Making Time – Every Prison a Creative Hub
21st November, 2024 until 13th December, 2024
Hoxtonian Gallery
3rd Floor 76
Hoxton Street
London N1 6LP
The Hoxtonian Gallery will open its doors to Making Time – Every Prison a Creative Hub, an innovative exhibition exploring creative engagement within UK prisons on 21 November 2024.
Showcasing the outcomes of eight “creative co-production engagements” with prisoners from HMP Downview, HMP Isis, HMP Standford Hill, HMP Wandsworth, HMP Pentonville and HMP Peterborough, Making Time highlights the transformative impact of creativity within prison environments. Participants in these programmes reported enhanced confidence, resilience, and communication skills, alongside growth in problem-solving, relationship-building, and critical thinking—all vital skills for rehabilitation.
Co-curated by Professor Lorraine Gamman of the Design Against Crime Research Lab at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London (UAL), alongside Rex Gardner and the team at Love Print, this exhibition will run from 21 November to 13 December on the 3rd floor of 76 Hoxton Street, London N1 6LP.
Despite many prisoners spending up to 23 hours a day in cells with limited access to education or creative resources, over half of the UK’s prison population is neurodiverse and often benefits from hands-on, creative learning. There is strong evidence that creative activities can lead prisoners to develop new narratives that lead them towards ‘desistance’ – a life free from crime.
Fashion Design Course at HMP Isis
However, creative and vocational training remains underprovided across the prison system. Professor Lorraine Gamman notes, “The evidence shows that creative learning can help reduce crime by providing vocational skills and fostering aspirations that enable prisoners to change from within, setting them on a path toward meaningful work and rehabilitation.”
The exhibition stands as a powerful reminder of the potential of creativity to foster rehabilitation, skill-building, and hope among incarcerated individuals, inviting us to reconsider how we view time spent behind bars. “The creative arts in prisons are more than just a means of expression—they are a lifeline to hope, self-discovery, and change. It is empowering to build confidence, resilience, and practical skills that prepares the men for meaningful work and brighter futures beyond the prison walls”, says Comfort Ayonkoya of Untold at HMP Isis.
Making Time – Every Prison a Creative Hub is presented in collaboration with: Design Against Crime, Central Saint Martins, Here, Love Print, Untold at HMP Isis, Stretch Outsider Art Festival, Goldsmiths University of London, Making for Change, and The Unlocked Room.
Making Time – Every Prison a Creative Hub opens on the 21st of November, 2024 until the 13th of December, 2024 at Hoxtonian Gallery
©2024 Hoxtonian Gallery
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