Trauma-informed practice in arts and culture

Clean Break was founded in 1979 by two pioneering women imprisoned at HMP Askham Grange. It has grown over four decades into a professional theatre company, using theatre to transform the lives of women with experience of the criminal justice system, or who are at risk. We do this through our life-changing theatre programmes, in prisons and in the community.

As a producing company, we use art to shed light on the experiences of criminalised women. We give audiences new ways to think about women and criminalisation and call for change in and beyond the criminal justice system.

Our approach to commissioning and producing plays has been recognised for its uniquely sensitive and impactful way of telling women’s stories. We work with progressive women writers, often over a period of years, and their understanding of the issues deepens over time.

Narratives aren’t extracted from women who attend our programmes, they are built from playwrights’ experiences at Clean Break. Some come with their own lived experiences, which they may choose to weave into their work. The result is authentic theatre, without the collateral damage that often comes when trauma is ‘mined’.

Becoming trauma informed

Becoming trauma informed is a journey I have led for the past 22 years at Clean Break. Seeing the world through the lens of women who have endured oppressive systems, particularly imprisonment, shapes the fabric of this organisation.

From the workshop in a prison, to the dramaturgical process with a writer, to the rehearsal room and stage, the principles of trauma-informed practice run through every aspect. Even our building is trauma-informed by design, and our in-house support team are experts in trauma-informed care.

These decades of experience uniquely place us to support other organisations to develop their own practice. Leading with Kindness is our trauma-informed training workshop which I deliver to the sector alongside our support manager Tracey Anderson and a cohort of member artist facilitators.

What started as an offer to theatre venues we co-produced with, has grown into a key part of our work, taking us to arts and culture organisations across the country and beyond.

Putting assumptions to the test

In talking to many organisations about trauma-informed practice, it’s clear the sector sees this work as a valuable part of the ongoing mission to reach ever more diverse audiences.

But what’s also clear is we have a way to go before we can confidently say our sector is fully equipped to support audiences and workers and hold the complex emotional responses that arise.

We wanted to put our assumptions to the test so we surveyed 50 arts and culture organisations nationwide, of varying sizes and disciplines, about their understanding and approaches to trauma-informed practice. Here is a snapshot of what we found.

Trauma-informed practice is everyone’s responsibility, but not everyone is equipped to take it on

95% of organisations agreed trauma-informed practice training is needed in the sector, and nearly all organisations recognise the responsibility for learning these skills should be shared. Very few organisations are confident their staff are well equipped.

Most approaches to training are ad hoc so staff have to be proactive if they want to learn about trauma-informed practice, rather than it being embedded in company culture. Generally, the responsibility falls to public-facing roles.

For larger organisations with more resource, trauma-informed practice is still lacking in professional development strategies – even when inclusion and wellbeing are key goals.

Even in financially unstable times, organisations aren’t willing to compromise on quality of training

Cost is a barrier to equipping teams with the principles of trauma-informed practice for most organisations. Having sector-specific training, and facilitators with lived experience, remain priorities. Organisations care not only about what they learn, but who they are learning from.

Arts and culture venues were not designed to meet everyone’s needs

Building the principles of trauma-informed design into our physical spaces is a challenge due to venues being located in heritage sites, touring companies having little control over set-ups, and organisations being limited when sharing rented spaces.

Content notices are great, but there’s more we can do

Content notices and self-care guides have been an issue of contention in the media, and among our own industry ranks. But most companies are using them – and the sky hasn’t fallen in.

Organisations taking such steps to support audiences are a great sign but the appetite for more training and support shows that, while these resources are important, they’re not enough on their own.

The sector is divided over what they think trauma-informed practice is

Educating yourself in the principles of trauma-informed practice doesn’t have to be retraumatising. When the space is properly held and contained, training can be creative, liberating and even joyful.

We asked organisations if such learning would be burdensome or heavy; responses answers were split down the middle. What it means to be trauma-informed seems shrouded in mystery – the sector can’t make up its mind.

So, Clean Break’s mission to make the sector a standard-bearer for trauma-informed practice continues. Thanks to the organisations who shared their views, we have deepened our understanding of what the sector needs and are expanding ways to share our expertise. We are currently developing an offer which will give organisations the opportunity to work closely with us and receive wraparound support to build a sustainable and meaningful trauma-informed practice.

We look forward to connecting with more organisations over the coming months and keeping these conversations going. Talking about how trauma impacts our everyday lives and the ways we can show up for each other is now more important than ever. If you work in the arts and culture sector and are interested in learning how Clean Break can support you, please get in touch – we’d love to hear from you.