work with a range of organisations.
Set aside one hour, maybe over a lunch break, and provide your female employees with a platform to get inspired, learn new skills, shift perspectives and give their work a new lease of life.
Women will leave the session
The session will also provide a taster of how we work with our Achieving Greater Impact full day training and coaching offer.
The details
To register your interest or find out more information, please contact our Producer Maya: maya.ellis@cleanbreak.org.uk
Clean Break is excited to present a new audio drama, available to listen to for free on our Knowledge Hub.
"We will always be too loud for a world that never intended on listening to us. But we’ll speak all the same."
The malevolent beast Darkness has taken the voices of all women on earth, but a group of magical women in the clouds create their own proposal for resisting Darkness's power. Will they succeed or will Darkness silence them for good?
A Proposal for Resisting Darkness was created with a group of women at HMP Downview and playwright Yasmin Joseph during a series of workshops. The play was the outcome of Clean Break’s participation in Inspiring Futures, a research project involving leading arts in criminal justice organisations and the University of Cambridge and led by the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance. A Proposal for Resisting Darkness was originally directed by Anna Herrmann and first performed by HMP Downview Theatre Company inside the prison in 2022.
To extend the reach of this abstract yet relatable play, A Proposal for Resisting Darkness has been adapted into an audio drama, originally broadcast across the prison estate of England and Wales on National Prison Radio and now available online on Clean Break’s Knowledge Hub.
The audio play is performed by Lisa-Marie Ashworth, Shona Babayemi, TerriAnn Cousins, Polly Frame, and Jade Small, and is directed by Anna Herrmann. It was produced by Clean Break in association with Prison Radio Association.
With thanks to The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, Clinks, University of Cambridge, and Arts Council England for their support.
Listen for free on our Knowledge Hub
Credits
Playwright - Yasmin Joseph in collaboration with HMP Downview Theatre Company
Director - Anna Herrmann
Cast – Lisa-Marie Ashworth, Shona Babayemi, TerriAnn Cousins, Polly Frame, and Jade Small
Producer (Clean Break) - Maya Ellis
Producer (Prison Radio Association) - Perri Hurley
Assistant Producer (Prison Radio Association) - Richie Makepeace
Executive Producer (Prison Radio Association) - Andrew Wilkie
We are incredibly proud of all Clean Break’s achievements this year, despite challenges we continue to face, both locally as a community and globally. Below, we have taken a moment to reflect on some of our activity in 2023 and extend our thanks to everyone who made it possible.
At the start of the year we embarked on an eight-week national tour of educational and professional settings with Sonia Jalaly’s play Catch, designed to deepen understanding about the vital role of women’s centres. The play was performed by Clean Break Members*, Daisy Bartle, Amy-Jane Pearce and Ann Whitely as part of an actors’ traineeship and reached over 400 audience members.
In March, we received the brilliant news that Clean Break had achieved a silver Trauma Informed Quality Mark from the charity One Small Thing. We are so proud to receive this recognition from an organisation we admire deeply at Clean Break. Following receipt of the quality mark, we began delivering public sessions of our Leading with Kindness training, developed for arts practitioners and facilitators to learn about working safely with trauma.
In April, we opened our co-production Dixon and Daughters by Deborah Bruce, on the National Theatre’s Dorfman stage, a first for Clean Break. Dixon and Daughters told a moving and challenging story which highlighted the complexities of cycles of violence and was performed to our largest audience in the history of the company. The National Theatre welcomed our Members behind the scenes, embraced our initiatives around audience care, and played a significant role in helping to amplify this important story. Dixon and Daughters is now available on NT at Home.
Across the year, Clean Break has taken part in multiple research projects, which continue to build greater understanding and new thinking about the transformative impact of theatre and the arts in criminal justice settings. These academic partnerships, including with Goldsmiths and Southbank Universities, are an important way for us to extend our learning and connect across sectors, and we place great value on the learning that arises from them. In May, key findings from Women/Theatre/Justice, an interdisciplinary Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project focussing on Clean Break, were presented at a celebratory event at the Shard, where keynote speakers included our Patron Baroness Helena Kennedy KC, academics from the project, Professor Caoimhe McAvinchey and Dr Deborah Dean, and members of our team. Artworks inspired by the research, by Laura Dean, were also presented in an exhibition titled un:mute.
