The newsletter for arts organisations working in criminal justice.
In this month's issue...
- National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance news
- Events and training
- Arts and criminal justice news
- Resources and publications
November highlights
Welcome to the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance's (NCJAA) November newsletter. This month's edition is packed with news and opportunities from the arts and culture and criminal justice sectors. Read on to: book on to our next Introduction to arts in prisons training and a research think-tank event in the new year; hear from one of our former mentees and her mentor; find out the impact Clinks and the NCJAA have had over the past three years; and download our new book and podcast, Crime and Consequence.
Introduction to arts in prison
23rd January 2020 | Milton Keynes | From £75
Described as "energising, thought-provoking and informative", our one-day introductory training course aims to provide an overview of the current criminal justice system and a practical insight into working inside prisons. It is aimed at those with an arts background but with little or no previous experience of working in criminal justice settings. We expect this course to sell out so please book as soon as possible to secure your place. Find out more and book here
Research think-tank event
18th March 2020 | London | From £15
We are delighted to invite you to a research think-tank on the work of the arts and culture in prisons and probation. The event will focus on moving towards a rounded evidence base, and towards a community of knowledge. We are looking for new perspectives via a cross-disciplinary and cross-sector approach. By the end of the day we hope to have taken our understanding of the work of the arts in prisons and probation to a new level. Find out more and book here
New blog post: professional mentoring
Our professional mentoring scheme provides opportunities for early career arts in criminal justice practitioners to get support and guidance from experts within the field. The deadline for mentees to join the 2020 scheme is 9th December 2019. Last year, John Speyer, Director of Music in Detention, mentored Daisy Lees, Director of Arts La’Olam, to develop an arts project in a prison. They told us what they worked on and learnt from each other. Read the blog here
Our impact over the last three years
Clinks has published its Impact assessment 2019, a report on an external assessment of its impact - which includes the work of the NCJAA - from 2016 to 2019. Over 120 people fed into the assessment. Overall, stakeholders were extremely positive about all of Clinks’ work and the NCJAA was praised for raising the profile of the arts in criminal justice system, policy influencing, brokering access to working in criminal justice settings and for publishing "exceptionally high quality and widely referenced" guides. Read the assessment here
Crime and Consequence
Crime and Consequence - what should happen to people who commit criminal offences? is the third in the series of books curated by the Monument Fellowship and edited this year by Clinks and the NCJAA. Crime and Consequence is a collection of essays and creative reflections from over 65 people with lived and professional experience of the justice system. It includes creative answers to the question from writers and performers, educators, women in the criminal justice system, visual artists and academics. A selection of responses have been produced as podcasts by the Prison Radio Association. Listen to the podcasts and download the book here
Want to include something in the next newsletter?
We will be sending our next newsletter on Thursday 19th December 2019. Please email dora.dixon@clinks.org with any news, research, events, opportunities or blog proposals by Tuesday 17th December 2019.
Washing, Dancing, Singing
Until 2nd February 2020 | Nottingham | Free
The National Justice Museum presents a collection of historic photographs of women living and working in prisons. These photographs, on display for the first time, were taken in several UK prisons from 140 years ago to the 1980s. They arrived in the museum's collection with little provenance and the exhibition asks how these pictures can be shared when so little is known about them. Find out more here
Acting classses for children of parents in prison
January 2020 | London | Free
Supported by Synergy Theatre Project, the Human Ensemble is running free acting classes for young people (aged 14 and above) who have or have had a parent in prison. The classes will teach techniques used by professional actors and explore them in practical sessions that lead towards a short performance. The deadline for applications is 1st December 2019. For more information call 07546 728970 or email thehumanensemble@gmail.com
Introduction to acting course
Wednesday afternoons, 29th January - 27th March 2020 | London | Free
Synergy Theatre Project, in partnership with Morley College, is offering a free, accredited acting course for people with lived experience of the criminal justice system. Participants don’t need experience in acting but a willingness to get involved and a commitment to learning acting techniques and performing at the final showcase is required. Group auditions will be held week commencing 13th January 2020. The deadline to apply is 8th January 2020. To apply call 0203 034 0787 or email Karl at studio@synergytheatreproject.co.uk
Pavement to prison
1st - 29th February 2020 | Margate | Free
