1-3pm followed by digital exhibition 3-4pm
This event celebrates and reflects on a three year penal arts project, Unlocked led by Soft Touch in Leicester, completed on behalf of the Leicestershire NHS Partnership Trust. The event brings together practitioners, artists and researchers to share reflections, good practice and evidence from research. This free event will give attendees an opportunity to visit the Unlocked exhibition and see the artwork produced over the three years.
Guest speakers include:
Ralph Lubrowski- Governor HMP Hewell
Keiran Walsh- Lead Artist- Soft Touch
Sally Norman – Project Lead- Soft Touch
Dr Ben Carpenter van Barthold- Nottingham Trent University
Dr Victoria Knight- De Montfort University
Lisa Selby - Nottingham Trent University
Dr Susie Atherton- University of Gloucestershire
Guest artists will also be presenting
The Unlocked programme used the arts to work with those in prison and those serving a community sentence to enhance wellbeing and positive mental health using a model of recovery. Annual exhibitions were created both live and virtual and work was showcased to the public.
When you are in your cell banged up- without creativity you can feel quite depressed and even suicidal and you just want to get out so the creative side helps you to feel relaxed for a few hours a week. Then you tend to handle bang up and it centres you and balances you. We all need to exercise our creative side and if one good thing from the prison experience and I wasn’t doing this outside I was just going to the pub. I was getting drunk and watching TV. (artist living in prison)
This event is open to all and bookings will close 1 hour prior to the start of the event. Registrants will receive a link to join the online talk 24hrs before the event, via their provided email address.
Please contact the DMU Events Office on eventsoffice@dmu.ac.uk if you have any questions.