top of page

AMBASSADOR SCHEME

Launched in 2023 in HMP Liverpool, our innovative Ambassador Scheme builds on our longstanding track record delivering community singing workshops in prisons by placing the voices of people in prison at the heart of programme design and delivery.

2 (6)-min.jpg

Through this Scheme, generously funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, we work closely with prison partners and people in prison to identify 'Ambassadors': residents who want to help organise, promote and shape singing workshops to ensure they meet the needs of the prison community at the time.

IMG_0438.JPG

Over the course of the 6 month project pilot in HMP Liverpool, we worked with 7 Ambassadors. We met them regularly in advance of visits to choose music, discuss an approach to publicising the opportunity, and to explore how we could develop Sing Inside's reputation within the prison community. Ambassadors developed a range of skills and worked closely with the charity, building trusting working relationships and developing enjoyable, accessible musical opportunities for their peers inside prison - and over the course of the programme we worked with 56 prison residents.

Ambassadors worked on a number of publicity projects to increase engagement from the wider prison community, including:

​

  • Creating Powerpoint presentations for WayOut TV to share the information directly to people’s cells in advance of workshops

  • Asking Sing Inside representatives to record advert content to share on the internal prison radio loop to publicise the opportunity

  • Choosing songs to learn in line with the approved prison radio song catalogue, to enable participants to promote the workshop by playing the songs on the radio

  • Distributing flyers, posters and reminder notes directly under cell doors and via the Education department

  • Advising on wording for posters and flyers to ensure instructions around registering were clear

  • Requesting check-in points via Teams to check they were circulating materials correctly

  • Bringing their own material to workshops to create unique musical experiences, such as rap, spoken word and poetry

​

We're currently seeking to continue rolling out the programme in other sites. If you work in a prison and think the people you work with would benefit from continuous engagement with Sing Inside, please get in touch on info@singinside.org.

IMPACT

Feedback from HMP Liverpool residents who engaged with the Ambassador's Scheme included:

​

“This was a great day, actually made me feel human (not a prisoner)”

“I enjoyed working in a group, I feel like this has improved my confidence and it has let me associate with other prisoners that I wouldn’t do normally.”
“I sang in a Welsh male choir and being part of this has made me feel like I was back home.”
“I really enjoyed being part of a team and learning about different types of music, I think it is a brilliant idea to share these types of activities to people who wouldn’t normally have access to them.”

 

If you would like to read the full pilot impact report for the project, you can request it from info@singinside.org. 
 

bottom of page