National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance News | December 2016

The newsletter for arts organisations working in criminal justice

[[{"fid":"4376","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"117","width":"340","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]

In this month's issue...

National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance news
Events and training
Arts and criminal justice news
Resources & publications

[[{"fid":"3744","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"117","width":"1004","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]
National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance news
Save the date: National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) annual meeting 2017

We will be holding our annual meeting on 1st March 2017 at the National Theatre, London. Our annual meetings provide an opportunity for our members to come together, learn about the current policy landscape and share good practice in arts and criminal justice. We will also look back at our achievements as a network and elect a new Steering Group who will work collectively to support the work of the Alliance and establish new priorities for the coming year. More information, including details on how to book, will be available in the new year.

Annual member survey - share your thoughts on our work and the wider sector

Every year we run an annual member survey to find out if the work we undertake fits what is needed by you, our members, and the wider sector. We would be incredibly grateful if you could spare five minutes to answer questions on various aspects of our work, and share your thoughts on the arts and criminal justice sector more widely. This is your opportunity to help shape the work we do, ensuring that we are able to provide the best support we can for our members. Please click here to take the survey.

NCJAA takes part in the All Party Parliamentary Group on Music's roundtable

On 6th December, Jessica Plant, the NCJAA Manager presented at the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Music, which focused on how music can support young offenders in turning their lives around. The APPG was coordinated by UK Music. Jo Dipple, CEO of UK Music, explains how music can be used to help offenders across the UK in an article relating to the roundtable: "At a time of change, we should focus on the key role music can play in the rehabilitation of those in custody and we want parliament, government and the industry as a whole to understand and embrace the way music can have positive effects." Click here to read the full article.

Thank you for completing our mapping training survey

Many thanks to everyone who responded to our arts and criminal justice sector training survey over the summer. Your feedback has been extremely helpful in our future planning. In response to the survey, we are currently planning next year's events and development programme. As part of this, we are hoping to launch a small bursary scheme to help members access the training they need. The report hasn't yet been published, but please do contact us if you would like to know more about our mapping work: info@artsincriminaljustice.org.uk.

Shutter stories: prison life through the lens

On 7th December, we held our annual Anne Peaker lecture at Intermission Theatre. The event this year focused on the use of film and photography in criminal justice settings, looking at how different media can reveal life behind prison doors. We were very pleased to invite artist and photographer Edmund Clark to give the key note lecture, which was followed by an interesting and stimulating panel discussion. We'd like to say a big thank you to everyone who attended, and if you weren't able to attend, we've Storified the Tweets from the night.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for helping make 2016 so brilliant. A huge thank you too, to our Chair Alison Frater who has now been in post for a year. During the past year, Alison has been a fantastic addition to the NCJAA team and her enthusiasm and experience has been invaluable to us. We would also like to thank our Steering Group, who are tireless in their support and promotion of our work. From the NCJAA team, we hope you have a fantastic festive break, and we look forward to working with you in 2017!

Want to include something in the next newsletter?

We will be sending our next newsletter on Thursday 26th January. Please email kate.davey@clinks.org with any submissions by Tuesday 17th January.

[[{"fid":"4058","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"117","width":"1004","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]
Events and training
Beyond the Door: the Koestler exhibition for the West Midlands

13th January - 26th March 2017 | Birmingham | Free

Beyond the Door is an exhibition of artwork, writing and music from prisons, secure hospitals, and by people on community sentences in the West Midlands. The work on display has been selected by Walsall Youth Justice Service from entries to the 2016 Koestler Awards, an annual scheme that has been rewarding artistic achievement in the criminal justice and secure sectors for over 50 years. Click here for more information.

