This is a guest blog by David Kendall, the founder of "Penned Up" - a literary festival that takes place in prison. David started "Penned Up" because he felt people in prison were denied agency – art was done to them. The festival started in HMP Lewes in 2015, and has run programmes in Downview and Erlestoke with the latter becoming its base. The model is always a committee of prisoners working with the festival directors to put together a programme reflecting the interests and needs of its prison audience. 

As part of our platforming of Clinks members during Small Charity Week 2025, Nicole Cowan Co-Artistic Director at INYBB writes for Clinks about their work using art as a creative health tool within the criminal justice sysyem.

In this blog we outline Clinks’ focus and the key areas of work the infrastructure support grant will enable us to deliver over the next four years.

The Inspiring Futures research report has been published. Find out about its findings and the role the report played in the Anne Peaker Lecture 2024.

This blog has been written by three leaders of small specialist arts organisations that work in prisons in England and Wales. It shares their perspectives on the commissioning of prison-based arts projects through the Dynamic Purchasing System.

This blog details the journey Good Vibrations went through during the pandemic and how it adapted to the changing restrictions.

An outline of our policy priorities and key areas of work, what we’ve been doing to influence national policy, as well as what we know is on the horizon.

Arts Council England is consulting on the final draft of its 10-year strategy. This blog sets out the key aspects of the draft strategy and how organisations can respond, to help ensure arts in criminal justice is supported in the final version.

A blog on Geese Theatre Company's 30th birthday event.

What's it like inside a prison arts project?