In June, we hosted an ‘Anti-Racism Takeover day’ for the Clean Break community, led by our Creative Associates Titilola Dawudu and Rachel Valentine Smith. This event was an important milestone in our anti-racism journey, and with an emphasis on learning and joy, we explored what anti-racism and allyship means to us collectively. Together we participated in beautifully held workshops, and as always at Clean Break, shared a meal.
In July, our Head of Participation and Deputy CEO Jacqueline Stewart received well deserved recognition from Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), receiving their Companionship Award for her outstanding contribution to participation work in the arts and criminal justice, which was presented by Paul McCartney.
Over the summer we also welcomed five new trustees to our board, Catriona Guthrie, Lara Grace Ilori, Carien Meijer, Naima Sakande and Jess Southgate, who bring their expertise from the worlds of policy and campaigns, women’s rights advocacy and the arts, and all have a shared passion for Clean Break’s work.
2023 also saw us complete the second phase of our Capital Investment project. Informed by our participation in the Mayor’s Business Climate Challenge and part-funded through Arts Council England, this phase focused on improving our environmental sustainability with the installation of LED lighting, replacement of boilers and refurbishment of other systems. The works were part of a filmed case study by Bloomberg Associates, sharing the improvements and impact. Our team, Members and hirers have already felt the difference in our building, and we look forward to beginning the next phase in 2024, which will improve our accessibility and enhance our trauma-informed environment.
Clean Break’s first Playwrights Pathways programme took place this year, where six Members embarked on a nine-month playwrighting journey, in partnership with Royal Court Theatre. This programme was a huge success, with five writers, Fatima Dupres-Griffiths, Sorcha Fhionntain, Jill Power, Oriana White and Ann Whitely having extracts of their full-length plays performed in a celebratory showcase at the Royal Court Jerwood Downstairs in September.
In October, we premiered our new film, Hope at an event at Kiln Theatre, hosted by Clean Break Patron Zawe Ashton. Hope is our first co-created film, by director Kirsty Housley and Member artists* Nicole Hall, Michelle Hamilton, Carina Murray, Natasha Jean Sparkes, and River. This lyrical documentary invites audiences to consider where hope really comes from, and what sustains hope during times of darkness. It is now available to watch online.
2023 was also the second year of our participation in the Bloomberg Philanthropies Digital Accelerator Program, which saw us launching our new digital Knowledge Hub. We are thrilled to now have a new area of our website, rich with content and resources for audiences looking to engage with our work more deeply, including access to our film Hope. We are grateful to Bloomberg Philanthropies for their support throughout the program and look forward to creating more content and resources for our Hub in the new year.
Our work in prisons and women’s centres continued this year, offering regular weekly workshops at Women in Prison and Advance women’s centres, and playwriting and theatre making workshops in HMPs Styal and Downview respectively. It is hugely important to us to have a presence in women’s prisons, as it binds us to our company roots, and we know from women we meet there of the hope, creativity and vital connectivity such workshops provide.
We recently had the pleasure of announcing Lakesha Arie-Angelo as Clean Break’s new Associate Artistic Director, who will be joining us in March 2024. This new role was created to ensure shared decision making which reflects a broader plethora of voices, and we are so excited to welcome Lakesha to our senior management team next year.
Earlier this year the Clean Break community received the heartbreaking news that Member artist Carrie Rock had passed away. We are grateful to the Royal Court for hosting a special event for Carrie in June, organised by her family and friends and supported by Clean Break. The event was an important moment for collective reflection and grief for those who knew Carrie, or who shared communities with her, as well as being a celebration of her life and incredible talent as an actor. As a community we have sadly ended the year with another loss – that of Member Katy Sage, who, like Carrie, has been known to the company for fifteen years. Katy performed in our 2020 small scale tour, Not Pretty Like the Rainbow. Our thoughts go out to her family and friends at this sad time.
We have so many people to thank for being part of Clean Break’s journey this year, first and foremost are our Members for the creativity, resilience and warmth which everyone brings to our building each week. We would also like to thank our Member artists for their work on and off stage, and our Members Advisory Group for spearheading this important initiative to build engagement and involvement of Members in all aspects of running the organisation.
