The newsletter for arts organisations working in criminal justice.
In this month's issue..
- National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance news
- Arts in criminal justice news and publications
- Events and training
- Resources and opportunities
New Advisory Group Members
The NCJAA recently had a membership refresh to our Advisory Group. The Group is made up of 12 members and a Chair that provide strategic and operational advice to inform the work of the NCJAA. The Group is compiled of those working in the arts in criminal justice, including those with lived experience of the criminal justice system and exists to ensure that the NCJAA can always be best informed by those it aims to serve.
The Group members bring intelligence, enthusiasm, knowledge, skills and expertise from different aspects of arts in criminal justice and different art forms, so that the NCJAA can consider a wider and fuller range of arts specific evidence and views to inform its work. We meet once a quarter, and you are welcome to contact any member to help ensure the Group's advice to the alliance reflects a diverse range of voices from the sector.
We thank those who have stepped down and wish them well in the future. We welcome the new members about whom you can read more about here.
Meeting our sector's need for infrastructure support
The arts in criminal justice is a thematic area of work within Clinks, with the NCJAA embedded in Clinks. Clinks is delighted to have been awarded the HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) and Ministry of Justice (MoJ) grant for infrastructure support for small and medium-sized voluntary, community and social enterprise (VCSE) organisations 2025-29. Clinks outline the focus and the key areas of work the grant will enable them to deliver over the next four years in this blog.
Arts Council England National Portfolio Investment Programme - launch update
The next National Portfolio investment programme launch has been stopped and instead they are recommending to government that the current National Portfolio extends to 31 March 2028. More information here
Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) - update
The Commissioned Rehabilitative Services (CRS) are part of His Majesty's Prison Probation Service (HMPPS). They provide flexible support to those in the criminal justice system and are delivered by organisations who have bid for and have been awarded contracts across different regions. With these contracts due to be recommissioned, this blog provides an update on the content of the contracts, timelines and how to engage in the process. Read the Clinks blog here
Clinks State of the Sector 2024 - recommendations
Clinks’ new report is now live! Arts organisations and practitioners contributed to the research and the voice of the criminal justice voluntary sector has been heard. Clinks’ recommendations are in response to the sector's voice:
- The Government should work with the voluntary sector to develop a national framework of service delivery and evaluation.
- Statutory and charitable funders should consider how to support long-term funding opportunities.
- Statutory and charitable funders should create opportunities for unrestricted and core funding.
- Statutory and charitable funders should work with the voluntary sector to strengthen partnership working and embed co-commissioning.
- Statutory and charitable funders should provide meaningful feedback for unsuccessful funding applications.
- Statutory and charitable funders should ensure their funding processes are culturally competent funding processes.
Explore the report findings and recommendations in further detail - read the report here.
The Artist Care Project
The Artist Care project is delighted to share a new research report and set of principles for supporting artists who work in complex and challenging settings. The report can be found at: Artists Care Project - University of Wolverhampton.
The report presents evidence of the ways organisations and individuals seek, offer and engage in care and supervision to support artistic work in challenging and complex settings. It provides insights into how organisational structures and governance create opportunities for providing care for staff and the lived experience of being a freelance musician.
The Artists’ Care project is funded by Arts Council England, the Lightbulb Trust, and Research England, and is a collaboration with three partner organisations who provide music and creative arts projects in challenging and complex settings – Good Vibrations, Irene Taylor Trust, and Hear Me Out, and two research organisations with specialisms in researching arts projects in such settings – the Royal Northern College of Music and the University of Wolverhampton. The Artists’ Care project arose from an awareness that for many who work in secure settings, promoting the mental health and wellbeing of those they work with may come at the cost of maintaining personal mental health and wellbeing. Despite this, there are no recognised standards and poor evidence concerning what works to support artist well-being.
The next stage of the project will involve the design and testing of bespoke Artists’ Care programmes to better support artist well-being. We look forward to sharing the on-going findings of the research with you as the studies progress.
The report is also available for sharing across their social media pages:
Bluesky: Institute for Community Research and Development (@icrdwlv.bsky.social) — Bluesky
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/105490732/
X: Institute for Community Research and Development (@ICRDwlv) / X
Unlimited
Breaking Boundaries: Unlimited awards 17 disabled artists UK and International Partner Awards. We are thrilled to share Unlimited’s latest announcement: a bold lineup of disabled artists and companies set to create groundbreaking new commissions with £650k of funding. You can find the full press release and comms pack here.
