Exhibition proves prison is no bar to creating art

HMP and Me, at the People's Gallery, at Discovery Museum, in Newcastle, explores life behind bars.

It showcases photographs, stories and personal items from North-East prisoners as well as their artwork.

A prisoner at HMP Kirklevington Grange, in Yarm, near Stockton, has included CCTV footage of himself committing an offence in 2001 and a newspaper cutting detailing his court appearance and sentencing in 2003, hoping they will make people think twice before committing a crime.

Carlotta Goulden, director of Stretch, an arts charity that enccourages lifelong learning in excluded groups, said: "The HMP and Me project has impacted the prisoners involved in a very positive way and the resulting artwork and exhibition are fantastic.

"Tyne and Wear Museums have a well-deserved reputation of being forward-thinking in their exhibition programming."

Prisoners from Kirklevington Grange and Low Newton, in Durham, have put together the exhibition, which reflects the everyday routine inmates follow in prison.

Working in three groups, the prisoners engaged in a range of activities, from making clay pots to creating colourful scrapbooks and re-enacting a suffragette rally.

The exhibition displays the artwork created through these projects and includes digital stories and personal items from the groups involved.

Three individual projects have enabled prisoners to prepare to rejoin society, inspire them to learn and build confidence.

The exhibition was opened by Erwin James, a columnist for The Guardian who served 20 years of a life sentence before his release in August 2004.

He said: "Prison is a detaching experience, it detaches prisoners from society.

"It is initiatives like the HMP and Me project that will bring prisoners and communities together preparing them for a successful re-entry into society "

Discovery Museum is open from 10am to 5pm, Monday to Saturday, and from 2pm to 5pm on Sundays. Admission is free.

The exhibition runs until February 4.