Our team of staff and volunteers have worked tirelessly this year, we are grateful for everyone's commitment to Clean Break’s values and continue to be inspired by their dedication to our work. We are thankful to all who moved on from Clean Break in 2023, especially Lorraine Maher, who after ten years as our Participation Manager, and a year of sabbatical, has taken up a permanent role as Race and Justice Manager at CLINKS. We wish her all the best and thank her for many years of dedication and passion.
We would like to give special acknowledgement and thanks to our Creative Associates Titilola Dawudu and Rachel Valentine Smith whose fixed term contracts recently ended. During their year and a half in this role, Titilola and Rachel have immersed themselves across the company, and contributed significantly to our artistic output and to our organisational development. We wish them both all the best with their next steps and look forward to continuing working with Rachel in a freelance capacity.
We are excited to begin a new year with the team members who have recently joined us. We also look forward to welcoming Producer Dezh Zhelyazkova back in 2024, after going on maternity leave this year to have baby Florence Petra.
Thank you to our trustees for guiding us with passion and steadiness, and particularly to Tanya Tracey, who stepped down as Co-Chair this year after 9 years of service on our board, and whose expertise and dedication to Clean Break’s mission has been invaluable. We thank Alison Frater for continuing as Co-Chair with support from fellow trustee Alex Rowse, and we will be recruiting in the new year.
We are indebted to our Patrons for being such passionate champions of Clean Break, and we look forward to continuing to work with them, and with award-winning actor Michelle Greenidge, who we had the pleasure of announcing as our newest Patron earlier this month.
Clean Break is entering 2024 with a group of incredible writers on commission. We are excited to see what develops next year and beyond with babirye bukilwa, Emma Dennis-Edwards, Gurpreet Kaur Bhatti, Tash Marshall and Yasmin Joseph. We are also thrilled to be working in partnership with London International Festival of Theatre (LIFT) and Brixton House on an international project with five Clean Break Member artists to produce an original works as part of the festival next June. More details will be announced in March.
None of this work would be possible without our dedicated community of supporters. We are so grateful for their generosity which allows Clean Break to continue its transformative work into 2024 and beyond.
We wish all our partners and everyone who has passed through Clean Break’s doors, engaged with us online, or seen our work on stage a restful break as 2023 comes to a close, and look forward to welcoming you back in the new year.
From Anna, Erin, Jacqueline and the Clean Break team
*Clean Break Members are women who participate in our programme, who have lived experience of the criminal justice system or are at risk of entering it.
Clean Break Member artists are women who have participated in our programme and now engage with Clean Break in a professional capacity as freelance artists.
Clean Break services will be closed over the festive period, from 4pm on Thursday 21 December 2023 until 10am on Monday 15 January 2024.
We know that this can be a challenging time of year, so we've made a list of helplines which will remain open.
NHS Direct 111 - Lines open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Confidential advice if you have a medical issue that is not life threatening or an immediate emergency.
Samaritans 116 123 - Lines open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can get in touch about anything that’s troubling you. They’re here to listen.
Domestic Violence Helpline 0808 2000 247 - Lines open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Trained women helpline workers and volunteers will answer your call in confidence.
National Rape Crisis Helpline 0808 500 2222 - Lines are open 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
Confidential support if you have survived any form of sexual violence, no matter how long ago.
Shelter Emergency Housing Helpline 0808 800 4444 - Lines are open Monday to Friday, 8am - 8pm and weekends and bank holidays, 9am - 5pm.
Housing experts will advise you if you are at risk of homelessness.
BEAT Eating Disorder Helpline 0808 801 0677 – From 18 December 2023, the Helpline will be available from 3pm to 8pm - 7 days a week.
Support and information about eating disorders no matter where you are in your journey.
Cruse Bereavement Support 0808 808 1677 – See their website for opening times.
A space to talk about your bereavement with trained helpline volunteers.
Find a local NHS urgent mental health helpline
If you are in serious danger call 999
For a longer list of support services, please visit this page.
If you would like some ideas for places to go and things to do over the festive period you might like to download this pack, made by volunteers at Clean Break.
We wish everyone a peaceful time over the next few weeks, and look forward to welcoming our Members back in January.
Clean Break is delighted to announce two new appointments, as director and playwright Lakesha Arie-Angelo joins the company from March 2024 in the newly created role of Associate Artistic Director and award-winning actor Michelle Greenidge becomes a Patron with immediate effect.
