HMPYOI Feltham 2021 - 2023

We're delighted to be working with the inspiring and talented Lady Unchained at Feltham who is mentoring one of the young adults we met 2 years ago. He is an amazing poet and rapper who blew us away with his talent when we met him. We can't wait to see what this collaboration produces. When we discussed mentoring he said he would love Lady Unchained as his mentor but that he didn't expect she would come. We asked. She did. Sometimes we need to be more ambitious for the young adults we work with in custody, not less. 

We're currently working with 5 young men who we met at Feltham on creative projects in the community. We look forward to sharing their creations soon.  

At the start of 2023 we'll be trialling a new creative hub at Feltham. We'll work with 10 young adults to respond to creative briefs from both within and outside of the prison. A lot of work in criminal justice stays in criminal justice and we'd like to see more of it in the community. Community projects in the prison can help build skills, confidence and pathways back to society.

In 2021-2022 we've been working with young adults at Feltham to improve the environment they are in. They have been invited to consider how they can use creativity to communicate something important to them. Artworks developed have included those with inspiring messages and calming tones. 

The piece above was developed by five young adults reflecting on COP26, when invited to share what message they wanted to communicate through their own creativity. It will be going up in the prison soon to get everyone thinking about the planet we want future generations to inherit

We have also supported young artists at Feltham to enter their work into the 2022 Koestler Awards and have recently co-created a new mural in Education to aid positive well-being.