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Monument Fellowship

The Monument Fellowship

Working together to improve criminal justice

In 2016 the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) was invited by The Monument Trust to join a six-year funded fellowship, bringing together a group of organisations covering every stage of a person’s journey through the criminal justice system. At the end of The Monument Trust’s 50 years, The Monument Fellowship recognises the enormous added value of organisations working together – and will set on course a movement to build upon and go beyond the trust’s work.

The Monument Trust is now closed and The Woolbeding Charity was formed in 2017 to bring to completion its remaining grant commitments and legacy work.

The Monument Fellowship consists of:

Each year The Monument Fellowship works around a theme together and chooses a question to answer across our organisations and our networks. These answers are collected and translated in to practice and a creative output, such as an event or publication.


2020: What role do kindness, hope and compassion play in the criminal justice system?

In 2020, Khulisa curated the Monument Fellowship book, exploring the role of kindness in the criminal justice system. With creative, disruptive and innovative contributions from practitioners, people with lived experience, and policy makers, each contribution in this book touches on the transformative, and often life-saving, impact of kindness, hope and compassion on the lives of those with experience of the criminal justice system. Among the book’s contributors are poet Mr Gee and Brenda Birungi, poet and host of the 2020 Anne Peaker lecture.

Find out more


2019: What should happen to people who commit criminal offences?

In 2019, Clinks and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance curated responses to the question “What should happen to people who commit criminal offences?” The book, Crime and Consequence, is a collection of essays and creative reflections on one of the most important questions for our society. Contributors include academics, business leaders, artists, criminal justice professionals, charity leaders and prisoners themselves. An accompanying podcast will be launched later in November. Find out more


2018: How do we create a less violent society?

Curing violence: How we can become a less violent society, published by The Centre for Justice Innovation, is a collection of essays that seek to not only describe the problem of violence in our society but also to offer solutions. As part of the NCJAA’s contribution to the question, we held our annual Anne Peaker Lecture on the theme of art and violence in society. Find out more


2017: What do those at risk of offending, prisoners and ex-offenders need to learn?

In its inaugural year, The Monument Fellowship addressed the above question by producing a book, Life Beyond Crime. Published by Lemos & Crane, the book draws together through prose, poems and pictures the assembled first-hand experience and wisdom of more than 60 contributors. Life Beyond Crime is available to purchase from The Koestler Trust for £15. Find out more


Find out more about The Monument Fellowship


Image courtesy of Paul Gent

Working together to improve criminal justice

In 2016 the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) was invited by The Monument Trust to join a six-year funded fellowship, bringing together a group of organisations covering every stage of a person’s journey through the criminal justice system. At the end of The Monument Trust’s 50 years, The Monument Fellowship recognises the enormous added value of organisations working together – and will set on course a movement to build upon and go beyond the trust’s work.

The Monument Trust is now closed and The Woolbeding Charity was formed in 2017 to bring to completion its remaining grant commitments and legacy work.

The Monument Fellowship consists of:

Each year The Monument Fellowship works around a theme together and chooses a question to answer across our organisations and our networks. These answers are collected and translated in to practice and a creative output, such as an event or publication.


2020: What role do kindness, hope and compassion play in the criminal justice system?

In 2020, Khulisa curated the Monument Fellowship book, exploring the role of kindness in the criminal justice system. With creative, disruptive and innovative contributions from practitioners, people with lived experience, and policy makers, each contribution in this book touches on the transformative, and often life-saving, impact of kindness, hope and compassion on the lives of those with experience of the criminal justice system. Among the book’s contributors are poet Mr Gee and Brenda Birungi, poet and host of the 2020 Anne Peaker lecture.

Find out more


2019: What should happen to people who commit criminal offences?

In 2019, Clinks and the National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance curated responses to the question “What should happen to people who commit criminal offences?” The book, Crime and Consequence, is a collection of essays and creative reflections on one of the most important questions for our society. Contributors include academics, business leaders, artists, criminal justice professionals, charity leaders and prisoners themselves. An accompanying podcast will be launched later in November. Find out more


2018: How do we create a less violent society?

Curing violence: How we can become a less violent society, published by The Centre for Justice Innovation, is a collection of essays that seek to not only describe the problem of violence in our society but also to offer solutions. As part of the NCJAA’s contribution to the question, we held our annual Anne Peaker Lecture on the theme of art and violence in society. Find out more


2017: What do those at risk of offending, prisoners and ex-offenders need to learn?

In its inaugural year, The Monument Fellowship addressed the above question by producing a book, Life Beyond Crime. Published by Lemos & Crane, the book draws together through prose, poems and pictures the assembled first-hand experience and wisdom of more than 60 contributors. Life Beyond Crime is available to purchase from The Koestler Trust for £15. Find out more


Find out more about The Monument Fellowship


Image courtesy of Paul Gent