News

​ ​ State of the Sector 2023 is live! The criminal justice voluntary sector has been mapped out, highlighting the changes over the past year. Clinks’ role is to support, […]

Clinks Thinks sets out Clinks’ key principles, policy ambitions and recommendations, developed in consultation with voluntary sector organisations.

Inspiring Futures has been an ambitious programme of work led by the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) delivered over 3 years. The Inspiring Futures project was a unique collaboration […]

The NCJAA is co-hosting events in Newcastle upon Tyne on September 14 and in Hampshire on October 13.

State of the sector research 2023 survey is now live! Respond by Monday 7 August We are calling on all arts specialist individuals and organisations working in criminal justice to […]

Read the latest eddition of our NCJAA newsletter round up of events, workshops, performances, news, funding opportunities, callouts and more.

Here at the NCJAA our aim is to ensure the arts are used within the criminal justice system as a springboard for positive change. Against the backdrop of a volatile […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance is thrilled to introduce Sarah Hartley as the newly appointed Co-Chair of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, commencing January 2023. Sarah has worked [...]

Throughout 2022 arts organisations and artists have time and again shown resilience, adaptability and determination in a time of change and resurgence of activity for the arts in criminal justice […]

We are delighted to present the Clinks Annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2022. The annual report details our achievements and progress towards our goals in [...]

We’re thrilled to introduce Lorraine Maher who joined the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance as the new NCJAA Manager to lead our team for the next year. Lorraine joined the [...]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance is delighted to announce Brenda Birungi aka Lady Unchained has been appointed as Co-Chair of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance in July 2022.  [...]

Whilst applications come in for the 2022 scheme, we talked to mentor Liz, a theatre practitioner, and her mentee David, a prison officer, about what they got out of the scheme.

Supporting, promoting and representing arts organisations in 2020-21

A new film by the University of Plymouth features interviews with over 120 people about their experience of the criminal justice system.

The 2021 Koestler Awards celebrate arts, music and writing from criminal justice settings.

If you’re involved in arts in criminal justice, tell us how you’ve been over the past year so we can represent your experiences with key decision makers.

The Irene Taylor Trust’s ‘Playlists’ project, all about discovering new music, is now on YouTube and in prisons via Way Out TV

If you have not been into a prison in the last 12 months, be sure to check whether your security clearance is still valid.

A new e-book from Clean Break features creative writing pieces by women from prisons across England and Wales.

The CJA Awards celebrate the outstanding individuals and organisations helping to make the criminal justice system fairer.

Arts Council England has issued guidelines on how arts organisations can continue to operate in a safe and accessible way.

We’re thrilled to announce that Janette Kilner has joined the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance as the new NCJAA Manager to lead our team into the future.

The thoughts of the Clinks team are with Anne Fox, Clinks’ Chief Executive Officer who is currently on compassionate leave after a family bereavement.

Our new guide for prison staff on enabling creative activity in a restricted regime through Covid-19 and beyond is now available to read.

A new book funded by the Monument Trust and compiled by Khulisa explores the role of kindness in the criminal justice system and is now available to order and read [...]

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound and severe impact on arts organisations and practitioners working in the criminal justice system. The challenges of the pandemic are compounded by the [...]

“What you realise by writing and creating original works is that the power of the imagination is bigger than any setting that any of us can find ourselves in.” - [...]

In October 2019, the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) embarked on a year-long local practice development project to scope arts in criminal justice settings in Buckinghamshire. Funded by the […]

After five years, NCJAA Chair Dr Alison Frater is moving on to become the new Chair of Clean Break. Alison’s leadership has brought new audiences and enhanced the NCJAA in [...]

