Art, theatre and the justice system: Revolving Doors members attend preview screening of new film Sing Sing
Today (30 August) sees the release of Sing Sing: a new film from leading studio A24 about the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts programme in America’s Sing Sing prison. Starring Oscar nominee Colman Domingo but also a cast actors not only with lived experience of prison but of the real prison theatre programme, the film tells a story of resilience, humanity and the potential for healing through art and performance.
Members of our lived experience team were fortunate enough to be invited along to an exclusive preview screening of Sing Sing hosted by the Criminal Justice Alliance in central London. Anthony, one attendee, shares his thoughts about why the film resonated with him, and what it represents about the role creative opportunities can play in the justice system:
I was always interested in the arts and the criminal justice system. That’s also why I really wanted to see this film, because it shows something that you didn’t see a lot of when I was in prison.
Personally, I’ve done a load of different artworks in different forms. When I was in prison I was working towards a level two art qualification, but unfortunately I didn’t get to finish it because I got transferred. Since being out of prison I’ve done a bit of filmmaking and things like that and am now studying for a degree. It’s been interesting to see how the barriers that people face in academic work are very different.
I’m aware of what we do have over here which is not too different to the Sing Sing programme. When I was doing my Silver Arts Project in prison I interviewed the Artistic Director of Synergy Theatre Company. Synergy does a lot of theatre in prison, and they would do stuff about crime outside and that kind of lifestyle. But then, once you were outside, they would do things about being in prison. They would use that as a way of informing and delivering to young people as a way of trying to divert them away from crime. And then they expanded into all different art forms.
It’s always good when you get that feeling that you can succeed in something, or you can deliver something. I liked watching that process throughout the film: of working towards delivering something, and then that sense of achievement at the end.
It was really nice to see that they had actually included people that were part of the original group. That, for me, was the biggest thing: how they used lived experience, not only for the story, but actually for the filming and the delivery of this film. I really felt that – wow – without groups from that time, the kind of projects that I’ve been involved in wouldn’t really have existed or would be set a bit further back.
The whole film just really was creative. The storyline, the fact that it used lived experience, the fact that actually the people from the original group were in the film.
What was inspiring about Sing Sing to me was that it didn’t have an entirely sad ending. It wasn’t just a gimmick project. The whole idea of that project was about teaching people alternative skills, alternative thinking, and also alternative ideas on the roles that somebody can take up in the community.
It showed how people were able to go on and actually become something. In life, you don’t always get that opportunity either when you’re in prison or when you get out.
It looked at more the emotional side of things, which is what is very different and something you don’t come across very often. It was really much more about the individuals and the emotional barriers and conflicts that they had. It shows people getting to the point of seeing and feeling remorse. That idea of that masculine toxic vibe and the violence – you don’t really see that or hear of that when prison is usually shown as a very dominant alpha male environment.
Even with groups like Synergy, most people wouldn’t get involved and would mainly look at the difficulties of being in prison as relating to the physical nature of the environment, or the risk of violence or corruption. Nobody used to have the opportunity to engage with people from the criminal justice system.
The fact that it is happening now I think is really, really important, in terms of not just exploring themes, but actually seeing people as human.
