In March 2014 Creative Scotland, in partnership with the Scottish Prisons Service, ran a conference in HMP Barlinnie to look at work completed to date as part of the Arts and Criminal Justice Action Plan.

The conference showcased some of the excellent work being carried out by artists, arts organisations and learning providers in the prisons, stimulating discussion around the future of arts and justice in Scotland.

The work showcased at the conference has impacted upon communities affected by crime in Scotland as well as prisoners. The conference itself drew delegates from a broad range of professionals working within the areas of justice, health or the arts.

A challenging choice of venue

Hosting the conference in HMP Barlinnie allowed prisoners who have taken part in the arts programme to contribute to and share in the conference, and groups of prisoners performed theatre and music during the course of the day.

The conference showcased work by the Scottish Prison Service, learning providers, nine community based arts organisations and three arts organisations working in prisons as well as a number of individual artists.

Developing the role of creative learning

Throughout the work of the Arts and Criminal Justice Action Plan participants have been encouraged to think creatively and reflect closely during the process of creating work. The conference helped delegates to consolidate this learning and reflect deeply on the processes involved, raising awareness of the power and potential of the arts to change lives, and the importance of partnership working.

For further details contact Emma Turnbull at Creative Scotland: Emma.Turnbull@creativescotland.com