Integrating Arts into offender learning

24th September 2013

Purpose of today

We want to look at the challenges and possible solutions of how arts can contribute to helping providers and establishments make progress under OLASS 4.

Using the information from the day we aim to write up a toolkit for providers which offers practical solutions.

How did this event come about?

• Through the Arts Forum; a tri-annual meeting with the Arts Alliance and government officials.

Policy context

• Sharon Barrett –NOMS• Richard Ward - BIS• Sarah Stear – SFA

About the Arts Alliance

• We have over 370 members (artists, prison staff etc.)• 1000 plus on the mailing list• The Chair of the Arts Alliance is Tim Robertson the

CEO Koestler Trust and we are managed by Clinks

What do we do?Aim; to ensure offenders get access to arts opportunities as a springboard to positive change, by:• commissioning independent research • Raising the profile of arts in CJS• Influencing policy makers• Developing and sharing good practice through our

events and network

Myth busting1. Arts are not relevant to the labour market2. The arts are just a bit of gentle occupational

therapy to keep prisoners quiet3. It’s a ‘nice to have’, but arts don’t link with

real learning outcomes and there is no evidence that they work

4. Arts aren’t very cost effective5. Arts are not a priority under OLASS 4 and

too difficult to deliver within the new contracts

1. Arts are not relevant to the labour market

• Businesses in the UK arts and culture industry generated an aggregate turnover of £12.4 billion in 2011

• The arts and culture industry employed, on average, 110,600 full‐time equivalent employees in the UK during the period 2008‐2011.

• the economic contribution of the arts and cultural sector has grown since 2008, despite the UK economy as a whole remaining below its output level before the global financial crisis

(The Arts Council)

• The Arts Council England

2. The arts are just a bit of gentle occupational therapy to keep prisoners quiet

Research shows that arts contribute towards;

• (1) Sustained or improved physical or mental well‐being. There is clear evidence that the process of the arts projects addressed this outcome.

• (4) Improved literacy skills. Participating in the Inspiring Change projects built an active learning culture, motivated prisoners to improve their skills and learn in ways that suited them and encouraged them to achieve their goals.

• (6) Maintained or improved relationships with family, peers, and community. Benefits were most evident for those whose families attended the performances and shows. We also found numerous instances of enhanced peer relationships.

• (9) Improvements in the attitudes or behaviour which lead to offending and greater acceptance of responsibility in managing their own behaviour and understanding of the impact of their offending on victims and on their own families

3. It’s a ‘nice to have’, which doesn’t link with real learning outcomes

Unitas (who work with young people to deliver arts interventions)• Over 70 youth offending teams

participate• 1279 Summer Arts Colleges

participants achieved Bronze Arts Award, 104 Silver Arts Award

• 69% increased literacy and numeracy (Tarling, R. 2012)

The Evidence Library

• The Arts Alliance Evidence Library just won an award from the RSPH for its contribution to research in arts and wellbeing

• http://artsevidence.org.uk/

4. Arts are not very cost effective?

• Our research carried out with NPC found that companies such as Clean Break and Only Connect can save public money in the long term

• Arts project can be delivered entirely through philanthropic funding

• Also it’s a cost effective way to address the outcomes already mentioned

5. Arts are not a priority under OLASS 4 and too difficult to deliver with the new contractsIn the first year of OLASS 4, there have been over 14,000 enrolments onto arts courses across the Prison estate.

668+ arts based courses are listed on the Skills Funding Agency approved for public funding list in 2013/14.

Good practice case studies

• North West Cluster; being more creative with less resources (John Platt & Pat Walker Director of Quality, and Manchester college)

• HMP Peterborough; using social enterprise (Ann Bellamy)

• Write to be Heard (Erin Riley & Patrice Lawrence)

• HMP Everthorpe; a philanthropic model (Mary Devane)

Discussion groups; challenges and solutions of integrating arts into;1. Accreditation and progression routes (Nina

Champion)2. Employability and social enterprise (Jess Mullen)3. Embedding basic and functional skills (literacy,

numeracy, language and IT) (Sara Lee)4. Improving teaching standards and Ofsted grading

(Jen Walters)5. Personal & Social development (Patrice

Lawrence)6. Improving prison culture, behaviour and engaging

the hard to reach (Sylvia Hines)

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