10th November 2009
An exhibition of art work made by prisoners throughout Ireland will be displayed at the Kilmainham Gaol Museum, Dublin from Friday 13th of November to Sunday, 31st of January.
The exhibition OUT is the culmination of artistic work created by prisoners from 14 prisons or places of detention throughout Ireland. It also includes work from The Pathways project and PACE, two post release centres in Dublin.
The work covers a broad variety of art forms including paintings, drawings, sculpture, lino prints, mosaic, jewellery, photography, video, pottery. Some of the work on show is a result of the Arts Council Artist in Prison scheme.
This exhibition attempts to show how those in prison seek to express themselves through visual arts, using a wide variety of media and with varying degrees of formal training.
More about Arts in Prison
Prison education aspires to offer a ‘wide curriculum’, consisting of not just conventional academic subjects, but also physical education, health and social education, literacy classes, library services and the arts in a variety of forms. The most popular arts are the visual arts, music, writing and drama.
Art classes take place in all prisons and teachers are made available by the Department of Education through local Vocational Education Committee. This day-to-day teaching is supplemented and enhanced by visits from professional artists. This scheme, called the ‘Artist in Prison’ scheme, is jointly funded by the Irish Arts Council and the Department of Justice. These workshops run by visiting artists, benefit both the prisoners and teachers. The National College of Art and Design also contributes to art education in some prisons.
People in prison engage in art for a variety of reasons. It may be a way of simply relieving boredom or trying to pass the time in a meaningful way. They may wish to make something for their friends or family, or it maybe a way for them to explore their feelings or to express themselves in a non-violent way.
For more information, please visit: www.pesireland.org
Respect for rights in the penal system with prison as a last resort.