Using arts and enrichment to support prison education

Over 55% of prisoners in the UK, who serve sentences of less than 12 months will go on to reoffend. Encouraging prisoners into education is our biggest priority, to help reduce reoffending rates however, many learners have a negative relationship with education or have neurodiverse needs.

By creating new ways of accessing education through our creative enrichment strategy, we can engage learners who wouldn't engage otherwise and encourage them to participate in other academic provisions such as maths and English.

At Novus, we provide creative enrichment opportunities in a wide range of art provisions such as music, theatre, painting, and creative writing which provide exciting opportunities for learners. 

The benefits of teaching art and enrichment in prisons

Research conducted by the National Crime Justice Alliance indicates that creative enrichment in prison settings can support improved wellbeing, awaken an interest in learning and can help people build new positive identities. 

Engaging learners in creative enrichment programmes can also lead to the development of new skills and employment opportunities, as well as equipping learners with a desire to actively engage in their community and culture.

Sarah Hartley, our National Lead for Creative Arts and Enrichment and co-chair of the NCJAA has been working hard across prison sites to provide more creative enrichment opportunities for learners. 

Discovering new skills

Creative enrichment opportunities can help to engage learners who wouldn't engage otherwise, encourage creative thinking, and give learners a sense of accomplishment. 

One of the main benefits of the arts is that there are no right answers. Learners can create projects in their own style and turn their ideas into a reality. Art encourages learners to think of solutions to problems in a way that they normally wouldn't which can then be transferred to their everyday lives.

The arts reduce stress, anxiety and aggression

A survey conducted by the centre for mental health found that 7,700 people in the prisons surveyed were receiving support from a mental health service while in custody. Which equates to one prisoner in seven receiving support from mental health services and rises to one in four among women in custody. 

Creative enrichment opportunities can provide learners with an opportunity to reflect and provide an outlet for learners to express their difficult feelings and experiences in a safe environment. Creative enrichment provisions can also offer much-needed support to boost mental health and wellbeing. 

Our high-quality creative enrichment programmes support the mental health and wellbeing of learners, providing them an outlet to express their feelings and seek support and guidance through arts and enrichment. 

By engaging in creative enrichment provisions, learners are able to gain new-found confidence in themselves as well as their abilities. If they previously had a negative relationship with education, but find themselves engaging in education via the arts, then they may feel confident enough to continue on their education journey, gaining new skills and qualifications as they go. 

Facilitates personal growth and transformation

Creative enrichment enables learners to embark on a journey of personal growth and development. Drawing, painting, collaging or any type of art can help learners to re-discover themselves and help them to develop new hobbies and interests that they may not have thought of before.

When entering prison, many learners have limited Cultural Capital meaning their entry into learning may be at a disadvantage due to their background. However, through ourcreative enrichment provision we are able to provide additional, enriched learning experiences supporting learners and helping to broaden their experiences of culture, encouraging them to become well-rounded members of society. 

Being able to participate in art projects gives learners a voice that they otherwise may not have had before. Tate is one of our fantastic creative partners who work with our learners through the arts. 

The projects that Tate run in partnership with Novus, are designed to engage learners through the arts and aim to change public perception and break down negative narratives surrounding prison and prison education. 

Providing learners with the opportunity to take part in projects like this enables them to make a real difference and to communicate with the general public giving them a sense of purpose and self. 

Strengthening family ties through the arts

Over time, we have been able to offer projects and initiatives to learners that enable them to interact and engage with their families, strengthening family ties.

HMP Highdown

The creative enrichment opportunities we provide also help learners to strengthen relationships with their family.

Storybook dads is a well-known initiative where learners in prison can record stories on CDs or DVDs to send to their children. Recently, HMP Highdown who run the initiative in their prison, have been using their art provision as a further hook to support family ties as well as encouraging people to access Storybook Dads.

Learners record their story in the library and then attend an art session where they will have the opportunity to create a drawing or painting based on the characters and story in the book.

The aim of incorporating the art provision into the initiative is to further engage learners in the creative process and further strengthen the connection and bond between the learner and their child(ren).

 

HOME - Renewable imagination: A recycled art showcase

A brand-new exhibition, Renewable Imagination: A recycled art showcase, has opened its doors at HOME’s inspire gallery!

The exhibition features incredible artwork created by Novus learners and their families, who all participated in the transformative project that we delivered across sites in the North-West.

During the project, learners attended workshops to develop creative skills and techniques taking inspiration from artist, Nick Gentry. The learners and their families then came together during family learning days to create collaborative pieces of mixed-media artwork.

Having a parent in prison can be very difficult for children but projects like this that foster family ties can make a real difference to family relationships and prisoner rehabilitation.

The exhibition showcases the importance of creativity within families whilst enabling conversations about rehabilitation and the criminal justice system. 

Creative arts for rehabilitation

The arts can have a positive impact on the rehabilitation of offenders. Creative enrichment activities provide engaging points of access to education which encourages learners to engage with further education whilst in prison.

Our art provision provides exciting, engaging, and healthy ways for learners to engage with learning. The opportunities that we provide allow learners to gain new skills such as teamwork, communication, time management etc. that actively contribute to their rehabilitative journey, which can have a positive impact on reducing the likelihood of reoffending.

Working with external partners also allows us to showcase work to new audiences and the wider community, facilitating conversations around prison education and rehabilitation, as well as challenging societies perceptions around prisoners. We create spaces for dialogue which can aid understanding, appreciate other perspectives which in turn supports with community cohesion.

How Novus supports the arts in prison education

At Novus we are always looking for new and innovative ways to engage learners which is why we strive to provide the best art enrichment opportunities for learners.

New creative arts and enrichment strategy

We are excited to announce the release of our new 2024/25 creative enrichment strategy! Over the last year we have expanded the range of opportunities offered to learners and aim to continue expanding the creative enrichment offer so more and more learners are able to access projects and initiatives.

With the creative enrichment strategy our aim is to champion:

• The arts and its value to society
• The communities we work in
• The learners that we support

Which will ultimately contribute to reduce reoffending, strengthen family ties and equip learners with the skills necessary to thrive upon release.

To read our new creative arts and enrichment strategy head over to the enrichment strategy page on the website. 

Creative partnerships

Working in partnerships enables us to provide dynamic and exciting enrichment opportunities for our learners. We work with partners across a variety of different fields such as drama, writing, art, museums and music to provide a wide selection of art provision to learners to ensure all needs are being met. 

Tailored art and enrichment provision

At Novus, we tailor our art and enrichment provision to learners to ensure that the opportunities that they receive are tailored to their specific needs. We strive to provide a wide selection of art and enrichment opportunities to ensure that all learners can access and participate in a way that works for them.

To find out more about our creative arts and enrichment programmes head over to the Creative Arts for Rehabilitation section on our website!