The 2024 We Roar Tour

We Roar is a transatlantic prison project devised by artist Faye Claridge, in partnership with Novus and the Prison Creative Arts (PCAP) at the University of Michigan (USA). The project supported 40 learners in 20 prisons across England and America to create artwork and poetry. Participants were sent a brief and three pieces of inspiration and were challenged to respond creatively, producing extraordinary art pieces. 

The artwork produced by learners was then collated into an exhibition and toured across UK prisons that were involved in the project, visiting multiple prison sites that Novus operate in. 

Providing unique opportunities for learners to expand their Cultural Capital

Throughout the project and the tour, Novus learners benefitted in a variety of ways which has helped to contribute to their rehabilitative journey. Having access to the exhibition gave learners the opportunity to expand their Cultural Capital. The work also showcased a diverse range of artwork, exposing learners to different cultures, perspectives, and artistic expressions. 

The exhibition tour also provided the opportunity for learners to develop emotionally, providing a positive outlet for learners to express themselves. Art often conveys emotions and evokes feelings. Discussing and reflecting on artwork can help learners develop emotional intelligence, enhancing their ability to recognise and understand emotions in both art and everyday situations. 

Art also encourages open-mindedness, curiosity, and a lifelong love for learning, being exposed to the assortment of artwork from the We Roar exhibition has provided learners the chance to expand on their own creativity and inspire ideas within themselves, contributing to their personal growth and rehabilitation. 

Following the UK prison tour, 'We Roar' travelled to the USA to be featured at the Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair. Our National Lead for Creative Arts and Enrichment, Sarah Hartley had the fantastic opportunity to travel to America with the We Roar exhibition and shared her unique experience below: 

The Ann Arbor Summer Art Fair

The main purpose of my trip was to participate in the Art Fair where the We Roar exhibition was being displayed and hosted by the University of Michigan's Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP). I saw first-hand that the exhibition was met with curiosity and enthusiasm by the public, which provided valuable insights into American perceptions of prison art, where it became clear that there were universal themes of hope and the human spirit that resonates across cultures. I was also able to spend time with the University of Michigan's PCAP, the team who have been integral to the project's development in the US strand of the project. 

Positive comments from visitors included: 

Thank you so much for sharing your artwork with the world. There are so many beautiful and inspiring pieces.

Thank you for inspiring us. Thank you for sharing your vision and your gifts with the world. You are brave, talented, and strong. You are loved, recognised and appreciated.  

Beyond the fair, I had the chance to dive deeper into the PCAP's work at the University of Michigan and across the Michigan prison system. I engaged in various activities focused on creative arts programs and prison-based initiatives, offering me fresh perspectives on using the arts for engagement and self-development. These experiences included: 

Main on the Stage event 

I attended the PCAP 'Main on the Stage' event, connecting with the 'Linkage Community'  through their performance and hearing powerful firsthand accounts from those who used creativity to navigate and move beyond their prison experiences. 

Workshops at Women's Huron Valley and Saginaw Correctional Facilities

Participating in workshops at both Women's Huron Valley and Saginaw correctional facilities deepened my understanding of the prison system in the USA of art as a rehabilitative tool. The prison systems in Michigan (USA) and the UK differ in several ways, in particular the approach to rehabilitation. 

In Michigan, rehabilitation programmes exist, but they aren't the key focus across the prison sector. However, in the UK there is a strong emphasis on rehabilitation, education and reducing reoffending, with various programmes and support services with the aim of rehabilitating offenders.

Despite there being less focus on the rehabilitative culture in Michigan prisons, the creative sessions that I was able to attend, were no different in experience/feel to the sessions we run as part of our provision in the UK. The sessions provided space for positive engagement, self-reflection, self-development, and there was a distinct sense of hope amongst learners. 

It was interesting to hear how the work the PCAP does, across the state, stands alone to other opportunities in the prisons, as opposed to the way we work in Novus, where we align opportunities to the wider prison agendas that relate to rehabilitation. 

The stand-alone work that the PCAP does seems to be understood for the value and importance it brings to engaging people in purposeful activity and opportunities for self-development and independent direct study. Whilst in UK prisons, creative enrichment isn't always understood for the value it brings and can be seen as a 'nice to have' rather than an important part of prison culture and education. 

PCAP Art Studio

I was also fortunate enough to visit the PCAP Art Studio, viewing artwork created by incarcerated artists and discussed the studios archiving strategies to support future projects. 

Meetings with key PCAP contributors

I was also able to attend meetings with key PCAP contributors which enabled me to gain deeper insights into the PCAP programme's impact and future directions. 

Reflection of my journey

My week in Michigan was both enriching and inspiring. It was great to be able to see how the Ann Arbor Summer Fair expanded the reach of the 'We Roar' exhibition to new audiences. It was also great to experience other opportunities through the PCAP's programmes, and meeting individuals who have found hope through creativity and the arts, whilst in custody.

These experiences have deepened my commitment to advocating for the arts within the criminal justice sector. This journey reaffirmed my belief in the transformative power of art, and I'm excited to bring these new insights and findings back to my work. 

To learn more about our creative enrichment provision, take a look at our 2024/25 creative enrichment strategy.