Annual Koestler Trust awards scheme supported by Scottish Prison Service for helping build better futures
HM Prison Dumfries
Silver Award for Painting
Art by inmates from Dumfries is included in a new exhibition of work from Scottish prisons, secure hospitals, secure children’s homes and the community justice services.
The acclaimed author Jenni Fagan curated the exhibition, which is called Narrative and takes place at Tramway in Glasgow from tomorrow (10 November) to 22 December.
HM Prison Dumfries
John Oates Bronze Award for Painting
It features around 180 pieces from the more than 1,130 Scottish entries to the annual Koestler Awards – a charitable scheme that recognises artistic achievement in the criminal justice and secure sectors.
Narrative includes accomplished artwork by adults and young people from dozens of categories including paintings, sculpture, needlecraft, nail art, printmaking, woodcraft, audio, animation and writing.
Sally Taylor, Chief Executive of the awards organisers Koestler Trust, said: “The quality of work has been excellent and Jenni’s curation has produced a fascinating and moving exhibition.
“It includes some impressive pieces from Dumfries which show the talent of the artists and the high standards of work they can achieve.
“There were many other entries from Dumfries and while not all of them can be included in the exhibition, we would like to thank everyone who entered, and all those who have been working with them to develop their skills, for their tremendous work.”
The success of the awards scheme is possible thanks to the close relationship between the trust, the Scottish Prison Service and other partners.
James King, Head of Offender Learning, Scottish Prison Service, said: “The Scottish Prison Service is once again delighted to participate and support the arts in custody awards by the Koestler Trust.
“The quality of entries from Dumfries, and the rest of Scotland, has been hugely impressive and underlines the artistic talent of some of the people in our care.
“Each year the competition provides a positive channel for their energies, giving them the chance to develop their skills and earn recognition for their achievements.
“The range and depth of the work submitted bears testimony to the hopes of our population in embracing new ways of being and their aspirations for a better future.
“The work also reflects the often unacknowledged efforts of dedicated staff and education partners in teaching, advising, motivating and making manifest the embryonic ideas and future ambitions of our learners.
“We would like to thank the Koestler Trust and Creative Scotland for supporting this year’s display at the Tramway which will undoubtedly generate much interest and praise.”
The project is supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland, with additional support from the Robertson Trust.
Jenni Fagan said: “Some of the work is phenomenal, this will be a really compelling exhibition. The chance to practice art should be available to everyone in the prison system, it can be a vital part of their rehabilitation.
“The exhibition will get people to think beyond their ideas of who prisoners are. Narrative will present them with work of real creativity and brilliance.”
Jenni Fagan’s 2012 debut novel Panopticon, which is currently being turned into a feature film, is about a female young offender living in a young person’s unit. She was also shortlisted for the BBC National Short Story Award 2017.
The Koestler Awards receive thousands of entries from across the UK. Entries from Scottish establishments have increased rapidly since the first Koestler Scotland exhibition in 2009 with Filmhouse, Edinburgh and through an ongoing partnership with Tramway, Glasgow.
The exhibition is part of Freedom in Expression, a festival presented by the Koestler Trust to celebrate the arts within criminal justice and secure settings.
Holly Rumble, Public Engagement Coordinator, Tramway, said: “We are delighted to welcome the Koestler Trust back to Tramway. This year’s exhibition is very powerful, and I am excited to see video, poetry and sound works included alongside the sculpture and wall-based work. The programme of exhibition events includes a Mindfulness Tour and a spoken word event, Voices from Prison, which will provide interesting insights into the artworks and the lives of the artists.”
The festival includes a programme of events, exhibitions tours, outreach visits and feedback for the exhibited artists.
Joan Parr, Head of Creative Learning at Creative Scotland, said: “The Narrative exhibition at Tramway offers audiences a powerful example of the Koestler Trust’s carefully considered programme. Through creative engagement, the Trust helps inspire personal change and aspiration to people in secure settings.”
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