Health in Justice
Unlock Drama CIC is proud to contribute to Health in Justice initiatives across the prison estate, working alongside healthcare providers, mental health services, and substance misuse teams to enhance wellbeing through theatre. We partner with organisations such as Practice Plus Group, NHS England, Oxleas NHS, and Change Grow Live, delivering creative, therapeutic interventions that reduce health inequalities, ease staff pressures, and support rehabilitation culture within custody.
Our theatre-based programmes promote emotional resilience, confidence, connection, and recovery — providing purposeful activity that improves mental health, boosts social skills, and empowers participants to build positive futures during their time in prison and beyond.
Mental health awareness
Unlock Drama’s mental health-focused projects harness the power of theatre to create meaningful change for individuals across the prison estate. Delivered through an intensive four to four-and-a-half day model, our programmes support participants in developing emotional resilience, interpersonal skills, and self-confidence within a safe, creative space.
Our theatre-based approach enables participants to explore personal experiences with mental health in a supportive, peer-led environment. Through drama techniques such as improvisation, storytelling, and collaborative performance, individuals reflect on emotions, recovery journeys, and coping strategies — helping to normalise conversations around mental health and reduce stigma within custody.
Each project culminates in a peer-led final performance, opening conversations around mental health, challenging misconceptions, and fostering greater empathy across the wider prison community.
Unlock Drama works closely with prison healthcare teams to complement existing mental health support services, providing structured purposeful activity that supports wellbeing, engagement, and rehabilitation.
Substance Misuse Recovery
Unlock Drama has been pivotal in addressing substance misuse through immersive theatre projects across the prison estate. Our workshops confront the realities of substance misuse, exploring triggers, consequences, and the impact on self and community through powerful, participant-driven storytelling.
Delivered through an intensive theatre model, participants develop essential life skills such as communication, teamwork, empathy, and emotional regulation — key foundations for recovery and rehabilitation in custody.
We collaborate closely with prison healthcare providers and Substance Misuse Teams to offer creative recovery services that alleviate staff pressures and provide impactful, holistic support. Our projects inspire hope, self-belief, and motivation for change, aiding rehabilitation and supporting efforts to reduce reoffending through sustained recovery journeys.
Social Prescribing Projects
Unlock Drama’s social prescribing projects use Applied Theatre to enhance wellbeing, tackle loneliness, and promote positive engagement within custody. Designed to support individuals struggling with anxiety, depression, or social isolation, our programmes offer a creative outlet for emotional expression and personal development.
Through activities such as improvisation, character building, and storytelling, participants build confidence, resilience, and interpersonal skills — key drivers of mental health recovery and successful rehabilitation.
Our work complements traditional prison healthcare pathways, delivering interventions that improve mood, foster social connection, and enhance motivation for personal change. Participant feedback consistently highlights increased positivity, patience, understanding, and a strengthened sense of belonging through Unlock Drama’s creative programmes.
Helpful links:
Change Grow Live | Charity | We can help you change your life
Interested in Health in Justice projects at your prison?
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