On 23rd June, the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) hosted 79 delegates at our annual meeting. We asked: “How can the arts in criminal justice challenge race inequality, survive […]

We are very pleased to announce the appointment of the following new members to the NCJAA steering group: Brenda Birungi, poet and founder of Unchained Poetry; Jamal Khan, writer and […]

Voluntary organisations led by black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people have set out five areas for action that HM Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) must take in order to address […]

This year, there are six spaces available on the Steering Group and 19 candidates standing. Please help us choose new members of the Steering Group by following the link below, […]

Support for small-medium voluntary organisations working in criminal justice during the pandemic Voluntary organisations working in the criminal justice system with annual income under £500,000, including arts organisations, can apply […]

Please complete our short survey so we can help policy makers understand the impact of Covid-19 on arts in criminal justice. We need to hear from you if you’re a […]

As theatres around the world are forced to close their doors, experience Open Clasp Theatre Company‘s award-winning Key Change for free online. The prison drama goes live at 1pm on […]

Please note the information contained in this post may no longer be up to date. Clinks and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance are working to support the voluntary sector […]

Following the UK government announcement to move to the delay phase in its plan for tackling Covid-19 all Clinks and National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) staff are now temporarily […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance 2019-2020 annual survey is now open. It is vital we hear from as many of you as possible. This is a chance for you […]

Arts Council England has published its strategy for 2020-30. Clinks and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) are delighted that, following their recommendations, it identifies the criminal justice system […]

A National Justice Museum exhibition of women in prison is now available to experience as a virtual tour. The exhibition includes a collection of historic photographs of women living and […]

Sandwell Youth Offending Service (YOS) has become the first YOS in the country to be awarded a prestigious Artsmark Award. Staff at Sandwell YOS have spent the last 12 months […]

Anne Fox, Clinks CEO: “We are saddened by the loss of life at the Learning Together event last Friday – by the loss of passion, belief in the potential in […]

Changing Lives has completed an eight-week arts programme with women on probation orders from nine hubs across Northumbria. Run in partnership with Tyne and Wear Archive Museums and Northumbria Community […]

Open Clasp Theatre Company‘s Rattle Snake is a play based on real life stories of women who have faced and survived coercive controlling domestic abuse. It was originally developed as […]

Clinks has published its Impact assessment 2019, a report on an external assessment of its impact – which includes the work of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) – […]

We’ve launched an exciting new podcast featuring a selection of views from our recently released Crime and Consequence book, answering the question: what should happen to people who commit criminal […]

We’re delighted to announce the launch of Crime & Consequence – what should happen to people who commit criminal offences? This is the third in the series of books curated by the […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) has begun a 12-month local practice development project to scope arts in criminal justice settings in the Buckinghamshire region. Funded by the Rothschild […]

The Ministry of Justice’s Dynamic Purchasing System (DPS) has updated its terms to make it easier for sole traders to join the system and bid for education contracts. The DPS […]

A mural created at a local prison has been installed on Ipswich Waterfront for Art Eat Festival. Supported by the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance’s (NCJAA) professional mentoring scheme, the […]

The government has responded to a report by the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee into the social impact of participation in culture and sport. Clinks and the National Criminal […]

Prison-based record label InHouse Records has been awarded a £90,000 loan from Nesta‘s Cultural Impact Development Fund. The loan will extend its services from behind bars to ongoing support for people upon release. […]

Birmingham’s Ikon Gallery has announced Dean Kelland as its artist in residence for the next three years at HMP Grendon, Buckinghamshire. Kelland is Ikon’s third artist’s residency at HMP Grendon, […]

For the last two years Changing Tunes Midlands (CTM) has been bringing musicians-in-residence into prisons across their region. Based on a model using a therapeutic approach to teaching music and […]

This winter, to coincide with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, a new play tackling coercive controlling domestic abuse will be screened, for free, online and […]

Over 1,250 prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families have contributed to a new report titled What do you need to make the best use of your time in prison? Published by […]

Stratford-upon-Avon Literary Festival has been awarded funding from Arts Council England to develop its transformative Bedtime Stories project in prisons. The project, which builds literacy skills and encourages important family […]

