We are pleased to announce a new commission with multiple award winning Irish theatre company, Brokentalkers, to explore the provision of health care in prison in Ireland.

The company will work in partnership with Mountjoy Prison, and PACE, a community based re-integration programme, to create this exciting new production.

Brokentalkers have extensive experience working with a range of communities in the participatory arts sector. They devise accessible socially relevant theatre that responds to contemporary issues. For example, their award-winning [1] production The Blue Boy deals with the experiences of men and women who were incarcerated as children in Catholic residential care institutions.

Brokentalkers will work directly with historical archival material, and research produced by UCD researchers to inform the new production. As well as this, they will collaborate with people currently in prison and those nearing the end of their sentence on day release, to capture their authentic voices to co-write material for the production. Interviews will be carried out with various professionals working in the criminal justice area to inform the work. These voices will be juxtaposed with the historical material to produce a unique theatrical narrative exploring healthcare provision in Irish prisons over time.

We are excited to be working with them on this project!

[1] Winner: Grand Prix Award, Kontakt International Theatre Festival Poland

Image Credit: The Blue Boy, Brokentalkers