COLLABORATION WITH ERLESTOKE PRISON

A collaborative project with inmates at Erlestoke Prison explored ideas relating to themes of justice, law, human rights and power. I conceived and coordinated the project, along with Sarah Rickett, Director of Learning and Outreach at the Cathedral and Sarah Mullally then Canon Treasurer and now Bishop of London, and a small group of volunteers. Over the course of several months, workshops were run with inmates in which they fashioned encaustic ceramic tiles, inspired by ideas of justice and human-rites.

Once completed the cathedral works department assisted me in creating a montage from all the encaustic tiles and installed the panels in the Cathedral Cloister alongside the sketchbooks used by the inmates in the development of their designs. A visitors book was displayed alongside the artwork for visitors to leave comments.

After the exhibition at the Cathedral, the panels were installed in the Family Room at Erlestoke Prison. The prisoners could admire and share their creations and read the comments in the visitors book. The inmates responded positively to the comments book, sensing that they still had a voice beyond the walls of their prison.