Prison Conversations

These events will take place using Zoom, a free online video chat service. For security reasons, booking via Eventbrite is essential and a hyperlink will be sent out via Eventbrite email to all attendees 1hr before the event start time, hence bookings will end at 4.30pm. Click the hyperlink at 5:30pm to access the live talk.

Marking the culmination of her expansive ‘Free and the Unfree’ commission with Mansions of the Future and the upcoming premier of ‘Project Zed’, artist Ruth Beale will be co-hosting a two-part series of online conversations, alongside MotF Assistant Producer Bhav Bhella. The events will feature contributions from academics, criminologists, arts and cultural rehabilitation initiatives and ex-prisoners, exploring perspectives on incarceration, educational and cultural prison programmes, representation and dignity.

The city of Lincoln holds The Magna Carta and the Charter of the Forest. Two iconic documents stating the rights and liberties of ‘free men’ which influenced the western world. The distinction of ‘free men’ and ‘the unfree’ inspired Ruth Beale’s ‘Free and the Unfree’ commission and will serve as one of the points to explore the legal and social structures around the concept of freedom.

Incarceration, power and the state

Tuesday 1st September

Criminologist Lisa White will be in conversation with prison abolitionist John Bowden to offer an insight into the landscape of incarceration in the UK, and reflecting on the importance of these conversations in the current period of civil unrest, with the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement and mass protests calling to defund police that have remained consistent whilst enduring the global pandemic.

Arts, education and agency in prisons

Thursday 3rd September

Our second conversation will focus on the role of arts, culture and creativity within prisons. This was prompted by Ruth Beale delivering a series of creative workshops at HM Prison (HMP) Lincoln with a self selected group of four male prisoners. Through discussions surrounding civic engagement and responsibility, the group worked together to produce ‘Project Zed’, a co-written sci-fi conspiracy radio drama co-written by prisoners and artist Ruth Beale, to be premiered on National Prison Radio on 17th August.