Have your say on Arts Council England’s strategy for the next 10 years here (closes 23rd September 2019) See our response to the previous round of the consultation here (PDF) […]

Download the briefing here (PDF) The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, alongside Arts Council England, the Ministry of Justice and the charity Unlock, is asking arts, media and cultural organisations […]

Final year students from Central Saint Martins’ product design course are developing experimental prison cell furniture designs. The designs aim to generate a range that is not only robust and […]

Our new guide, Enhancing arts and culture in the criminal justice system: A partnership approach, is now available to download and read. The publication outlines the complex nature of the […]

Hampshire Cultural Trust (HCT) has been awarded £20,000 from the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner’s Safer Communities Fund for the pioneering arts intervention programme, Creating Change, now in its third […]

The Secretary of State for Justice, Rt Hon. David Gauke MP, has set out his blueprint for the future of probation, which brings all offender management under the public National […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance is pleased to see the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry into the social impact of participation in culture and sport recognise […]

Birmingham will be the latest city to host the Knife Angel as it continues its UK tour. Made from over 100,000 discarded knives and confiscated weapons from 43 police forces […]

National reading charity, The Reader, is working with Suffolk Libraries to launch a new kind of Shared Reading community in Suffolk. Through reading aloud together, the charity hopes to transform […]

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published a Policy Framework that details the minimum mandatory requirements that governors and prison staff must adhere to in the provision of education and […]

Since the Ministry of Justice announced its decision to end current probation contracts early and consider a new model for probation from 2020 onwards, Clinks has been working to ensure […]

We are pleased to see the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has published research from the development of a toolkit to measure the outcomes of arts and mentoring interventions for people […]

Prison arts charity, the Koestler Trust, is taking part in BBC Radio 4‘s upcoming charity appeal. This Sunday, tune in to hear the story of John, a former Koestler Awards entrant […]

The charity HDMT Music is set to publish findings from its music and resettlement project, One Spirit, which has reached 177 young people from three prisons over the past 12 […]

The RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) has published The Cultural Learning Evidence Champion’s Handbook. This handbook is designed to make it easier not only […]

Luke Barnes, writer of The Jumper Factory (Young Vic theatre, 27th February – 9th March, tickets) – a new play developed in collaboration with men from HMP Wandsworth – has written […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) has published its response to Arts Council England’s consultation on its next 10 year strategy. We welcome and support many of Arts Council England’s […]

It is vital we hear from as many National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) members as possible in our 2019 annual survey so we can provide the best network for […]

Last week Finding Rhythms showcased its recent activity inside and outside prison, and shared its ambitions for the future, in an evening event at Premier PR‘s London office. The charity […]

Community art worker, researcher and writer François Matarasso has published A Restless Art: How participation won, and why it matters. The book draws on four decades of Matarasso’s work making, observing, accompanying and […]

Francesca Cooney, Head of Policy at Prisoners’ Education Trust and National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance steering group member, has provided a useful update on the new prison education contracts in a […]

The Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport today recognised the value of arts in prisons in a speech announcing the winners of the Cultural Development Fund. Speaking […]

Drawing Connections is a project bringing together residents at HMP Springhill with students from the local Banbury and Bicester College Art Faculty in a series of artist-led workshops held at HMP Springhill. […]

Newly published Playing for Time Theatre Company – Perspectives from the Prison offers readers a resource for using theatre in criminal justice contexts, exploring ideas of identity, community, social justice and […]

The 2019 Koestler Awards – for artwork made by people in prison, in other secure units, or on probation – are now open for entries. Hard copies of the guidance […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance’s Re-imagining Futures report was this week referred to by crossbench peer Baroness Bull at the House of Lords debate on how sport, recreation, and […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance and Clinks are curating responses to the question “What should happen to people who commit criminal offences?” We are part of a collective of […]

