The Insight Prison Project (IPP) known for its restorative justice groups such as the Victims Offenders Education Group is not normally associated with the art community at San Quentin. However, IPP has recently introduced a new group, The Artistic Ensemble.
The Artistic Ensemble centers on performance art and writing. Tristan Jones, 30, has been a member since its inception in July of this year.
Incarcerated since 2004, Jones arrived at San Quentin in late 2011. Soon thereafter, he discovered a hidden talent for acting and joined the Shakespeare group.
“Acting allows me to let loose, be completely free of judgment, and be in the moment,” Jones said, adding that he needed this outlet to help him on his journey to healing himself.
“Method acting,” Jones said, “has helped me to recognize and feel emotion by stepping into someone else’s shoes… I experience an emotional release on stage because I’m going through this intense experience where adrenaline is flowing and everything is heightened.”
Jones gets to express his creative side with The Artistic Ensemble on Tuesday nights from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. The group practices acting, dance, music, vocal warm-ups, writing, and poetry.
“Anywhere else in the world I would feel insane doing some of the things I do, but in that room there is no judgment or restraints that I feel in everyday life,” said Jones.
The group often incorporates current news events into their work. A recent example of this was the Trayvon Martin case.
“We used the Martin case to inspire our poetry, music, prose, and stories,” Jones said.
The content promotes healing by creating a dialogue about stories that affect everyone, he explained. “Sometimes we take someone else’s work and reflect upon the topic and how we’ve experienced the world in this context.”
Through these methods, Jones noticed he has really started to reconnect with his childhood.
Inspired by his acting opportunities at San Quentin, Jones hopes to pursue a drama career upon his release. He plans to enter an acting program at San Francisco State University through Project Rebound.
For now, Jones is thankful for the program and looks forward to the continued development of the class.
“It is a place where art is created by simply allowing a space for us to express ourselves,” he said.