Real rehabilitation for those on the wrong side of society’s walls
I never let a year go by without seeing the excellent Koestler Arts exhibition, an exhibition that opens up hope and opportunity for those incarcerated in our many institutions who need an outlet for their creativity, writes Michael Holland.
This year’s theme is In Case of Emergency and curated by poet Joelle Taylor who has worked in prisons for over 20 years.
Joelle’s motivation is to showcase the talent and imagination that is hidden away behind locked doors and will display most of the art locked away in glass cases.
Of course, much of the creativity comes from being locked up so there are a few angst-ridden works of claustrophobic walls and bars, of loss and sadness, but there are many more that celebrates art for art’s sake where the artists use their skills to escape into other worlds. A magnificent scale model of a railway station was a highlight for me, as was a two-piece suit made from snack packets. The carved soaps are always inspirational; when someone can take something so basic and turn it into something so beautiful, that is a special talent.
One prison favourite, the matchstick model, gets a good showing here. I love the dedication required to work with something small and fiddly for such long hours in order to create a work of art. The chess set and board on show is a prime example of that dedication.
The Koestler Arts exhibition is great for the visual arts but doesn’t tell the whole story of what Koestler Arts does, as there are so many writing sections of their work that cannot be hung on walls or displayed in vitrines: there are numerous awards for Playwriting and Screenplays although there are quite a few poems shown here, plus, there is piped music of a performance of some sort, but it is a shame that more musical performances are not put on for the public in some way.
Prison should be about rehabilitation and allowing creativity to flow is one of the best ways to unlock talent. Many is the ex-offender who has become a writer, an actor, and a musician as well as an artist, and they should not be forgotten for their input to Koestler Arts. But for now this annual exhibition focusses on what can be displayed.
The public, rather than fall into the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ trap when it comes to prisons and prisoners. would do well to visit the exhibition and to admire the work put in by the teachers who give up their time for those the world largely ignores, for it is they who are providing the real rehabilitation to people who find themselves on the wrong side of society’s walls.
Find out more about Koestler Arts: www.koestlerarts.org.uk
In Case of Emergency, Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, SE1 8XX until December 17th. Admission: Free.
Times: Mon-Tues: 10am – 5.30pm, Wed-Sun: 10am – 8pm.
