Preview: 8 Hours There and Back at Darlington Hipp @ The Hullabaloo

8 Hours There and Back

Hipp @ The Hullabaloo, Darlington Hippodrome 

Thursday 17th October 2024

Photo: Michael Kirkham

All Things Considered are touring their newest production ‘8 Hours There and Back’ inspired by the experiences of children who have a parent in prison.

Inspired by the real-life testimonies of children and young people who have a parent in prison and told through a fusion of theatre, dance and projections, 8 Hours There and Back examines how a system set up by adults is failing the children.

Our lives are timed around phone calls and visits that clash with our footy practice, dance classes, mate’s birthday parties, school lessons… We move house and live with our nans, granddads, aunties and uncles. We go to school and dodge looks and questions, what did they do? How long did they get? Have you seen them? We get our heads down, try to get good marks, stay out of trouble, blend in, be normal…’ 8 Hours There and Back follows the stories of Ruby, Jake and Grace as they navigate a world that they shouldn’t be in and a judicial system that has forgotten about them.

‘I mean it is like, horrible for the person that’s went away because… obviously there’s all different types of people in prison… but like… it’s the family that’s got to live with it on the outside and… the outside… is a lot bigger.’

300,000 children are impacted by parental incarceration but there is very little understanding or representation of their stories and experiences. 8 Hours There and Back is based on the testimonies of children with this lived experience and is drawn from three years of collaborative work between All Things Considered Theatre, Time Matters UK, Families Outside and Unity Theatre, Liverpool. In addition to this we are now collaborating with organisations that work with families who are impacted by parental imprisonment across the North of England, these include: NEPACS, PACT, Jigsaw, Clinks, POPs and Out There.

The government recently published updated data in July this year on the estimated number of children with a parent in prison in England and Wales. Pact CEO Andy Keen-Downs welcomed the focus on these children, emphasising the need for a child's rights-based approach to minimise harm. Pact's initiatives include supporting 97,000 prison visits across England and Wales for children and young people last year, delivering training and resources for schools, providing trauma-informed training for police officers, and offering print and online resources to help children process their emotions surrounding a loved one's imprisonment.

8 Hours There and Back is made in Partnership with Unity Theatre, Liverpool and Time Matters UK. Funded by Arts Council England and Reaching Communities National Lottery

Darlington Hippodrome and All Things Considered is collaborating with NEPACS to ensure that local families and children who are impacted by the theme of parental imprisonment see the performance.

CREATIVE TEAM

Writer: Sarah Hogarth

Director: Emma Bramley

Choreography: Adele Inglis

Sound Design: Stephen Hull

Set Design: Ellie Light

Projection Mapping Artist: Noel Jones

Lighting Designer: Charley Dunford

Tech Operator:  Beccy Hillam

Evaluator: Steph Hawke

Producer: Sonia Chapman

Cast: Cal Connor, Olivia Lamb, Rio Star

Tickets:

Venue: Hipp @ The Hullabaloo, Darlington Hippodrome

Date: Thursday 17th October 

Tickets: 01325405405 

Website: https://www.darlingtonhippodrome.co.uk/whats-on/8-Hours-There-and-Back

Running Time: 70 mins (approx)

Age recommendation: 13+ years

Content warnings: Flashing lights, criminal justice system, societal prejudices, the lived experience of children with a parent in prison