Inside Peace documentary screening

28th January 2017 | London | £20

Documentary Inside Peace follows a group of inmates doing time in a Texas prison as they embark on a journey of personal discovery while struggling with society's roadblocks and dangers. The documentary features the Peace Education Programme (PEP) which teaches people to get in touch with themselves and their inner resources and has proved very efficient in some of the toughest maximum security prisons in the US and South Africa. In the UK, the programme has been running at HMP Thameside for over a year with very positive feedback from attendees and prison staff. Several other UK prisons are in the early stages of providing the PEP. Click here to book.

Free ten-week acting course for ex-prisoners

25th January - 5th April 2017 | London | Free

Synergy Studio is offering a free ten-week introduction to acting course for ex-prisoners starting in January. Participants will learn techniques used by professional actors and explore them in fun, practical sessions, leading to a short performance for an invited audience. This course is accredited and provides opportunities for further progression in acting. No previous experience is required, just a commitment and a willingness to join in. The course will run every Wednesday from 1 - 3.30pm. The deadline for applications is 13th January 2017. For more information, please contact denise@synergytheatreproject.co.uk or call 0203 668 6730.

Next steps for the devolution of criminal justice policy

21st March 2017 | Manchester

This event, organised by the Westminster Legal Policy Forum, comes in the context of Greater Manchester's recently agreed devolution deal on localising key criminal justice powers, which is expected to come into force in April 2017. It will bring out latest thinking on how devolution is likely to impact on the future structure and funding of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) nationally. It also follows the Public Accounts Committee's report on efficiency in the CJS earlier this year, which raised concerns around accountability, resource pressures and complexity amid government reforms. Click here for more information.

[[{"fid":"3852","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"117","width":"1004","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]
Arts and criminal justice news
Clean Break awarded the 2016 Longford Prize

The 2016 Longford Prize was awarded jointly to Unlock and the Shakespeare Trilogy Project. The Shakespeare Trilogy Project comprises of the Donmar Warehouse, Clean Break and York St John's University, with the winners being awarded for work carried out over the last four years in women's prisons and as part of the Donmar's all-female Shakespeare Trilogy. The Longford Prize recognises the contribution of an individual, group or organisations working in the area of penal or social reform in showing outstanding qualities in the following areas: humanity, courage, persistence and originality. Click here to read more.

The Gulbenkian Inquiry into the civic role of arts organisations

On 8th December 2016, the Minister of State for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock gave a speech on the importance of philanthropic support for the arts as part of the Gulbenkian Inquiry into the civic role of arts organisations. The Inquiry seeks to increase awareness of the civic role that arts organisations play nationally and in their communities. Through research and consultation, the aim is to develop an understanding of what constitutes 'next practice' and create a movement of organisations committed to demonstrating it. In his speech, Matt Hancock strongly encouraged arts organisations to "wholly embrace their civic role which is vital to the social and economic regeneration of places, connecting communities and ensuring those who may traditionally have been excluded are helped to participate in public life." Click here to read the full speech.

Working Chance helps women with convictions into paid employment

Working Chance is an award-winning charity and the UK's only specialist recruitment consultancy for women with convictions and young women care leavers. In August this year, Working Chance began a pilot scheme in Manchester which is producing strong results. The pilot has already placed 10 women with convictions into paid employment. Led by Zara Crane-Davies, who is a specialist Recruitment Consultant, the scheme also delivers workshops and training within women's prisons in the region. For more information about the scheme, please email zara@workingchance.org or click here to visit Working Chance's website.

Choirs Beating Time's Employers Fair at HMP Birmingham

Business directors in Birmingham headed to HMP Birmingham on 22nd November to listen to the prison's choir, 'Inside Out,' and see for themselves the skills prisoners could potentially bring to their enterprises on release. Choirs Beating Time worked with Regional Director for the Institute of Directors in the West Midlands, Calum Nisbet, to bring 30 local businesses to the 'concert and conversation' event which showed off the talent and commitment of people in the prison. There was also discussion about how businesses can do more to help prisons and Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) get people who have served their sentences back into work. Click here to find out more about Choirs Beating Time.

