WDFAS - Young Arts

Since the foundation of Weybridge DFAS some ten tears ago, a variety of Young Arts (YA) projects, mainly involving local schools, have been supported. In October 2009, however, we had the unique opportunity to come together with an organisation known as the “Send Family Link” and, by means of a YA grant, to provide for an art activity at HMP Send, a closed female prison with approximately 280 inmates situated just outside the village of Send, near Woking in Surrey.

The “Send Family Link” is a registered charity that supports families visiting women in custody at HMP Send .It is situated in the Visitor Centre immediately outside the prison gates. Its primary objective is to help families maintain relationships during a prison sentence and to help reduce the emotional stress of visiting a loved one in custody. A particular emphasis is placed on children with a mother in prison for it’s a sad fact that in such circumstances only about 5% of children are able to remain in the family home during the period of the sentence with the result that the lives of many are often severely disrupted as they learn to cope not only with feelings of loss and separation but frequently with the effects of social stigma. As for the prisoners themselves, nearly half lose all contact with families during the term of imprisonment and yet research shows that where family ties are kept up, prisoners make a smoother transition back into society on release and tend to offend less in the future.

The aim of the Send Family Link Charity is to make visits to prison a positive experience for children whilst at the same time enhancing the quality of visits for adults by giving them the opportunity to be with their children in a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere. To this end, they organise special Family Day visits to HMP Send six times a year when mothers and children can spend a whole day in each other’s company with the opportunity to move around freely and to play. Provision is made for children to share activities or play with the prisoner under the active encouragement and supervision of a dedicated team of Send Family Link volunteers.

Following an initial decision by the WDFAS committee to make a YA grant available for art materials to support the work of the Send Family Link, a meeting was held between members of the Charity, the Send HMP authorities and myself, as WDFAS Young Arts representative together with my YA predecessor, Clare Mitchelmore. The original purpose of the meeting had been to find out more about the Charity’s requirements for art materials but as the discussion developed and the activities of Send Family Link were explained in greater detail, it became clear that there were potentially more exciting possibilities for NADFAS support other than just help in purchasing art equipment or supplies.

Having attended a YA area meeting earlier in the year I had been most impressed by a presentation given by visual artist Sadie James on children’s arts projects that she had been involved with. I suggested to the meeting that an approach be made to her to see if she would be interested in developing a WDFAS funded arts project for the Send Family Link. All parties agreed that I should get in touch with her and put forward our proposals - so we were delighted with Sadie’s response that she was keen to be involved. We all had a further get together for Sadie to meet the charity’s co-ordinators and to be given background briefing on the requirements for working inside the prison. Following this Sadie then suggested ideas on what would be appropriate activities for a mixed age range taking into account the relevant constraints.

On Family Visit Days, children arrive during the morning, some having travelled considerable distances to be with their mother. There are usually about 20 at any one time with an age range up to about 16 years old. The entire day is spent with their mothers but the main “play” activity, organised by Send Family Link, takes place after lunch. Unfortunately, because the “Family Visits” are an extended addition to normal visiting they also have to take place within the prison, in the Visiting Hall. Consequently, on the day, only helpers with special clearance would be on hand to assist Sadie and, as a result, no representative from WDFAS was able to be present to observe the proceedings.

Organising and supervising the day was obviously going to be a challenge, given the age range of the children involved (from toddlers to 16); a certain amount of chaos was to be expected. Also there were security concerns that gave rise to added pressure and responsibility for the Family Link helpers and for Sadie. Scissors, for example, had to be kept under Sadie’s control and in constant view at all times, but even with all the constraints and initial apprehensions, Sadie reported that there was actually little difference in atmosphere to any normal school project.

The children were divided into two groups, both would design and paint an object; the older age group being provided with proper artist canvases while the younger ones were given large stones (collected, incidentally, from along the River Wye in Mid- Wales by myself - I’m not sure if this was entirely legal but it was in a good cause !) It was intended that, by the end of the day each child, would have an item to take away with them, either to keep or use as a gift.

Having only previously worked on paper, the children were both pleased and intrigued to be working on actual objects and using what was for them new materials, such as acrylic paints and other mediums. The mothers also pitched in and enjoyed helping the children, all of whom participated with great enthusiasm. A teenage girl being so keen that she produced three canvases which she wanted to have framed and put on the wall in time for her mother’s release from prison. Also, one young boy very touchingly just painted a single word on his stone –“MUM”.

By the time the activity drew to an end, all the children had managed to produce something and all were genuinely pleased with the day, with themselves and their finished objects. Having said their goodbyes and returning to the Visitor Centre everyone was extremely eager and excited to have their artworks recorded on camera and patiently queued waiting their turn. Sadly it was not permitted to include the children in the pictures but, as can be seen from the photographs taken some of the artwork produced was really quite impressive. Sheila Drew, West Surrey YA Area Rep, and I were there to meet the children who talked to us about their artwork and how much they had enjoyed doing it. Several mentioned that they hadn’t realised that they had the talent to paint such nice pictures.

Asked for her view of the day’s events, Sadie said that it had been one of the most worthwhile projects that she had ever been involved in. Clearly, for the mums and their children the experience provided a welcome distraction from the harsh reality of their life. “In fact”, she said, “there were times during the day when you weren’t conscious at all of being in a prison”. On a more poignant level, however, Sadie was keenly aware, too, of how the emotional and mutual act of self expression and creativity definitely served to bring mother and child closer together.

The activity day had been, in Sadie’s opinion, a very positive and rewarding experience for both parties – the more so for the children who clearly took a great deal of enjoyment out of making a present for their mum. Meanwhile, those of us concerned with this project hope that, as a result of the day’s events, some of these unfortunate children may feel that have found a talent or interest within themselves which they can take away and develop in the future. Weybridge DFAS considers this YA project to have had a valuable outcome for all involved and will therefore continue supporting it as an extended project.

(Sadie James is a graduate in Fine Arts from Exeter College and an MA graduate from Central St. Martins College of Art and Design. As a freelance artist she not only specialises in commercial projects (large murals, etc) and artist commissions but, as a qualified art teacher, she has also been involved in working with children of all ages in many types of educational arts projects, some of which have been in association with various NADFAS societies. She was also on the judging panel of the NADFAS Young Arts Competition 2009.Her current activities include writing and illustrating a series of children’s books with an Australian theme)