Stretch Charity is supporting an exhibition of work at Joseph Wales Studios by the Kurdish artist Zehra Dogan, who will visit and stay in Margate to produce ‘live’ works followed by Q&A sessions. Since her imprisonment in Turkey, Zehra's work has been showcased by Banksy and exhibited in New York City. Stretch Charity has delivered art projects with prisoners and former prisoners for over 16 years and recently won a bid to turn Newgate Gap shelter in Margate into an outsider art museum. Find out more about the exhibition here
General election 2019
The major political parties in England and Wales have launched their manifestos ahead of the 12th December general election. Clinks has analysed and summarised key commitments of relevance to criminal justice policy and the work of voluntary sector organisations working in criminal justice in a series of blog posts. Its aim is to provide information that will be useful to the sector in planning for the potential policies of the future government. Read the blog posts here
Art by women on probation
Changing Lives has completed an eight-week arts programme with women on probation orders from nine hubs across Northumbria. Run in partnership with Tyne and Wear Archive Museums and Northumbria Community Rehabilitation Company and funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, 'Free but not Free' was developed after it became clear to the charity that many of the women involved were not represented in arts and heritage culture and in venues across the region. Watch a short project video here
Rattle Snake
Following a national tour, Open Clasp Theatre Company's new play tackling coercive control is being screened for free online and in venues across the UK. Rattle Snake is based on the real life stories of women who have faced and survived coercive controlling domestic abuse and was originally developed as part of a training programme for frontline police officers in Durham. Watch the play here
Support for socially-engaged facilitators
Thriving Facilitators is a new membership group and platform designed to provide year-round coaching support to facilitators and artists working in community and education settings. It provides webinars and opportunities to meet practitioners from a wide range of contexts, invigorate practice and reflect on development pathways. Sign up to the community here
Music and mentoring vacancy
InHouse Records is an award-winning record label created with and by prisoners. Its aim is to create safer communities and reduce reoffending. The label is seeking a full-time InHouse Creative to work in a Kent prison. The successful applicant will be required to play a musical instrument and have teaching and mentoring experience. Find out more and apply here
Funding for Suffolk
Grants of up to £20,000 are available from the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner’s Fund. The fund supports the work of voluntary, community and social enterprise organisations and parish councils that are delivering services that help make Suffolk a safer place to live, work, travel and invest in. No grant will normally exceed 10% of an organisation’s total income. The deadline to apply is 11th December 2019. Find out more and apply here
The state of the sector
Clinks has published its key trends for voluntary organisations working in the criminal justice system. The state of the sector 2019 gives a lot to celebrate, but the picture built up over the years shows there are a number of deep-seated and systemic challenges facing organisations, and these need to be addressed in order to ensure a vibrant, independent and resilient voluntary sector. The report includes a section with key findings about organisations that provide tailored support to women. Read the report here
Active Citizenship
Prisoners’ Education Trust has launched a new toolkit to help people working and living in prisons to build active citizenship. It is designed to be used by prisoners, prison management, prison staff, education staff, organisations and people working in the voluntary sector. Active citizenship is the action of engaging with issues, ideas, people and communities. Engagement during a sentence can help people prepare to re-enter society and to be able to contribute, participate and belong. Read the toolkit here
Deaths of people under probation supervision
The government has published figures on the number of people who have died while under the care of the probation service. 1,093 people under supervision from the probation service died in 2018/19, the highest number of deaths ever recorded, and an increase of 13% from last year. 337 of these deaths were self-inflicted, the highest number ever recorded, and an increase of 19% from last year. This is despite the number of people under community supervision being broadly stable. Read the report here
How to help children who set fires
Children and Teenagers who Set Fires: Why they do it and how to help is a book designed to help people working with children who set fires and may be at risk of entering the criminal justice system. The book recognises firesetting as a form of communication and provides practitioners with a range of hands-on activities and practical exercises that include singing, drawing, puppetry, poetry and collages – all of which enable and empower children and young people to express their world in safe, creative ways. Buy the book here
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This newsletter is written monthly by Dora Dixon. Email dora.dixon@clinks.org if you wish to submit any news.
Clinks manages the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) and is the legally accountable body for all official NCJAA activity.
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