Theatre ADAD

drugs and
substance abuse

relationships and
domestic violence

knife crime

teenage pregnancy
and sexual health

consequences of
offending

skills for independent living

restorative
justice

bullying and emotional literacy

primary to
secondary
transition

alcohol misuse

exploring diversity and community cohesion

FACE TO FACE
Restorative Justice

Face to Face was launched in 2002 and was commissioned by the Thames Valley Partnership, who were keen to raise an awareness of the principles of Restorative Practices.

Target Audience

Face to Face was originally created for Prisons and YOI's and those on probation, but since then has been successful with audiences in Mainstream Education, Pupil Referral Units, at Conference and Training events and for community audiences.

Objectives

- To show how Restorative Practice works, who it serves and what it seeks to achieve.

- To look at how a Restorative Justice Conference works.

- To show what impact Restorative Justice can have on those taking part and the feelings and emotions it can stimulate.

- To ask the audience to place themselves and their own circumstances (as victim or offender) into a Restorative setting and mentally go through the process required.

- To invite the audience to discuss, explore and question the Restorative experience.

The play

The play begins with two burglars, ransacking a house. The next time we see them, time has passed and it is clear they have been caught and are serving custodial sentences for a series of burglaries. Si appears to have been soul searching and has made an approach through his probation officer to meet one of his victims. His friend, Ricky, thinking it is an 'easy option', agrees to go along. The play follows the process of liaison with the victim and offenders that leads up to the conference and then the conference itself.

When Si and Ricky meet their victim Jane, they get more than they bargained for as they put a face to their victim and begin to understand the effect they have had on her and her autistic brother. For Jane, there are questions that she wants answered and she begins to put some of her ghosts to rest.

The workshop

The workshop is an interactive way of exploring the process of Restorative Justice and inviting people to explore and comment on restorative practices. The audience is able to meet the characters from the play and explore what they may have got from the experience. Was Si genuine in his remorse? Did Ricky change as a result of meeting Jane? Focus is then placed on the victim. What exactly did Jane get from the experience and how might she be feeling? Questions are posed to the audience about sustainabililty, assuming there has been a move forward for all those involved, is that an end to it? What else might Ricky and Si do in order to make amends? And will Ricky and Si remember this meeting when they have been released and are tempted back into crime?

Time permitting, audience members are invited to create a 'hypothetical' crime and take on the roles of characters that may be involved in a Restorative Conference as a result of crime.

For more information about Restorative Justice in the UK go to:
www.restorativejustice.org.uk