History
The Hunters Down to Earth
The History
This ministry grew out of a pilot project that was undertaken by Little
Trinity Anglican Church, in Toronto, from 1987 - 89. The main focus at that
time was to use Drama in Educational Settings as a means of presenting and
discussing spiritual issues.
In addition many individual churches in Ontario and beyond drew upon our experience to start Drama Groups in their own Churches. Parachurch organizations, such as The Yonge Street Mission in Toronto, invited us to come and share our gifts amongst those whom they worked. We gave a presentation The Eaton Centre, Toronto, portraying "The Real Meaning of Christmas", in drama and song, followed by an Easter presentation. During this time we began a work with drug-rehabilitation facilities, prisons, street persons and community-based theatre.
• At the end of the 2-year contract with Little Trinity, we had to decide whether to remain in Canada or to return to the UK. We decided to stay and to establish "The Hunters Down To Earth".
From 1989 until 1995, we were under the umbrella of IMAGO, a registered charity specifically set up by its founder, Wilber Sutherland, to assist people working in the arts to achieve their own registered charitable status. We ourselves achieved Charitable status in 1995.
Since that time we have been focussing on our work in Federal and Provincial Institutions.
Development of the work in Correctional Institutions
Initially, we were invited to participate in Sunday services in the Prison
Chapel at Kingston Pen, where we would perform our dramatic pieces. However,
it gradually became clear that this was simply underlining the "Us"
and "Them" attitude which seems ingrained in the inmates' perception
of reality, e.g. guards/inmates: society/offenders; and performers / audience.
They therefore requested us to conduct drama workshops, where we enabled
and facilitated the inmates to create their own short plays. This proved
so successful that we created an individual program for every institution
that we visited.
We hope to draw those in attendance, (through the use of drama, storytelling and interactive workshops), into active participation and a new openness to transformation and healing as the story/play/workshop unfolds.
Joy's training as an Individual, Marriage and Family Therapist has played a crucial role in developing these programs, incorporating Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Narrative Therapy in the workshops.
Drama Workshops
These workshops, though not uniform, generally include exercises that seek
to challenge the thinking used by offenders to support their actions. This
may be done, for example, by examining group member's value systems or more
specifically, the way they justify their crimes or minimize the impact of
their behaviour on victims.
Workshops of this nature concentrate on empathy for the victim, correcting errors in thinking and making good choices. Overall, the focus is placed firmly with the offender, who may start to think differently, understanding his/her thoughts and develop the complementary skills in order to avoid re-offending.
Through our training in the UK, We are also able to incorporate in their workshops many of the techniques of Dramatherapy, Psychodrama and The Theatre of the Oppressed.
• We have visited the following institutions-
• Kingston Maximum Security Penitentiary,ON
• Bath Institution,ON
• Warkworth Institution, ON
• Fenbrook Institution, ON
• Beaver Creek Institution, ON
• Grand Valley Institution for Women, ON
• Mimico Correctional Centre, ON
• Juvenile Detention Centre in Cobourg, Ontario,ON
• Dorchester Institution,NB
• William Head Institution, BC
• Mountain Institution, BC
• Kent Institution, BC