Lakesha Arie-Angelo is a theatre director, writer, dramaturg, facilitator and, most recently, Associate Director at Soho Theatre. In her role within Soho Theatre, Lakesha co-led the Writers Lab programme and was lead programmer of theatre in the Upstairs Studio space. Her credits as a Director include The Color Purple (2022 UK tour, for Leicester Curve and Birmingham Hippodrome; Nominated for 2023 Black British Theatre Award for Best Musical Production); Sikisa-Life of the Party (Pleasance Theatre Edinburgh, Soho Theatre); Shuck ‘n’ Jive and soft animals (Soho Theatre); Summer Fest and Alive Day (The Bunker Theatre); and The Hoes (Hampstead Theatre).
As Associate Artistic Director, Lakesha will be part of Clean Break’s leadership team working closely with Artistic Director Anna Herrmann to shape and achieve the organisation’s artistic vision and strategy. As part of a new structure to ensure multiple voices at senior level, Lakesha will collaborate with our team, artists, Members, and partners to drive forward and enrich Clean Break’s voice and influence across theatre.
Actor Michelle Greenidge performed in Clean Break’s production House by Somalia Seaton (at Edinburgh Festival Fringe and The Yard Theatre, 2016) and as part of Rebel Voices On Stage (at Donmar Warehouse), a staged event launching Rebel Voices, an anthology of monologues from 40 Clean Break plays. Her stage credits also include Nine Night at the National Theatre (for which she won Best Supporting Female Actor in a Play at the inaugural Black British Theatre Awards and was nominated at The Stage Debut Awards for Best West End Debut), and debbie tucker green’s ear for eye at the Royal Court Theatre. Her television roles include Lola in Mandy (BBC) and Valerie in Afterlife (Netflix). She was recently announced by the BBC in the cast for the much-anticipated new series of Doctor Who
Lakesha Arie-Angelo: “It fills me with great pride and excitement to be joining such a respected and beloved company as Clean Break. To work alongside the executive team as Associate Artistic Director is a great new endeavour where I hope to further the important and innovative work Clean Break does. I first came to Clean Break some years ago as a volunteer, then as a facilitator on an education programme, so, to return as a creative lead within the organisation is a wonderful full circle moment. I look forward to championing the Clean Break community and creating positively impactful work and practices. Watch this space!”
Michelle Greenidge: “Clean Break has been so important to me on so many levels that to be made a Patron is not only a great honour but also a true responsibility to respect the life changing work that this incredible charity does. Working with Clean Break, on stage and through workshops at their studios and in prisons, has been an awesome and humbling experience and truly changed the course of my career.
It is through the opportunity for so many women to tell their stories, be they redemptive, cathartic, or just a damn good tale, that Clean Break has changed so many lives and been such an incredible force for good over the last 44 years and I have no doubt, for as long as it is needed and supported it will continue to do, its most incredible work. As a Patron, it goes without saying, I hope to pass on the support Clean Break has given me, as many times over as possible and to continue to raise awareness and spread the news of the superb work Clean Break does, as widely as possible.”
Anna Herrmann, Artistic Director/Joint CEO: “I am truly delighted to welcome both these brilliant women artists to Clean Break. Lakesha has been connected to the company over the years in various guises and being able to collaborate with her in this new leadership role is wonderful. I know she gets our focus on care and inclusion and brings a wealth of skills and experience that will support us making exciting new work in the future. Michelle has shown her unswerving support for the company since we first worked together in 2016. She brings her open heart to every interaction with us, and we are hugely grateful for her commitment to championing us as a Patron.”
Photo credit for Michelle Greenidge: David Reiss
Photo credit for Lakesha Arie-Angelo: Dujonna Gift
We are excited to announce that our Big Give Christmas Challenge campaign is now open. This means that until 12pm on Tuesday 5 December, you have the opportunity to double any donation made to Clean Break, at no further cost to yourself. No gift is too small to have an impact, as every £1 we receive will be doubled, sustaining our vital work.
