Staging Prison Theatre in Canada Setting the Spotlight on William Head on Stage

• Main Authors: Ridha, Thana, Frigon, Sylvie
• Format: eBook
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa Les Presses de l'Université d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa Press 01.04.2025; University of Ottawa Press / Les Presses de l’Université d’Ottawa; University of Ottawa Press
• Edition: DGO - Digital original
• Subjects: Arts-Based Initiatives; Canada; Canadian Prison Arts; Community Engagement in Prisons; Crime and criminology; Criminology & Criminal Justice; Criminology and Theatre; History; Inmate Arts Programs; Penology and punishment; Performing Arts; Prison Rehabilitation; Prison theater; Prison Theatre; Prisoners; Rehabilitation through Arts; Services for; Social Impact of Theatre; SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology; Social services and welfare, criminology; Society and Social Sciences; Sociology; The Arts; Theatre in Incarceration; Theatre studies; Theatrical companies; Transformative Justice; William Head on Stage; William Head on Stage (Theater company); Canadian Prison Arts; Criminology and Theatre; Prison Rehabilitation; Prison Theatre; Rehabilitation through Arts; Theatre in Incarceration; Social Impact of Theatre; William Head on Stage; Transformative Justice; Community Engagement in Prisons; Inmate Arts Programs; Arts-Based Initiatives
• ISBN: 0776644904; 9780776644929; 0776644920; 9780776644905; 9780776644912; 0776644912
• DOI: 10.1515/9780776644936

For over forty years, William Head on Stage (WHoS) has operated as an inmate-run prison theatre, making it one of Canada’s longest-standing prison arts initiatives. Staging Prison Theatre in Canada: Setting the Spotlight on William Head on Stage delves into the story of WHoS through the voices of the men involved, offering a unique criminological perspective that situates their experiences within the prison context. The analysis explores how WHoS creates an alternative space within the social and emotional realities of incarceration. By unlocking participants’ capacities, skills, and confidence, the initiative fosters a sense of agency and community both inside the prison and beyond. WHoS becomes a space for transformation, offering men opportunities to re-imagine themselves and build meaningful connections. This work underscores the broader significance of arts-based initiatives like WHoS, not only within prisons but also in the fields of criminology, theatre, and community engagement. It offers valuable insights for correctional administrators, criminologists, theatre practitioners, scholars, students, and anyone interested in the intersection of art and rehabilitation.