Staging Prison Theatre in Canada
Setting the Spotlight on William Head on Stage
- Publisher
- Les Presses de l'Université d'Ottawa/University of Ottawa Press
- Initial publish date
- May 2025
- Category
- Criminology, General
-
Paperback / softback
- ISBN
- 9780776644905
- Publish Date
- May 2025
- List Price
- $39.95
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Where to buy it
Recommended Age, Grade, and Reading Levels
- Age: 15 to 18
- Grade: 10 to 12
Description
Operating as an inmate-run prison theatre for over 40 years, William Head on Stage (WHoS) is one of Canada's longstanding prison theatre initiatives.
Staging Prison Theatre in Canada: Setting the Spotlight on William Head on Stage tells the story of (WHoS) through the voices of the men involved with the initiative while offering a unique criminological perspective that considers the prison backdrop.
Through the examination of the men’s experiences and the application of relevant theorization on imprisonment, this book highlights how WHoS offers an alternative space to the social and emotional prison context. Resonating throughout the analysis of the men’s experiences, we highlight the capacity of WHoS to foster community both within the prison and on the outside and explore the ways in which WHoS unlocks the participants’ capacities, skills, and confidence in themselves. It sheds light on the ways WHoS offers opportunities for the men to re-imagine themselves and express their sense of agency. In turn, the narratives and themes presented throughout this book anchor the significance and relevance of arts-based initiatives, like WHoS, not only in the prison setting, but also in the broader criminological literature.
By highlighting the experiences of the men with WHoS, this book serves as a connecting point that resonates with everyone—correctional administrators, criminologists, artists and theatre practitioners, scholars, students, and even those incarcerated.
About the authors
Sylvie Frigon est professeure titulaire au Département de criminologie de l’Université d’Ottawa, où elle est titulaire de la Chaire facultaire « La prison dans la culture, la culture dans la prison ». Mme Frigon a été directrice artistique du projet d’écriture en milieu carcéral de l’Association des auteures et auteurs de l’Ontario français (AAOF). Elle a été consultante auprès du Royal New Zealand Ballet en 2018 et poursuivra ce partenariat. Présentement, elle contribue à un nouveau projet de danse en prison avec les hommes, avec la chorégraphe parisienne, Claire Jenny.
