The Arts in Prison:
Philanthropic Models
HMP Everthorpe Cat C
Resettlement & HMP Full Sutton
Cat A High Security Prisons
Why Arts in Prison?
• Increases Rehabilitation capital ‘whole person recovery’:
Social (relationships), Human (individuals’ skills and
aspirations) and Cultural (beliefs, attitudes and
behaviour of society)
• Develops skills : personal, behavioural, social,
employability, citizenship
• Engages hard to reach
• Reduces risk of reoffending across 5 Pathways: ETE,
Children & Families, Health, Attitudes, Thinking &
Behaviour, Drugs & Alcohol
• Puts something back in to community - restorative justice
What Arts?
• Visual – Fine Arts: drawing, painting,
sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts,
photography, video, filmmaking,
architecture, ceramics
• Literary – poetry, novels, short stories
• Performing – music, dance, theatre, film
• Applied – industrial design, graphic
design, fashion design, interior design,
decorative arts : functional objects
The Philanthropy Angle
‘Love of humanity’ – caring for, nourishing, developing
and enhancing what it is to be human on both the
benefactors’ (by identifying and exercising their values in
giving and volunteering) and beneficiaries’ parts (by
benefitting)
• ‘Private initiatives for public good focusing on quality of
life’
• Humans completing their own creation through
education (self development) and culture (civic
development) expressed in good works benefitting
others
•
Arts Philanthropy in Action
• Case Study 1: HMP
Everthorpe ‘Save a
life, Drop the Knife’
Garden Project
•
•
•

What & why
Partnerships
Outcomes
Awareness: 2011 RHS
Tatton Park Gold Medal &
Best in Show
 Restorative justice &
Civic Development: Craven
Park Hull Kingston Rovers
Rugby Stadium Grounds
Entrance
Employability
Case Study 2 – Steve Ellis, full circle
• HMP Everthorpe 2007-9 studied Art & Design GCSE &
L3 ‘It was a way out for me …it helped me beat my
heroin addiction’
• Release: Leeds College – 2 yr course Fine Art
• Currently studying BA Fine Art, Leeds University
• Works for DISC (developing Initiatives Supporting Local
Communities) – Service User Rep
• Peer Mentor Leeds Community Drugs Partnership – runs
weekly art group for substance users in recovery
• Ran offender workshop in HMP Everthorpe
• Worked on Knife Garden Hull
• Venice Biennale
• Butler Trust Award 2013
Case Study 3 HMP Everthorpe
OLASS Art Dept & Partnerships
• Custody: Murals, Sale of Art Work to staff for
charity, Sculpture
• Inside/Out: Venice Biennale Bid - Art
Workshops with Jeremy Deller Turner Prize
Winning Artist, Set designs for Hull Savoyard &
Castaway Theatre Groups
• Community Awareness: Exhibitions of
Offender Art Yorkshire Cultural Road Show,
Artlink Gallery Hull, Venice Biennale
Case Study 4 Examples of Arts
Partnerships at HMP Full Sutton
• Creative Writing – Writer in Residence, Prison Reading
Group, Stories Connect, Storybook Dads, English Pen
Visiting Speakers, ‘Full On’ magazine, ARC Drug
Treatment Programme
• Design: Murals, Fine Cell Work, Red or Dead Textiles
Production, Design & Fashion Show,
• Art: Family Days Hull Adult Ed Family Learning, Inside
Art Exhibition Pocklington, Mental Health Therapeutic Art
• Performing Arts: Music in Prisons, Rock School, Vocal
Force Singing Workshops,
• Film, TV & Audio: Dominic West & The Wire in Cell TV
Channel Project, Audio drama, York Careers Service
Digital Media Project
• Drama: Visiting tutors & workshops e.g. London
Shakespeare Workout, WIR accredited & non-accredited
Lessons learnt and future
• Evidenced - research, outcomes
• Understood & valued - custody (staff and
offenders) & community
• Strategic - core & commissioned (not add
on/nice to have if can afford)
• Sustainable - human and financial
resources (off the shelf and bespoke
programmes/provision)