Spaghetti Justice is our new dance-in-education project. The project explores the principles and practice of the Restorative Justice approach which is being used extensively as a behaviour management strategy in schools and the youth justice system. The project, which combines performances, residencies, workshops and teacher training, was originally commissioned by Street and Glastonbury Community Learning Partnership and developed in partnership with the Somerset Youth Offending Team, the Somerset Restorative Justice in Schools Team and the Bath and Wells Diocese.

Spaghetti Justice is available to schools and can be tailored to meet your needs - you can book live dance performances and workshops with dancers specifically trained in the approach. We also offer INSET training and a teaching pack to help teachers find creative ways to explore Restorative Justice (hereafter RJ)with children and young people. Contact us for details and prices.

RJ has its roots in the Native American talking stick tradition and has communication at its heart. The approach differs to the more common Retributive system which focuses on who is guilty of what and how we punish them for what they have done. Instead, RJ centres on identifying the harm that has been done in a situation, who is responsible for that harm and what needs to be done to put things right. The approach uses facilitated RJ Conferences to explore the needs and obligations of both victims and wrong-doers and encourage them to work together to make positive changes.

Viv Gordon, Artistic Director and Choreographer, has created a fun and dynamic dance piece set in a Saloon Bar in the Wild West. The choreography combines contemporary dance with hip hop, salsa, break dancing and physical theatre and is performed by 3 professional dance artists. Spaghetti Justice tells the story of 3 lonely characters: Miss Trixiebelle, the exhausted but businesslike owner of the saloon bar; Billy Boy, her loyal but goofy friend; and Johnny Diamond, the alluring stranger from out of town. As the dance develops, their relationships become strained and things turn nasty, culminating in an exciting bar room brawl. The dance concludes with the characters using the RJ approach, taking responsibility for their actions and putting things right together.

We present the performance alongside a short introduction to RJ and follow it with an interactive Q&A session. Chris Fogg, previous Director of Dance at Take Art said "It was a delightfully enjoyable performance; it raised and tackled the issues of RJ accessibly, appropriately, and entertainingly. The Q&A session afterwards, was exemplary."

So far over 5000 young people have enjoyed the performances and over 500 have taken part in workshops relating to the project. 100% of participants report increased awareness and knowledge of RJ principles and concepts. We have also found improvements in self confidence, attendance and enjoyment of dance.