Unlock Drama’s rehabilitation projects harness the immersive power of theatre to drive personal growth, increase awareness, and support positive rehabilitation cultures across the prison estate. Delivered over an intensive four to four-and-a-half day model, our programmes address key criminogenic needs while developing essential interpersonal, cognitive, pro-social skills, and victim awareness.

Through drama-based exploration, participants confront dominant concerns within the prison environment such as substance misuse, violence reduction, mental health awareness, debt, and family ties. Our projects enable a safe, creative space where individuals can examine personal triggers, the consequences of actions, victim impact, restorative justice approaches, and the development of consequential thinking.

Participants engage in progressively challenging activities — from team-building and improvisation, to role-play and co-creating issue-based plays — giving them the tools to critically reflect on behaviour, build empathy, strengthen pro-social attitudes, and develop skills that support engagement with Offender Management Units (OMU) and broader rehabilitation planning.

Each project culminates in a final performance, where participants share their lived experiences and learning with a wider audience of prisoners and staff. These peer-led performances spread awareness, open conversations, and provoke change within the wider prison community — using theatre’s unique immersive power to create a ripple effect of rehabilitation beyond the individual participants.

Unlock Drama’s rehabilitation projects are tailored to the needs of each establishment, supporting purposeful activity targets, enhancing engagement with hard-to-reach participants, and contributing to the wider aim of reducing reoffending. Our work actively supports the Reducing Reoffending Pathways by building pro-social behaviours, increasing victim awareness, and promoting lasting personal change.