Sweatbox

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Synopsis: Sweatbox invites you to enter the back of a prison van in which three women share their stories of arrival and anticipation as they are transported from court to prison, from prison to prison, from prison to court. Created with and performed by women with lived experience of the criminal justice system, Sweatbox tells a story of motherhood, friendship and loss.

About the Filmmaker: For over 40 years Clean Break theatre company has been using theatre to keep the subject of women in prison on the cultural radar, helping to reveal the damage caused by the failures of the criminal justice system. Through their unique work, they raise difficult questions, inspire debate, and help to effect profound and positive change in the lives of women with experience of the criminal justice system. In 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, they had to cancel a national tour of Sweatbox but decided to extend the legacy of the play via a film adaptation, which can continue to tell the stories of marginalised women and keep the conversation about their experiences alive.