This year, all funds we raise within the Big Give Christmas Challenge will go directly towards our industry-leading Members Programme, through which we offer a vital package of wraparound support which allows women to fully engage in our transformative programme, giving them the opportunity to rebuild their lives. This support includes provision for childcare costs, travel expenses to our women-only building, a hot meal at our workshops and more. Hear more about what this support looks like from the team and Members at Clean Break in our campaign video.
Please consider supporting Clean Break in this year’s Big Give Christmas Challenge, to allow us to continue providing a safe and transformative space for women with lived experience of the criminal justice system, or who are at risk of entering it.
GIVE TODAY AND DOUBLE YOUR DONATION
Thank you for your kind support. We look forward to sharing more with you soon.
“I can look at the world and either get drowned in it, or I can see the ocean as it is and look at the beauty and go, ok, what can I do?”
Our Blueprint for Hope, a toolkit of ideas, exercises and prompts to accompany our co-created film, Hope, is now available to download.
The document is intended to support the creative exploration of what hope means to you. It can be used individually, or as part of a group; you can choose specific exercises to do, or work through it from start to finish.
The creative team used the exercises in this Blueprint to generate ideas, conversations, images and film footage that was edited together to make Hope.
Through this process, they conceived the film as a collage, understanding hope as a tapestry of individual people, actions and experiences that are woven together into something bigger.
Now, they hope the Blueprint will enable you to think about and generate your own projects for hope. The intention is to cause a ripple effect, bringing more people along a journey of hope, because it’s not us that needs to change, it’s the world.
Blueprint for Hope is available to purchase for £5 on our Knowledge Hub, where you will also find Hope the film.
Download our Blueprint for Hope
Blueprint for Hope is free for community groups. To request a free copy, email producing@cleanbreak.org.uk
Following months of hard work, we are thrilled to launch the Knowledge Hub with the digital premiere of our new film Hope. Developed with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Digital Accelerator for Arts and Culture, this platform will be an ever-growing library of resources, information and learning experiences.
The Knowledge Hub will build on Clean Break’s decades worth of knowledge and resources in women’s theatre, activism, trauma-informed practice and criminal justice sectors. Presented in a wide range of media, there will also be opportunities to gain a deeper insight into past and up-coming productions, with interviews, behind-the-scenes films and more.
The Knowledge Hub will engage Clean Break’s three main audiences of theatre lovers, practitioners and students, and women who have experience of the criminal justice system or at risk of entering it, including Clean Break Members.
Users will be able to navigate the Hub through three core areas, which each correspond to a strand of Clean Break’s work:
Theatre, highlighting Clean Break’s productions from past and present, including exclusive access to our new film Hope.
Community, platforming our Members’ voices and providing creative wellbeing resources.
Learning, exploring our unique, trauma-informed way of working and how we make an impact
Erin Gavaghan, Clean Break Executive Director and co-CEO: “Investment in strengthening our organisation’s technological infrastructure will support our strategic ambitions. The Hub will enable us to expand our role as a leading force in the sectors we work in - sharing our practice, sparking compassion and action in our audiences, and investing in and nurturing the voices of our Members who are at the heart of Clean Break. We now have the perfect home for all the incredible content we have and plan to develop to reveal the depth of our practice and deepen understanding of the experiences of women who are marginalised in society.”
This Black History Month has been all about 'saluting our sisters'. Celebrating Black women in our community is always important, and this month our Creative Associate Titilola Dawudu sat down with Clean Break-commissioned playwright Emma Dennis-Edwards and Black women-led theatre company Nubian Co-heARTs, to talk about their craft and the meaning of sisterhood.
“It’s not us that needs to change, it’s the world.”
We are incredibly excited to announce Hope, a newly co-created film from Clean Break Members and director Kirsty Housley.
Hope is an uplifting story of personal growth and community activism, exploring what hope means for women facing adversity. Through personal stories, reflection, poetry and movement, Natasha, Carina, Michelle and Nicole navigate how to hold on to hope in times of uncertainty, and what to do when the world makes you feel there is none to be found.
This lyrical documentary offers an intimate portrait of four women pushing back against oppressive forces which threaten to squash their spirit. It invites us all to consider: where does hope come from, what sustains it during times of darkness, and how can we share it with others?
Featuring cinematography from Tracy Kiryango (BUFF Winner 2022), sound design by Elena Peña, and movement direction from Jennifer Jackson, the cast also partly self-filmed, scripted and moulded the shape of the piece, to offer their unfiltered and real voices.
