Art, prisons and health symposium

Ikon Gallery’s Art in Prisons programme places artist residencies in four prisons: HM Grendon, HMP Spring Hill, HMP Aylesbury and HMP Birmingham. Each residency shares the core belief that art practice can be a force for good in carceral settings.

Since 2025, Ikon has been producing an artist residency at HMP Birmingham, a Category B prison with approximately 1000 male prisoners, many of whom are on remand or unsentenced.

This Art, Prisons and Health Symposium is organised by Ikon in partnership with Agder Kunstakademi and the University of Birmingham’s Culture Forward initiative as part of Healing Arts Birmingham (HABrum).

In showcasing initiatives from the UK and Norway – Art at HMP Birmingham, Agder Kunstakademi and Project Phoenix and Project Athena – it highlights contrasting philosophies of criminal justice and criminal care whilst reflecting on the role of creative practice within the prison and probation systems.

The symposium includes a display of photographs from the Project Phoenix (for male) and Project Athena (for female) initiatives, a co-collaboration between University of Birmingham and Keele University, to provide personalised long-term support to people leaving prison and returning to North East Lincolnshire (NEL). They aim to support prison leavers to lead stable, healthy and fulfilling lives in the community, reduce crime and ensure continuity of care.

• More information, including the symposium schedule

It is supported by the Birmingham City Council Public Health, Marie-Louise von Motesiczky Charitable Trust, KORO – Public Art Norway, University of Birmingham.

• Directions, parking and accessibility information for the venue

[Photo credit: What are the Odds? Ikon Creative Health (2026). Installation View, Library of Birmingham. Image Courtesy Ikon. Photo by Tod Jones. ]