Combating incidences of suicide and self-harm in Prisons
Curated by S.Downham-Lotto
Mixed media collaboratively-created collages by 8 prisoners and artist S. Downham-Lotto
All of these exhibits were begun in artist-run workshops inside Dartmoor prison, UK, as part of the National Lottery Community-funded Great Prison Art Exchange. The objective, to reduce incidences of self harm and suicide.
‘Door locked. A horseshoe of chairs next to an expanse of white paper on the floor; table 1 with tea urn, tea bags, custard creams and a row of plastic blue mugs; table 2 laden with paint pots, brushes, pastels and a pile of paper. Over 3 hours of shared creative making, we connect, talk and laugh. There’s a heightened eagerness in the room to be involved in something which gives us a shared sense of purpose, which helps to pass the time when we are alone, which helps to make our environment (physical and emotional) more beautiful and which, above all, gives us hope of a life better than this …’
Over the course of 2 years, vulnerable male prisoners and artist Sara Downham-Lotto collaborated to produce a body of work for display and instalment both inside and outside the prison establishment. Over 20 pieces of art have been installed on the corridor walls of Dartmoor Prison, and 5 exhibitions have been held outside the establishment. Some of the work was available for purchase in print and original at the shows. At the suggestion of the prisoners themselves, all profits went towards ensuring the art sessions continued for as long as possible.
During their fortnightly sessions (pre-Covid), participants were encouraged to be in the moment and enjoy the creative process exploring and experimenting with a variety of art mediums and materials. Locked up so much of the time with scant opportunity, if any, for creative expression, the freedom that working in the abstract genre affords, results in an eagerness to get stuck in and have fun. Back in her studio, Sara brought together all the painterly experiments and games created inside the prison into concentric circles and squares that became the Worlds and Discs series that you see here.
To learn more about our process, see the Art Matters post Why Prisoners Love Abstract Art.
