Creating Space for Inclusion, Identity and Belonging in Prison Education

As Manchester prepares to celebrate Pride this August Bank Holiday weekend, the city will once again come together to celebrate LGBTQ+ life, culture, identity and community.

Manchester Pride takes place from 28 to 31 August, with this year's Parade on Saturday 29 August following the theme No Place Like Home. The theme explores ideas of homecoming and Manchester's reputation as a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ communities.

For Novus, the themes of belonging, acceptance and feeling seen are also important within prison education.

This year, learners across Novus Lot 6 prisons took part in the Virtual Pride Gallery 2026, an inclusive creative project designed to give learners an opportunity to explore LGBTQ+ identities, experiences and culture through creative expression.

Creating a space to explore identity

The Virtual Pride Gallery brought together learners from HMP Styal, HMP Hindley, HMP Risley, HMP Liverpool and HMP Buckley Hall.

Inspired by the national Pride theme, No Place Like Home, learners were invited to reflect on what belonging, identity, acceptance, community and personal experience meant to them.

For some, creative work can provide a way to explore ideas and experiences that may be difficult to express through conversation alone. Providing opportunities to engage with different perspectives can also help learners develop a greater understanding of themselves and the people around them.

The project welcomed a range of creative responses, including visual artwork, poetry, creative writing and digital artwork. This allowed learners to participate in a way that reflected their individual interests, strengths and experiences.

The completed pieces were brought together in a shared virtual exhibition, creating a collective space where learner creativity and perspectives could be recognised and celebrated.

Why inclusion matters in prison education

Education in prison is about more than gaining qualifications. It can provide opportunities for people to develop confidence, discover new interests, build relationships and develop the skills they need to progress in their lives.

Learning about diversity and inclusion can play an important role in this.

Exploring different identities, cultures and experiences can encourage learners to consider perspectives that may be different from their own. It can support communication, critical thinking and self-awareness, while helping to create environments where people feel respected and able to participate.

Most importantly, creating opportunities for people to see themselves represented can help foster a sense of belonging.

The Virtual Pride Gallery provided exactly that opportunity. By contributing their own creative work, learners were not simply learning about Pride. They were helping to shape a shared celebration and ensuring that their voices were part of it.

The benefits of creative learning in prison

Creative learning can support a wide range of skills that are valuable both during a prison sentence and beyond release.

Taking part in the Virtual Pride Gallery supported the development of:

• Confidence, through sharing creative work and having their ideas recognised
• Communication, through expressing thoughts, experiences and perspectives
• Self-management, through planning and completing creative work
• Critical thinking, through reflecting on identity, inclusion and different experiences
• Creative skills, through experimenting with different forms of artistic expression
• Connection and belonging, through contributing to a shared project with learners across multiple establishments

These skills can contribute to positive engagement with education and help learners build the confidence and self-belief needed to take their next steps.

Bringing learners together through a virtual exhibition

One of the strengths of the project was its ability to connect learners across different establishments.

Bringing creative work from HMP Styal, HMP Hindley, HMP Risley, HMP Liverpool and HMP Buckley Hall together created a shared exhibition that was bigger than any one establishment.

The virtual format also provided an alternative way for learners to participate in Pride celebrations, making it possible for creative contributions from across Lot 6 to be showcased collectively.

It demonstrated how education can create connections and provide opportunities for learners to contribute to something beyond their immediate environment.

Feeling seen, heard and valued

Feeling that your identity and experiences are recognised can have a powerful impact on how connected you feel to the people and communities around you.

For people in prison, opportunities to express identity and creativity can be particularly meaningful. The Virtual Pride Gallery created a space where learners could share their perspectives and have those contributions recognised.

That does not mean everyone needs to share the same experiences or views. Instead, it is about creating an environment where people can learn from one another, understand difference and feel that they have a place within the wider community.

This is an important part of creating inclusive learning environments.

Pride and the power of belonging

This weekend, Manchester will be filled with celebrations of LGBTQ+ identity, community and culture. The Manchester Village Pride Parade will bring people together under the theme No Place Like Home, celebrating the idea of Manchester as a welcoming place for LGBTQ+ people.

The Virtual Pride Gallery reflects some of those same ideas within prison education.

Whether through a piece of artwork, a poem, a digital creation or a few carefully chosen words, creative expression can give people the opportunity to explore who they are, understand others and feel that their voice matters.

At Novus, we believe education should create opportunities for everyone to learn, develop and feel included.

The Virtual Pride Gallery is one example of how learning can help people explore identity, celebrate diversity and build a stronger sense of belonging - supporting the confidence, skills and positive engagement that can help people move forward.