Prison arts specialist Rideout (Creative Arts for Rehabilitation) has published a report of Past Time, a food and theatre project delivered at HMP Hewell in partnership with historians from the University of […]

The Comedy School‘s Keith Palmer has explained how It’s No Joke! teaches 10 and 11 year olds about knives – and why the comedy show and following Q&A with the actors […]

The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee held a session yesterday on the social impact of participation in culture and sport. Five ministers from across government attended as […]

Click here to read the full press release (pdf) The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) is delighted that senior government ministers, along with Arts Council England and major arts […]

A charity that has been purchasing educational books for prisoners since 1996, Haven Distribution, has won The Longford Trust‘s 2018 Prize. At last night’s sold-out Longford Lecture, Why do people stop doing […]

Arts Council England (ACE) today published Arts and culture in health and wellbeing and in the criminal justice system: A summary of evidence – the final piece of research conducted as part […]

Click here to read the NCJAA’s response to the consultation The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) is asking its members to have their say on Arts Council England’s (ACE) upcoming strategy for 2020-2030, […]

Our new flyer Why do arts in criminal justice matter? outlines the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance’s key messages and strategy for what we would like to see happen in the criminal […]

The Ministry of Justice’s ongoing selection stage of the Prison Education Dynamic Purchasing System (PEDPS) has been launched meaning providers can once again apply to participate. It is specifically designed […]

2018 marks the 20th year that Clinks has supported voluntary organisations working with people in the criminal justice system. For its 20th birthday and AGM, Clinks held a celebratory event featuring […]

The Big House is a theatre company and charity that works with care leavers and other young people who are at a high risk of social exclusion. It provides a platform […]

We are pleased to announce the Monument Fellowship, of which the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) is a part, has released its latest book today. Curing violence: How we […]

University of Wolverhampton’s Professor Laura Caulfield’s inaugural lecture on arts in the criminal justice system is now available to watch online. “Where I am now, I didn’t imagine I could […]

Carlo Gebler has spent nearly three decades working in the Northern Ireland prison system as a teacher of creative writing. Produced by Conor Garrett for BBC Northern Ireland, BBC Radio […]

2019 opens with Clean Break’s first season under new Artistic Directors, Anna Herrmann and Róisín McBrinn – featuring new plays, performances and projects created by artists, high profile partners and […]

Glas(s) Performance (UK producers of award-winning young people’s company Junction 25) has worked with young men in HMYOI Polmont to create an original theatre piece titled Motion, which explores questions of identity […]

Stretch Charity is characterised by an innovative arts and storytelling agenda that has proven successful in prisons and community projects for over a decade. Stretch has prepared a detailed report of Stretch […]

On 13 September, the Prisoner Learning Alliance (PLA) held its fourth annual awards for staff and mentors making a difference in prison education. This year the PLA received a record 1,300 nominations from […]

Beating Time’s singing group at HMP Maidstone, The Maidstone Jammers, was delighted to take part in this year’s One Day One Choir initiative – a global choral project in support […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance is pleased to announce we have successfully awarded seven small bursaries to help emerging artists with a lived experience of the criminal justice system […]

The latest issue of the HM Prison Service’s peer review journal is a special edition that focuses on The Arts in Prison. Edited by Dr Michael Fiddler and National Criminal […]

Written following a series of roundtable discussions commissioned by Arts Council England in 2017, and attended by leading voices in arts and criminal justice, What does success look like for […]

During July 2018, Voices from the Row, an exhibition of poetry and artwork by prisoners incarcerated on death row San Quentin, was held at the Poetry Café in London. It was well [...]

