Artist in Residence
Artist in Residence at HMP Send. A high security prison in Surrey
Supported by Watts Gallery Artist Village Trust as part of their Art for All Community learning programme and by The Michael Varah Memorial Fund
Since 2015, Sophie Artemis has been working with groups of women, often serving long custodial sentences, over a series of weekly workshops for the Watts Gallery Studio Workshop Programme. The Michael Varah Memorial Fund, which has funded this programme since 2009, believes in the importance of the creative arts in rehabilitation and ‘survivability’ through prison; second chances; and building the artists’ belief that they can achieve, both here and ultimately on release. They say: “The ‘Our Time’ exhibition has become a flagship model of how women in prison can help influence positive change.” The social impact of this programme is immense: women make award-winning art, gain a sense of purpose, wellbeing and calm through attending these weekly sessions. They share their work with other prisoners on their wing, encouraging pride in their work and ideas. This programme transforms lives.
Community Engagement and volunteering: Inspired by the artists’ work at ‘Our Time’ 2021, the President of Haslemere Rotary Club, commissioned the group to paint a white fibre glass ‘Haslemere Hen’, which the group named ‘Egg Timer’- a piece of voluntary team work and community engagement by the women which was finished in May 2022 and which was auctioned to raise funds for the project. Individual members of the group also created Christmas card designs for the Bishops of Dorking and Guildford; the Office of Surrey’s Police and Crime Commissioner; for the then High Sheriff of Surrey and for the Surrey WI - a personal Christmas card and birthday card for the branch President, the Countess of Wessex
‘Our Time’, the pioneering prisoner-curated exhibition, has been held annually since 2017, inside HMP Send – where these artists meet their public – is the core of the group’s social enterprise, providing them with further transferable skills. Both the co-founders of ‘Our Time’, now released and working as artists, have used these skills to develop their own practice through the gates. For some of these artists, this is the first time in their lives that their work has been exhibited and their skills recognised.
The women’s work has been selected for exhibition for New Beginnings Arts Awards at the Lightbox, Woking- Showcasing the diverse range of artistic talent displayed by women in contact with the Criminal Justice System across the county, the exhibition consists of work submitted to the Women’s Support Centre, Woking, which is open to all women in Surrey prisons or those in contact with the Criminal Justice System. Participation and achievement in the arts motivates, inspires and helps women to develop the skills needed to lead a more positive life.
The group are also represented and have been awarded prizes in the Koestler Trust Awards at the Southbank Centre in London, most recently showing their group collaboration Artist Book piece which was exhibited in 2023. https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whats-on/art-exhibitions/koestler-arts-case-emergency
The women work to private commission so if you want to support this project and the women, you can buy postcards, notecards and calendars by visiting The Michael Varah Memorial Fund