Art as a Bridge: Reclaiming Identity in Prison – a project in Mumbai
Art has the power to restore dignity, foster resilience, and create connection, even within the most challenging environments. A recent creative intervention in Mumbai Prison highlighted how artistic expression can be a transformative tool for incarcerated women, particularly foreign nationals facing isolation, legal uncertainty, and cultural displacement. Through clay modelling sessions, led by sculptor Kuheli Khandelwal, women found a medium to reconnect with lost memories and reclaim their sense of self. As they shaped objects—fish, stoves, dolls—conversations unfolded, revealing deep-seated emotions of home, identity, and belonging. For a brief moment, prison walls faded, replaced by shared stories and collective healing. This initiative underscores the importance of embedding arts-based rehabilitation within prison systems. Aligning with international frameworks like the Bangkok Rules, it highlights the need for culturally sensitive programming, inclusive legal support, and opportunities for self-expression. Art, in its silent yet profound language, offers a path toward restoration and hope.
The Talent Inside
Until 3 May 2025 | Scarborough
Learners from the Novus GRAFT Studio at HMP Humber are currently showcasing a selection of artworks at Scarborough Art Gallery. The exhibition titled; 'The Talent Inside', is part of a partnership between Novus's GRAFT Studio and Scarborough Museums and Galleries. To create the project, art learners at HMP Humber were visited by Scarborough Art Gallery curators early last year. The curators showed the learners images of objects from the museum and gallery collection. The learners studied these images and responded by making new artworks based on what they saw and reflecting their own personal experiences. Find out more here
What's the national picture in creative health?
21 May | online | free
Come for a conversation with some of the organisations supporting creative health nationally. They will discuss the key challenges emerging in creative health and how they are responding. With the Culture, Health & Wellbeing Alliance; the National Centre for Creative Health; the Mayoral Creative Health Network; the National Arts in Hospitals Network; and London Arts and Health. Book your tickets here
Clinks Area Criminal Justice Forums
May 2025 | online | free
We are pleased to invite voluntary sector organisations working in the criminal justice system to join us at one of our Clinks Area Criminal Justice Forum events.
These events are a chance to meet the Clinks Area Engagement and Partnerships Team, hear updates about our work, and learn more about how your organisation can engage with local partners and commissioners.
Each forum will provide:
- An overview of Clinks’ current priorities and activities
- Practical advice on engaging with local criminal justice structures
- Information about the upcoming commissioned rehabilitative services contracts
Whether you are a small grassroots project or a larger charity, these forums are a valuable opportunity to network, stay informed, and have your voice heard in the evolving criminal justice landscape.
North West, 7 May | London, 14 May | South West / South Central, 14 May | North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, 15 May | Wales, 15 May | South East and East, 20 May | Midlands, 22 May
Clinks Women’s Network Forum
3 June | online | free
Clinks quarterly women’s networking forums, hosted in partnership with the Agenda Alliance, provide support, information and networking opportunities to those working with women in contact with the criminal justice system. They include updates on policy, member activity and host speakers on relevant topics. The forums offer an opportunity to gather feedback and discuss key issues raised by organisations working with women in contact with the criminal justice system, enabling Clinks to reflect these to national government at Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3) meetings.