The Prisoner Policy Network is a new, free to join, network of prisoners, ex-prisoners and supporting organisations. Hosted by the Prison Reform Trust, it will make sure prisoners’ experiences are […]

The Cabinet Office and Ministry of Justice have put out a Call for Evidence asking for case studies from public, private and voluntary sector employers and organisations which support former prisoners to […]

The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) last week announced an eight-week public consultation on the future of probation. Clinks and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) welcome this announcement. Clinks’ TrackTR […]

A new pack of arts activities developed by Nepacs and Helix Arts, Hidden Voices, has been released today. The resource, co-produced with artists, children whose dads are in custody, and men in […]

Good Vibrations is campaigning to bring ‘more good vibes’ to its past participants. The communal music making charity, which supports people in challenging circumstances with additional needs, has developed a Beyond Performance project for people who […]

Arts Council England has recognised the importance of arts in criminal justice in their latest strategic plan. Published last week, their two-year Corporate Plan sets out their high-level priorities for delivering their 10-year strategy […]

We are pleased to announce the release of our new film Why do arts in criminal justice matter? Using interviews filmed during our 2017 Annual Conference at the National Theatre, the […]

Two recipients of The Longford Trust scholarship have been selected to exhibit their work in the 250th Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, which opened to the public today. The Longford Trust […]

The award-winning theatre company Clean Break has announced a new leadership team to take the company into its fifth decade of work with women in the criminal justice system. Founded […]

The Justice Secretary, David Gauke MP, has recognised the role and impact of the arts in criminal justice as he sets out his position on a prison service “close to breaking point”. In […]

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Erika Flowers to the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) Steering Group. Erika has a lived experience of the Criminal Justice System and […]

We are pleased to announce that the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance are one of the founding strategic members of the Culture, Health and Wellbeing Alliance. This new alliance brings together the National […]

To commemorate the centenary of women’s suffrage, the Koestler Trust is producing an art trail of Koestler Award-winning artworks by today’s women prisoners. The idea is simple but powerful: to […]

We are very pleased to share that the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance vice-chair, Andy Watson, has received an MBE for services to the Arts in the Criminal Justice System […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance and Clinks are among 60 contributors to ‘Life Beyond Crime’, a new book put together by The Monument Fellowship, convened by The Monument Trust. […]

Open Clasp are launching Key Change by Catrina McHugh MBE (Carol Tambor, Best of Edinburgh Award, 2015, New York Times Critics Pick, 2016) on the 25th November, to mark the […]

This statement is from the Arts Alliance parent, Clinks. David Lammy’s review shines a light on key points in the system which produce unequal outcomes for black, Asian and minority […]

The main conclusion of Peter Clarke, Chief Inspector of Prisons, in his annual report is that “prison reform will not succeed unless the violence and prevalence of drugs in jail […]

Following the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance’s response to a consultation on the provision in men’s prisons, we are pleased to see our recommendations appear in the form of a […]

The All Party Parliamentary Group on Arts, Health and Wellbeing (APPGAHW) was formed in 2014 and aims to improve awareness of the benefits that the arts can bring to health […]

Every year Clinks surveys voluntary sector organisations to collect information about how healthy the sector is, the role it is playing, and the wellbeing of service users. This year’s report […]

Katie McCue, art tutor, coordinator and curator of an exhibition at the Nelson Trust’s Gloucester Women’s Centre, talks about the recent exhibition and the impact that making art can have […]

We are very pleased to announce that the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance has been received a funding offer to become one of Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Sector Support […]

The National Criminal Justice Alliance is very pleased to announce the appointment of its new Vice-Chair. Andy Watson, Artistic Director of Geese Theatre Company will take over from Katy Haigh, […]

Background    Chris Johnston was a co-founder and co-director of Rideout between 1999 and 2017. He was a passionate exponent of theatre and social justice, with a particular interest in […]

Michael Brome is a prison officer at HMP Leicester with 13 years service. In this time he has worked in several areas and teams dealing with very challenging situations and […]

Malcolm Milner, Training and Development Manager at Good Vibrations, is looking for images from arts and criminal justice projects to accompany a piece of Gamelan music in a video about […]

Clean Break is very sad to announce the death of its longstanding employee Helen Pringle, Head of Finance and Senior Producer, who passed away peacefully on 14th May following a […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance is part of the Monument Trust’s Fellowship – a group of organisations brought together by the Monument Trust to collaborate on each stage of […]

