In October,  we ran a song writing outreach with nine women prisoners from HMP Downview.
Facilitated by tutors Sam Chaplin, Birgitta Kenyon and Dominic Stitchbury, alumni Jo and students Nandi and Theo, the women produced new and meaningful songs through partnership between the two groups. Having written eleven new songs, the students and prisoners performed to an audience which included other prisoners and governors from HMP Downview. The songs were recorded and made into a CD which the women are given to send to a loved one.
The project was a huge success with feedback from one of the Governors saying “it was one of the best events he had attended in twenty years” and one prisoner wrote “the three Orpheus students we met have got to be three of the most inspirational people. I thought we would help them but I have never been so wrong. They helped me in ways they would never even know. Being around the students made me reflect on a lot of things. They were always so positive to be around and always a complete joy.” 
Orpheus student Nandi said of her experience “I learnt that when I’m in a group I’m a lot more confident and the experience helped me let go of the expectations of what prison was actually like. At the end, we had such a good bond and were really friendly. There were no negative experiences”

Orpheus Centre HMP Downview Outreach

The Littlest Things

The Orpheus Centre is an independent specialist college in Surrey that focuses on developing independence skills through performing and visual arts and makes dramatic improvements to young disabled adults’ lives.