Give Sorrow Words
Themes such as guilt, grief, mercy and hope are explored in this course through the vehicle of literature, particularly Shakespeare. Groups of men in prison learn to reflect upon and express experiences and emotions through discussion and language analysis, culminating in a final showcase performance.
I was inspired by the therapeutic possibilities of language analysis, especially working with Shakespeare and this led me to San Quentin prison, California, where I partook in the Shakespeare for Social Justice training programme; upon my return, I was awarded mentorship under the National Alliance for Arts in Criminal Justice. I gathered together the many extracts from my volunteering days, categorised the literature into seven themes, and formed the Give Sorrow Words curriculum.
I currently run the course in HMP Thameside, with groups of up to twenty men. If you are interested in attending a showcase or want to know more, please do get in touch below.