Hope’s creative team conceived the film as a platform to inspire action and prompt public discussion. It will be accompanied by a toolkit of stimulus, Blueprint for Hope, used during the making of the film, that will enable a community around the film to also grow and develop their own projects for hope. Details on how to access Blueprint for Hope will follow the film’s launch.
Hope will be launched this Autumn across a number of screenings and released digitally on Clean Break’s Knowledge Hub.
Kiln Theatre, London – 30 October
Film screening launch event and celebration
Storyhouse, Chester – 4 November
Film screening and panel discussion with Carina Murray, Hope cast member and Paula Harriott, Head of Prisoner Engagement, Prison Reform Trust
Playwrights Pathway is a partnership between Clean Break and Royal Court, supporting a small group of Clean Break Members to develop their playwriting craft, working towards their first full-length play-script.
Each writer pitched an idea and across the programme these ideas have been developed into each writer’s first full-length playscript. Read our announcement of the details of these plays here.
We are excited to announce the full cast assembled for two sharings of rehearsed extracts from this body of work.
The company includes:
Catherine Cusack (Difficult Daughters/ Mix Up Mix Up)
Emily Taaffe (Difficult Daughters/swan)
Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Mix Up Mix Up/swan)
Posy Sterling (Glitz'n'Gutz)
Renu Brindle (Glitz'n'Gutz)
Sarah Kinlen (swan)
Shona Babayemi (Mix Up Mix Up)
Anna-Maria Nabirye (Mango Season)
Anna Hermann (Artistic Director, Clean Break) will direct Mix Up Mix Up and Glitz’n’Gutz, whilst Rachel Valentine Smith (Creative Associate, Clean Break) will direct Difficult Daughters, Mango Season and swan.
Tickets for the Playwrights Pathway sharings on Monday 5 and Tuesday 6 September are free to book. For further information, please visit the Royal Court website.
We’re excited to announce new details of the plays due to be shown at two Playwrights Pathway sharings on 4 and 5 September at the Royal Court Theatre.
Playwrights Pathway is a partnership between Clean Break and Royal Court, supporting a small group of Clean Break Members to develop their playwriting craft, working towards their first full-length play-script.
These events will share a series of rehearsed extracts of the following plays:
Difficult Daughters is an intergenerational story exploring three generations of women from the same family lineage, all with complex issues and needs around identity and belonging.
We look at their past and present and uncover traumas reactivated by colonial acts of violence, where over 2 million were starved and forced to sever their connection to the land. Part gig-theatre, part drama, Difficult Daughters uses traditional Irish storytelling and folk music to capture the grandmother Patty's fractured sense of self. Against the backdrop of four decades, we witness patterns of behaviours repeating themselves - until the mould breaks, bringing about change and hope.
Glitz ‘n’ Gutz follows Maria, a young woman who has just been housed in a room in a temporary accommodation shared with two other girls. We discover the breakdown of family relationships between Maria and her foster mum, Ama and her girlfriend Gina.
Following Maria on her journey of healing, reconnection, transformation and self-discovery as she tries to come to terms with the effects of a life-threatening disease - Crohn’s. The party is over and she realises she must focus on self-care and self-love.
Mango Season is about female genital mutilation (FGM) and the effects this has on a young eleven-year-old Somali girl. The play explores what womanhood means in Somalian tradition juxtaposed with what it means to our protagonist, Samira.
With the use of ancestral chorusing, an approach influenced by Ntozake Shange, Mango Season addresses the complexities of FGM and the relationship Samira has with her body, and her rejection of the traditions that are not part of her world. The trauma of Samira’s experience puts her on a different journey, far from her sheltered, privileged Chelsea upbringing.
Mix Up Mix Up is a cross generational story that takes a candid look at how systemic and cyclical failures of state, racism and trauma impact the women we meet in this play. Their emotions, belief systems, and identity are all mixed up in a world that doesn't cater to them
Maureen is a white woman trying to raise mixed-race daughters Helen and Sharon in the 1970s and 80s. The sisters are trying to find out who they are in a world that offers little support and a lot of judgement. We witness the three women reckoning with the history that refuses to let them live in the present.
