MK College prison learners win big at national art awards
It’s been another hugely successful year for Milton Keynes College’s prison learners who have taken part in this year’s Koestler Awards, run by the UK’s best known and oldest prison arts charity.
The Koestler Arts awards is an annual national arts competition and Koestler Arts also hold exhibitions and events across the UK to showcase the talent and potential of prisoners and people in secure settings – often causing visitors to reconsider negative stereotypes.
Every one of the College’s 30 sites had learners gain Koestler Awards, with prison learners being awarded a total of 511 different awards.
Mark Fisher, a Prison Services Director at MK College Group, commented: “Our prisons have been extremely well represented at the Koestler Awards for many years; however, we are pleased to say that this total is the largest ever and is a year-on-year increase from 456 in 2023.
“Our teachers encourage and support the learners to select and present their best work. They also take the responsibility for collecting and cataloguing all the work. They wrap up everything, even large-scale models and ensure all work is sent to Koestler. