Prisoners turn bare wall into "joyful and light" mural

Tuesday 02 July 2019

Female prisoners at Les Nicolles have brightened up an outdoor area through a series of art workshops.

Around 10 prisoners contributed to an art project that was jointly funded by Arts for Impact and Les Nicolles' resident charity, Creative Learning In Prison.

AFI's Helen Bonner-Morgan led a series of workshops of 10 weeks, during which time she said the female prisoners forged new connections as they discussed the inspiration behind their work. 

"My intention was to give each participant the opportunity to contribute to the artwork," she said. "I introduced them to a series of accessible techniques to make sure there was real flow and creativity. I wanted them to get the materials and feel that they could get stuck in. 

"There were good vibes when we were working together, there was no judgement and I was really thrilled with the opportunity. The overriding theme was to create connections with new people."

The prisoners' artwork has been applied to weather-proof tiles for permanent display at Les Nicolles. 

Ms Bonner-Morgan said conversations had ranged from the natural world, artists from different eras and other areas of interest and inspiration. 

'I believe creativity promotes courage and when you find yourself in this situation, getting the courage to creatively think about your future is extremely important. Creativity promotes the sense that you can create your own future and art really helps you explore that."

Dave Le Feuvre, Head of Learning & Skills at Guernsey Prison, said the project provided an excellent opportunity for their female prisoners to develop new skills.

"It has also produced a beautiful work of art to brighten up the view from their accommodation wing."

CLIP Chairman Iain Stokes said they were happy to financially support the project with Arts for Impact.

"It clearly meets our stated vision to contribute towards the rehabilitation of prisoners through the provision of a wide range of education and learning opportunities," he said.

Pictured top: Dave Le Feuvre and Helen Bonner-Morgan in front of the mural (Photography by Chris George).