Culture, Public Health and the Experience of Incarceration: Exploring Cross-Sector Collaboration

The gathering brought together researchers and staff from the University of Birmingham and University of Wolverhampton, artists, and representatives from different cultural organisation, such as Birmingham Hippodrome, Birmingham Royal Ballet and Midlands Arts Centre.

The event began with a variety of presentations. Linzi Stauvers, Artistic Director (Education) of the Ikon Gallery, alongside an artist-in-residence working in HMP Grendon, delivered an engaging presentation on the ‘Art in Prisons’ project, highlighting the transformative impact of artistic programmes within correctional facilities.

Mia Parkes, a PhD researcher in Modern Languages from the University of Birmingham, presented her research on women's experiences of UK immigration detention, offering valuable insights into this pressing issue.

Following a short break, attendees participated in group discussions and feedback activities, fostering a collaborative environment to share ideas and strategies for enhancing public health through cultural initiatives. The questions were as follows:

• What can culture do to make a positive difference to formerly incarcerated people by reducing recidivism?
• What contribution can culture make to the mental wellness of those who experience/have experienced incarceration?
• How can culture help us to interpret or understand what ‘justice’ is/means?
• How can culture represent the experiences of incarceration for an unfamiliar or prejudiced audience?

Linzi Stauvers commented, ‘For 10 years, Ikon Gallery has been running a visual arts programme at HMP Grendon. The Culture Forward sandpit, collaboratively organised by the University of Birmingham and Birmingham City Council’s Public Health team, allowed us to share good practice whilst considering how we might model creative practice into different carceral settings. We discussed the ethical complexities of evaluating projects in prisons, which rely on the development of trusting relationships between the artists, producers, staff and residents. With the academics, we started to consider creative approaches to demonstrating the impact of artistic practice on the wellbeing of the prisoners, the wider prison community and people on parole.’

The sandpit underscored the importance of integrating creative approaches within public health frameworks, emphasising collaboration between cultural organisations and health institutions to drive positive community outcomes. Culture Forward extends its thanks to the Ikon Gallery for their brilliant hosting and for the opportunity to have the event take place in the midst of the awe-inspiring Dion Kitson Rue Brittania exhibition, which is open to the public until 8^thSeptember 2024.