A brand-new exhibition Renewable Imagination: A Recycled Art Showcase,will be displayed at HOME’s Inspire Gallery from Tue 23 Jan till Tue 30 Apr 2024.
The exhibition features the incredible works of prison learners and their families who participated in the transformative Renewable Imagination project delivered by prison education provider Novus. As a leading provider of learning and skills in over 50 prisons across England and Wales, Novus has empowered participants to express themselves through art, strengthening family bonds and harnessing creativity.
The Renewable Imagination project, launched in October 2023 across North West prisons, has provided a unique platform for families with a parent in prison to explore their emotions, and engage in collaborative art creation.
Participants across five prisons attended workshops to develop creative skills and techniques. Taking inspiration from the work of mixed media collage artists, they wrote a verse dedicated to their families by combining lyrics from recycled CD booklets with their own words. These verses are displayed within a black silhouette to symbolise the isolation many people feel whilst away from their families.
Participants and their families then came together on family days to create collaborative pieces of mixed media work. Having a parent in prison is very difficult for children and creating art together can provide a structured opportunity for families to talk about their wishes and dreams for the future.
The exhibition showcases and celebrates the importance of creativity within families whilst enabling conversations around rehabilitation and the criminal justice system.
One young participant shared their experience, saying, “The best thing about today was being able to walk around the room with my dad and paint pictures with him. I was happy to think positively about the future and our painting that we did together”.
Lucy Follon, curator at HOME, expressed the importance of the exhibition, stating, “Our Inspire Gallery demonstrates the power of art within communities. It is estimated that 100,000 children have a parent in prison, making creative opportunities like the Renewable Imagination project essential to the well-being and connection of families. This exhibition showcases how art connects us under any circumstances”.