We will provide a policy update from Clinks, and there will be an opportunity for members to feedback on issues the women they work with are facing. Come along to the women’s network forum to learn more about creating change for women. Book your place here
Message in a Bottle exhibition
Until 8 June 2025 | Manchester
HOME in Manchester are currently exhibiting Novus learner work from five North West prisons within its Inspire Gallery. The exhibition, named; 'A Message in a Bottle', is a collaborative project from Novus, The Manchester College and HOME as part of a Creative Enrichment programme for learners. Displayed at HOME’s Inspire Gallery, the exhibition showcases work from three groups of learners, all of whom are aiming to raise awareness about recycling and encourage and inspire others to reuse or recycle. Find out more here
Why Gender Matters in the Criminal Justice System Workshop
10 & 11 June | online | from £95
Are you new to working or volunteering in the criminal justice sector? Join Clinks two-part entry-level online workshop to explore why a gendered approach is vital when working with women in the system. This workshop will help you build understanding of women’s experiences and introduce the ‘whole system approach’, with topics including policy, prevention and diversion, community supervision, custody, and resettlement. It will take place over two consecutive days (Part One: 2 hours, Part Two: 3 hours) and will include interactive elements. Please note this is a knowledge-based workshop, not a skills-based course. Don’t miss this opportunity to deepen your understanding and support better outcomes for women in the justice system. Book your place here
Navigating the Criminal Justice System Workshop
19 June | online | from £75
Are you new to working or volunteering in the criminal justice system, or do you have team members who want to build their understanding of how it all fits together? The system can often feel overwhelming due to its size and complexity. This three-hour Clinks workshop is designed to increase awareness and provide a space for voluntary sector staff and volunteers to explore how the criminal justice system is structured and operates. The session will cover key areas including an overview of the system and its jargon, the national context, the journey from arrest to conviction, the roles of prisons and probation, local and regional structures, inspectorates and regulators, and the vital contribution of the voluntary sector within it. Book your place here
Asking For It
Until 13 July 2025 | Nottingham | free
A new exhibition is opening at the National Justice Museum in Nottingham, aiming to spark conversations around consent, sexual violence, and victim-blaming. Victim-blaming remains a prevalent issue that shapes public perceptions, sentencing outcomes, and survivors’ willingness to seek justice. Asking For It is a powerful and award-winning photographic series by Jayne Jackson that challenges the persistent culture of victim-blaming in cases of sexual and gender-based violence. Using a striking ‘mugshot’ format, historical styling, and heritage photographic techniques, Jackson exposes the enduring narratives that shift blame onto survivors of sexual and domestic abuse and reshapes public perceptions. Find out more here
Royal Literary Fund Writing Development Workshops
NCJAA welcome the offer from the Royal Literary Fund for us to host more free workshops this year, dates to be announced soon.
Family and friends of people in prison
If you or your project works with the families and friends of those in prison, please encourage them to feed into this consultation
His Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons (HMIP) is seeking feedback from family members and friends of people currently in prison. The inspectorate wants to understand:
- What prisons do to support your relationship
- What your visiting experience has been like
- Whether you have accessed any family support or interventions.
This forms part of a wider consultation to improve prison experiences and ensure relationships are maintained wherever possible. To share your experience, email: hmiprisons.enquiries@hmiprisons.gov.uk and visit the website for more on HMIP consultations.
Research on music in criminal justice
Rachel Graham is Projects Director at TiPP, a participatory arts organisation specialising in working in criminal justice settings, and also a PhD student researcher at University of Manchester. Her research is about the musicians who deliver music projects in criminal justice settings and how they developed their skills and professional practice. She is looking for musicians who have delivered five or more sessions in any criminal justice setting in the UK to complete an online survey. The survey is anonymous and should take around 10 minutes to complete. There is an opportunity at the end for you to submit an email address should you wish to be kept informed of the outcomes of this project or be included in further research in this area and this email address will be separated from the data before analysis. Find out more here
Heritage Prison Beds for Hire
Beauty out of Ashes have rescued 30 original beds from the former Holloway Prison. Before it was closed down in 2016, and the land sold off by the Ministry of Justice, HMP Holloway was London’s only female prison. The 10 acre site is currently being developed by Peabody and after hard-fought campaigns, it will include at least 415 homes at social rents, including some flats for women leaving prison, and a space for women's services. The precious beds will eventually be used as a part of an exciting art project.
Until then Beauty out of Ashes is offering them on a short-term basis for hire to arts, cultural and community organisations for projects or events. They believe this will help to honour the legacy of HMP Holloway and the stories of Holloway's women. If you would like to know more, please contact Niki or Melissa at beautyoutofasheshwb@gmail.com. All proceeds from the hire of the beds will go towards their storage and future art projects. You can also read more about the background of these 30 heritage prison beds, by visiting the website.
Vacancies
Chief Operating Officer - Beating Time
Operations Manager - Liberty Choir
Want to post a vacancy?
Clinks members can post job and volunteer vacancies on our Jobs Board for free.
Full instructions for uploading a vacancy can be found here.
For assistance, email membership@clinks.org
Take a creative break
Compose the next symphonic masterpiece with an accompaniment played by A.I. Duet that responds to your piano playing.
Want to include something in the next newsletter?
The next NCJAA newsletter will be sent on Thursday 26 June. If you have any news, opportunities or events relating to art organisations or projects within the criminal justice system that you would like included, please submit your information via our online form by Monday 16 June.
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This newsletter is bi-monthly. Email artsalliance@clinks.org if you wish to submit any news.
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