With the birth of a new generation, however, seeds of hope and resolution are sewn.
swan is about three working class Irish women living in London. Lilly falls in love with Sinead. Macy, Lilly’s little sister faces displacement from her community due to gentrification. The play explores the relationships between Lilly and Sinead and how they embark on the journey into parenthood. It takes us on a journey allowing us insights into gentrification, bodily autonomy, gender expression and the challenges of love.
This programme was delivered by Rachel Valentine Smith and Titilola Dawudu, Creative Associates of Clean Break and Jade Franks from Royal Court's Open Court, with support from Dubheasa Lanipuken.
The Programme dramaturgs were Gurnesha Bola, Jade Franks, Rachel Valentine Smith and Titilola Dawudu.
Rachel Valentine Smith, Creative Associate at Clean Break says: “Working with the Writers each week to develop these brilliant stories has been a privilege. Delivering the programme with the Royal Court team has been such a rich and meaningful exchange that celebrates our organisation’s history together in a really special way.
There is no one way, no right way, no google-able way to write a play but each of the writers have approached it with incredible heart and verve. I can’t wait to share the work more widely.”
Jade Franks, Open Court Associate at The Royal Court comments: It has been an absolute pleasure to collaborate with Clean Break on the Pathways Project. It's been an incredibly successful project which is indicative of the longstanding relationship between The Royal Court and Clean Break. For me personally, working with these writers every week for almost a year has been one the highlights of my time working at The Royal Court. I have been continually inspired by and grateful to be sharing a space with the six writers as well as all those part of the Clean Break community.
Open to the public and free of charge, we hope you will join us to celebrate these imaginative stories, brought to life by the individual voices and talents of our writers.
We are incredibly proud to share that Jacqueline Stewart, Clean Break’s Head of Participation and Deputy CEO, has been awarded a companionship by Liverpool Insitute of Performing Arts (LIPA).
LIPA awards companionships for outstanding achievement and practical contribution to students' learning. Jacqueline was recognised for her work here at Clean Break, where she has held a role for two decades, joining as Support Manager in 2003, and later moving into the role of Assistant Head of Education on our previous education programme. In 2018, she became Head of Participation on our current Members Programme, taking on the additional role of Interim Deputy CEO in 2022, before being confirmed in the role from July 2023. Jacqueline is a champion for social justice and anti-racism and strives to create new opportunities to enhance women’s life chances.
She was one of nine arts and entertainment luminaries to be awarded at the annual graduation ceremony, and was presented with her award by Sir Paul McCartney, who co-founded the Institute alongside Mark Featherstone-Witty in 1996.
Other recipients of a companionship this year included Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, musician and lead singer of Led Zeppelin Robert Plant, costume designer Jenny Beavan, actor John Godber, West End performer Anna-Jane Casey, singer and former UK Eurovision representative Sonia, playwright and director John Godber, theatre producer Ashley Herman, and lighting designer Tim Routledge.
Each nominee was invited to share some words of advice to LIPA’s graduating students for their lives and careers to come.
Jacqueline said: “I am honoured to receive this companionship award - for my work to be given such recognition is truly humbling. I am so proud of this opportunity to be here today on behalf of Clean Break.
I love my job, every day brings new challenges and joy, some days more challenges than joy, some days we have to pretend there is joy. At Clean Break we use the power of the arts to create and advocate. We aim to change the narrative about women in the criminal justice system; by telling authentic compelling stories, we hope to change hearts and minds. Graduates, now you will be on your own journeys to find a role you are passionate about.
My message to you graduates is simple: be kind. Kindness is underestimated. It takes courage and humility to give and receive kindness. Kindness means holding boundaries, and that takes strength. Be kind to yourself first and foremost, self-care is so important in this industry.
A good day at work is, in fact, learning. A bad day at work is, in fact, learning. A shockingly tough day at work is you guessed it … learning. Congratulations to each and every one of you and remember: be kind.”
In her capacity as a LIPA Companion, Jacqueline was invited to offer a masterclass for students, which she delivered in May 2023. If you would like to learn more from Jacqueline, she leads our trauma-informed practice training, Leading with Kindness, alongside Clean Break’s Support Manager, Tracey Anderson.
You can also listen to Jacqueline speak further about her anti-racist work at Clean Break in this recorded conversation with Amardeep Kainth, Director of darvaja, on our Knowledge Hub.
