Tools
ToolsBartley, Sarah (2026) Breaching the Record: Rideout and the Complexities of Archiving Performance in the Criminal Justice System. Theatre Survey, 67 (2). (In Press)
Abstract
How do we hold the histories of arts and criminal justice practices that happen in sites of imprisonment and detention? This article examines the urgent need to document and critically engage with performance practices in prisons, where performance is both ephemeral and rarely seen beyond the prison walls. Amid a deepening crisis in the prison system in England and Wales, the potential loss of arts and criminal justice histories (and presents) has become increasingly pressing. This article centres on the development of the Rideout Archive, which documents the work of Rideout (Creative Arts for Rehabilitation), a pioneering theatre company making work in criminal justice contexts since 1999. I interrogate the ethical and political complexities of archiving such practice, engaging with theories of carceral archives to argue that artistic traces can challenge dominant state narratives by foregrounding systemic harm. Further, I explore how prison boundaries shape archival form and meaning, and how these materials destabilise notions of authenticity and evidence. Introducing the concept of breaching, I propose new critical and practical strategies for archiving arts in criminal justice (and more broadly, socially engaged performance) advocating for collections that expand, disrupt, and reimagine official histories.
![[thumbnail of Breaching the Record. Article Revised Submission. Jan 2026. Clean..docx]](https://repository.cssd.ac.uk/style/images/fileicons/application_msword.png "Breaching the Record. Article Revised Submission. Jan 2026. Clean..docx")
Download
Accepted Version - Microsoft Word (Breaching the Record. Article Revised Submission. Jan 2026. Clean..docx)
- Restricted to Registered users only
- Request a copy
Export and Share
