The newsletter for arts organisations working in criminal justice.
In this month's issue...
Thank you for getting in touch
In the previous newsletter, we asked you to get in touch with your stories of innovative practice during the pandemic. Thank you to everyone who contacted us – we’re encouraged and inspired by all the innovative activity taking place across our network in such challenging times. We’ll be featuring a sample of this work on our website in coming months, so keep an eye on our website.
Creative writing at HMP Guys Marsh
Ella Simpson, Senior Lecturer in Criminology at Bath Spa University, writes for the NCJAA blog about her experience coordinating a creative writing course last year at HMP Guys Marsh. Over twelve weeks of masterclasses, the participants worked with professional authors to create a publication-standard collection of writing. You can also read an extract from the resulting anthology ‘Chrysalis Chronicles’, written by Kam, one of the men taking part. Read the blog here
How the criminal justice voluntary sector is coping
In this blog, Lauren Nickolls analyses the findings of Clinks’ latest survey of voluntary sector organisations. Organisations continue to raise increasing concern about the impact that the pandemic is having on people in contact with the criminal justice system and their families. The impact of the pandemic is exacerbated by a lack of support to prepare people for release and the difficulty accessing statutory services in the community at this time. In the last month, many organisations have begun to increase their service provision again, but a sense of uncertainty among many remains. Some organisations have restarted delivering in-person services but 68% said they would not be doing so in the coming month or were still unsure about doing so. Read more here
Want to include something in the next newsletter?
We will be sending our next newsletter on Thursday 29th October. Please email info@artsincriminaljustice.org.uk with any news, research, events, opportunities or blog proposals by Tuesday 20th October.
NCJAA network hang out: Navigating the new normal
30th September | online | free
We’re six months into the global pandemic, and the future remains uncertain. We’re all in this together, yet it’s different for everyone. With the furlough scheme winding down and strict lockdown measures on the rise across the country, arts in criminal justice organisations and practitioners are facing difficult decisions. The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) invites you to join us for a virtual hang out. This is an opportunity for our network to come together to share and learn from each other during these challenging times. At this event, we will discuss how we can continue to rise to the challenges that Covid-19 poses to the sector, and how we can look after ourselves and support each other in the coming months. Sign up here
Justice and Arts Scotland – Meet the Artist skillshare
24th September | online | free
In this skillshare, Gudrun Soley Sigurdardottir joins Justice and Arts Scotland at 19:30 tonight for a practical online workshop to discuss the challenges and discoveries from reimagining creative engagement in HM Young Offenders Institution (HMYOI) Polmont during lockdown. Gudrun is an Icelandic performance maker, director and Lead Artist of Polmont Youth Theatre at HMYOI Polmont. Attendees are invited and encouraged to take part in this event through practical exploration and discussion. Gudrun will be joined by assistants Ricky Williamson and Jack Tully to collectively share their experiences and offer insights into how to build a sense of community when a shared space is not a possibility. Get tickets here
Learning from arts and health activities delivered in lockdown
30th September | online | free
As a response to the pandemic, HARP (Health, Arts, Research, People) invited a team of arts and health professionals to develop and test four new creative activities that could support different groups of people through lockdown. Join Programme Manager Rosie Dow and Research Fellow Sofia Vougioukalou to learn about the project and hear directly from the teams about the innovative ideas they tested, what they learned and the impact on participants. Sign up for the event here
Clinks workshop: What about the children?
30th September | online | free
This interactive workshop with Children Heard and Seen will look at the experiences of children with a parent in prison. Estimates suggest 312,000 children experience parental imprisonment each year in England and Wales. This workshop will provide information on the support available to these children. It will also help your organisation to consider the impact of imprisoned parents on their children and what can be done to mitigate this. Sign up here
Join Clean Break online to launch their archive
19th November | online | free
To celebrate Clean Break’s new archive, join the online launch hosted at Bishopsgate Institute, London, as founders Jenny Hicks and Jacqueline Holborough revisit items from the earliest days of Clean Break's 40-year history and explore what these objects tell us about the organisation’s origins. The archive includes original playscripts from Clean Break’s earliest productions, including Efemera, a play devised by 20 women at HMP Askham Grange and performed to audiences at York Arts Centre in 1979 - the first time serving prisoners were allowed to perform to a public audience. Sign up for the event here
Culture, Health and Wellbeing: An Introduction
Anytime | online | free
This self-study course from the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance supports learners to develop health and wellbeing work within a museum, arts, heritage or cultural organisation. The course is aimed at professionals working in these organisations and anyone else interested in health and wellbeing work in this sector. Topics include how to use best practice examples to inspire new work and sustainable and suitable provision for your organisation and community. You can study at your own pace. Access the course here
Watch again: In conversation with Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy
Anytime| online | free
To mark the third anniversary of the Lammy Review, on 4th September 2020, the Prisoners’ Education Trust and Chair of the Violent Crime Prevention Board, Dr Angela Herbert MBE, talked to MP David Lammy about what has changed since the report - in response to its recommendations to develop trust, fairness and responsibility. An expert panel including Dr Karen Graham from Manchester Metropolitan University, Dr Anthony Gunter from the Open University and Raheel Mohammed from Maslaha also joined Dr Herbert to share their reflections, considering the links between disadvantage and discrimination in education and in criminal justice, followed by a Q&A. Watch the discussion here
Culture and Heritage Covid-19 Recovery Joint Survey