Unlock Drama are offering a Theatre in Prison training day (date TBC). The training will take place in Milton Keynes, and will practically explore how to deal with varied scenarios […]

The Noel Buxton Trust offers small grants of up to £4,000 for three years to support work with prisoners and ex-offenders. The kinds of activities they fund include peer support […]

Youth Music provides funding for music-making projects in England for children and young people up to the age of 25. Youth Justice is one of their priority areas and they […]

We are looking for new research and evaluation reports on the impact of arts in criminal justice settings to publish in our Evidence Library. The Evidence Library is an online […]

The Ministry of Justice has published an up to date map showing the location of all the prisons in England and Wales. The map is colour coded to highlight which [...]

Fine Cell Work, the charity which trains and pays prisoners to do fine needlework in their cells for commercial sale, is planning to open a London-based crafts training studio for […]

Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) will replace the National Offender Management Service (NOMS). HMPPS will have full responsibility for the operational management of offenders in custody and the […]

Arts charity Safe Ground has received its latest Justice Data Lab report, which for the first time includes an analysis of their Fathers Inside programme. The report highlights the significant […]

For three weeks in August 2016, funded by the Foyle Foundation and managed by engage Cymru in partnership with Unitas, six young people at Hillside Secure Unit and eight people […]

On 23rd November 2016, Orchestras Live held a symposium to examine the barriers that face people when accessing and engaging in high quality orchestral performances. In her summary of the […]

If you couldn’t make it to this year’s Anne Peaker lecture on 7th December, we’ve Storified the Tweets from the night. The event focused on the use of film and […]

The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA)’s annual member survey gathers information from arts and criminal justice organisations to assess whether the work we are undertaking fits what is needed […]

On 8th December 2016, the Minister of State for Digital and Culture Matt Hancock gave a speech on the importance of philanthropic support for the arts as part of the […]

A new range of ‘conscious fashion’ bags, offering a form of crime prevention, were launched on 24th November. The first range of Makeright bags has been designed by inmates from […]

We are delighted to share the news that the 2016 Longford Prize has been awarded jointly to Unlock and the Shakespeare Trilogy Project. The Shakespeare Trilogy Project comprises of the Donmar Warehouse, Clean […]

Miss Represented is a multi-disciplinary arts collective working with young women facing challenging life situations and has become a lifeline to its members. Achievements include collaborating with award-winning rapper Plan […]

Following the book and national exhibition ‘Great Interactions’, which captured images and stories of people with learning disabilities and autism in educational and care settings, award-winning photographer Polly Braden and […]

The Monument Trust‘s long-held objective has been to keep young people out of prison, and to ensure that those who offend and are sent to prison never go back. The […]

Written by Andy Parkinson from Consilium Research and Consultancy on behalf of the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance, this guide provides those with responsibility for supporting the education, health, wellbeing […]

Recruit! is a new website that supports UK employers to recruit people with convictions and helps them to deal with criminal records fairly. It’s managed by unlock as part of […]

HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for England and Wales has published the Annual Report for 2015-16. The report shows that prisons have not improved and in some key areas have become even worse. On a national level, while various aspects of the problem are being addressed through criminalising possession of NPS and the better use of testing and detention technologies, there is as yet no overall national strategy for dealing with the problem.

Tap Social Movement is a start-up craft brewery established to provide training and employment opportunities to people who have had contact with the Criminal Justice System. In addition to offering work experience, training and long term employment opportunities in their own brewery, they are working with other breweries to identify openings and make successful matches UK-wide in this growing industry.

The Creative Wales Awards will provide grants of up to £20,000 to support an intensive period of open-ended learning and research around significant artistic propositions in Wales. The Awards are available to individual arts practitioners for creative development projects, including taking time away from usual commitments to concentrate on a specific project.