Arkbound media project will tell the stories of prisoners and ex-offenders

Arkbound is looking to develop a media project that features prisoners' and ex-offenders' stories. They are working in partnership with the Council of Europe to create a means by which those who suffer marginalisation and disadvantage can be better represented in the media, as well as acquiring the skills to potentially start their own media outlets. If you would like to find out more, or be involved in the project, please contact boundless@arkbound.com.

A range of anti-theft bags that make a difference to society have been launched

A new range of conscious fashion bags launched on 24th November. The project, which is a collaboration between HMP Thameside, Design Against Crime CSM UAL, and Sue Ryder, includes bags that have been designed by inmates from HMP Thameside in South London which is managed by Serco. The all-male prison was supported by staff from the Design Against Crime Research Centre at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, who initiated the project in 2015. It aims to teach inmates new skills such as 'purposeful learning' and to show restorative justice in action. Putting criminal ‘knowledge’ to good use, the inmates have designed the bags with ’anti-theft’ features. A small selection of the designs will be available to buy at the Sue Ryder shop in Camden. Click here for more information.

New arts and wellbeing research project: PeN at LandWorks

The Photographic electronic Narrative (PeN) project shares photographs taken by current and ex-offenders on placement at LandWorks, an independent charity which provides a supported route back into the community for people in or recently released from prison. The project is part of an Independent Social Research Foundation (ISRF) mid-career fellowship led by Dr Julie Parsons, and it aims to work as a personal development tool and a creative outlet for trainees whilst fostering dialogue between trainees and supporters in order to challenge social exclusion. Click here to visit the PeN website.

Volunteering opportunity to facilitate arts-based projects at HMP Downview

The education department at HMP Downview are looking for volunteers to help with arts-based projects. The idea is to create something that relates to key themes for the women at Downview, such as positive body image or the empowerment of women, and for it to be submitted to the Koestler Trust's annual awards. For more information, please email samantha.elverson@hmps.gsi.gov.uk.

Jerwood Performing Arts Micro Bursaries

The Jerwood's Performing Arts Micro Bursaries aim to support independent artists and producers with awards of between £250 and £1,000. They are now interested in proposals for development activities in the performing arts where a clear and specific learning opportunity has been identified. This could be for the making of new work, research, travel, training or mentoring. The awards are for individuals who have been practicing professionally for no more than 10 years, have completed their formal education and are resident in the UK. The deadline for applications is 5pm, 9th January 2017. Click here for more information.

[[{"fid":"4060","view_mode":"default","fields":{"format":"default","field_file_image_alt_text[und][0][value]":"","field_file_image_title_text[und][0][value]":""},"type":"media","link_text":null,"attributes":{"height":"117","width":"1004","class":"media-element file-default"}}]]
Resources & publications
Review of the youth justice system

Charlie Taylor's final report from the review of the youth justice system is now available along with the government's response to the review. The Taylor Review makes recommendations for extensive reform of the youth justice system covering devolution, courts, sentencing and custody. The government's response supports many of the principles of the Taylor Review and sets out the intention to review the governance of the system, improve the way youth offending is tackled, and put education and health at the heart of youth custody. Click here to read more.

Lammy review: emerging findings published

Black and minority ethnic defendants are more likely to go to prison for certain types of crime, a landmark review has found. David Lammy MP has now published the emerging findings of his independent review into race and the Criminal Justice System. The review commissioned an analysis paper looking at disproportionality in the Criminal Justice System. One finding was that for every 100 white women handed custodial sentences at Crown Courts for drug offences, 227 black women were sentenced to custody. For black men, this figure is 141 for every 100 white men. Click here to read the emerging findings.

This newsletter is written monthly by Kate Davey.

020 7383 0966

National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance on twitter
National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance on Facebook
National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance website
Clinks website

[Disclaimer]

unsubscribe from this list | Terms & conditions of use

Clinks manages the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance and is the legally accountable body for all official National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance activity. Clinks is a registered charity registration no 1074546 and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales no 3562176