Arts Council England, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England want to hear from representatives of organisations that did not submit an application for a grant under the Culture Recovery Fund. The responses they receive will help shape their thinking on any further support needed, so if this applies to you, please do fill in this brief survey to ensure that arts in criminal justice sector organisations are represented in the survey responses. Click here to take the survey
International project looking for teaching artists, partners and participants
US-based organisation Artolution is organising several international art projects for participants affected by the criminal justice system to work together on art forms such as stop motion animation, collaborative storytelling, digital art, collages and more. It is also developing art packets that can be posted between family members who are in prison and their children at home. Artolution is looking for people with experience of the criminal justice system who are interested in participating in virtual art exchange workshops, teaching artists who are interested in leading projects (paid opportunities), family members who would like to receive a free art packet in the post, and organisations or institutions that would like to partner on any of these projects. For more information email Joel Bergner at joel.bergner@artolution.org
Sewing through the pandemic: supporting women through craft
Women who are facing significant challenges are documenting their experiences of Covid-19 one stitch at a time through a project from Northumbria University and charity Changing Lives. Originally designed to explore the importance of crafts in recovery from trauma, the project worked with women on community orders, in recovery from addiction and women living in Changing Lives’ women and children’s unit and accommodation projects. Using packs containing a square of white material and seven different coloured threads, the women sewed a few stitches onto their square using a colour thread which best represented how they were feeling that day. Once restrictions are eased the squares can be joined together to form a snapshot of life during the pandemic. Read more about the project here
Free support for Deaf and disabled artists and freelancers
Graeae Theatre Company is offering a range of support for Deaf and disabled freelance workers in the cultural sector to help connect artists in the industry, get projects off the ground or provide the necessary tools to be creative from home. Graeae can provide support for Zoom meeting accessibility, purchase or loan of technology, access to free and cheap rehearsal space, shadowing, mentoring, and support with applying for funding. Find out more here about the support on offer
New practical guidance for inclusion in the arts during Covid-19
Cultural organisations We Shall Not Be Removed, Ramps on the Moon, Attitude is Everything, Paraorchestra and What Next? have joined together to create a new guide for the arts and entertainment sectors to support disability inclusion. The Seven Inclusive Principles for Arts and Cultural Organisations working safely through Covid-19 aim to ensure Deaf, neurodiverse and disabled people are not discriminated against as creative work begins again and as venues re-open. The seven principles offer practical guidance to arts and cultural organisations to support disabled artists, audiences, visitors, participants and employees across all art forms and have been endorsed by leading sector bodies. Read more here
Covid-19 guidance for cultural sites
Spaces for Learning, a resource bank for anyone developing learning spaces in the cultural sector, has put together guidance to help learning services and freelancers understand how to work safely during Covid-19. Covering topics including workforce safety and wellbeing, adapting spaces and processes, dealing with audiences and delivering activities, the guidelines provide step by step advice that can easily be applied to your work. The guidance provides a practical framework to think about what is needed to continue, or restart, learning services during the Covid-19 pandemic and to support the health and wellbeing of workers and audiences. Read the guidance here
Funding arts projects for social impact and inclusion
The Responsa Foundation funds and co-produces contemporary art projects exploring intolerance. It is offering grants of up to £5000 for projects across all art forms which engage audiences and challenge systems and behaviours that stand in the way of inclusion. In particular, the foundation is looking to be the sole funder for new projects which have a strong social impact and that are intended to reach a wide audience. Applications are open on a rolling basis - find out more here
Festival UK* 2022 call for creative teams
Festival UK* 2022 is looking to fund ten original large-scale acts of public engagement to showcase UK creativity and innovation in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics). Applications are open to creative teams, formed of 3-8 organisations led by an organisation with a track record of financial administration and the experience and management skills required to deliver complex, large-scale projects. Teams should represent multiple sectors across STEAM, platforming emerging talent and underrepresented voices, making this an exciting opportunity to bring arts in criminal justice to a wider audience. Find out more and apply by 16th October here
Online learning from HMPPS
Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service's InsightsOnline continues to offer blogs, videos and online learning events. There's a blog from Insights Group’s own Flora Fitzalan-Howard on procedural justice; a video tour with NCJAA Steering Group member Governor Ralph Lubkowski during lockdown at HMP Stafford, and a look at HMP Hull’s in-house TV station with Governor Tony Oliver. Upcoming events include 'Re Writing History' with Breaking Down Barriers [8th October]. Find out more here
Garfield Weston Foundation launches £25m fund for arts charities
The Garfield Weston Foundation has announced a £25m fund to help cultural organisations recover from Covid-19. It will offer grants of between £100,000 and £2m to visual arts organisations, arts centres, museums and galleries with a minimum annual income of £500,000. Applications will be open between 5th October and 9th November. While the recovery fund focuses on medium-sized and large organisations, smaller arts charities will be able to apply for funds from the foundation’s regular programmes on an ongoing basis. Find out more
-----------------------------------------------------------
This newsletter is written monthly. Email info@artsincriminaljustice.org.uk 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.
Get involved Become a Member | Follow Clinks on Twitter | Follow NCJAA on Twitter
Contact us www.clinks.org | www.artsincriminaljustice.org.uk | info@clinks.org | 020 7383 0966
Click here to manage your subscriptions. For assistance, email info@clinks.org
© Clinks, 2020
Registered office: Block C, 5th Floor, Tavistock House, Tavistock Square, London WC1H 9JJ
Registered charity: 1074546 | Company limited by guarantee in England & Wales: 356217