An exhibition of paintings and drawings by prisoners introduced by Marc Breen, course tutor at HMP Belmarsh.
The prison education department runs art classes from Monday to Friday. Lessons are attended by both those with and without experience in the subject, or indeed of education in any form, and the work on show is from the classes that took place in 2007.
Being incarcerated and having the mindset to cope with any form of learning is not an ideal situation, so for most students just turning up for class is a big step.
From there it's a matter of trying to motivate the learners by persuading them that they don't have to be good at something to enjoy it and by informing them that there are things in art that can be taught. Improvements can be seen very quickly, and this builds their confidence – art is a constructive way to voice their opinions and people are interested in what they have to say.
Students concentrate on their own projects whilst, at the same time, learning to experiment with various media and building a portfolio of work (the work is accredited by the OCN – we currently have students working on Entry Level through to Level 3).
We exhibited the men's work at Lewisham College last year as part of their celebration of Adult Learners Week (and we are lucky enough to be able to move the exhibition directly to Lewisham when the run at the Mary Ward Centre comes to an end on the 2 nd February).
On a personal note, I find the classes as rewarding as my students do. I am often surprised and amazed at the honesty and quality of work produced in the classroom.
The works on show are only the tip of the iceberg and the subject matter ranges from ‘Big Bang Theory' to complimentary colours and textures - I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.
Mary Ward Centre staircase galleries. (Normal Centre opening times – Weekday 9.30 – 9.30pm, Saturdays 9.30 – 6pm).
