Only Connect is an arts company working with prisoners, ex-offenders and young people at risk of crime. Since our foundation in 2006 we have worked with over 300 prisoners and ex-offenders and over 5,000 young people. We have around 40 active members - ex-offenders working with us to sort their own lives out and to stop young people going down the same road they did.

Vision

OC’s vision is of prisoners and ex-offenders being restored and valued for their talents and purpose. We see former criminals putting crime behind them, looking after their families, and working to fight crime in the next generation. They move from being net takers to net givers - contributing more to society than they have cost.

Mission

OC's mission is to use the arts to reach prisoners and ex-offenders, to provide practical support for personal development, and to involve them in a positive community of members who are committed to helping each other and young people at risk of crime.

Read more about our work in What we do.

Who we are

OC was founded by Emma and Danny Kruger. Emma is a trained drama teacher with 10 years experience in schools, pupil referral units and prisons. In 2004-5 she was the London director of RaW (Read and Write), the BBC's nationwide literacy project. Danny is a former policy adviser, speechwriter and journalist.

OC's trustees are David Christie, former manager of Stepping Stones Housing; James Deacon, a probation officer with London Probation; Ruth Field, a criminal barrister; Stuart Lees, vicar of Christ Church Fulham, and Charlotte Rendle, deputy governor of HMP Wormwood Scrubs.

OC's Patrons are Miko Giedroyc, former head of equity research at Deutsche Bank and co-founder of New Philanthropy Capital; Robert Fellowes, former private secretary to HM The Queen and former chairman of the Prison Reform Trust; and Indira Varma, an actress with recent leading roles at the Royal Court, the Donmar Warehouse and the National Theatre.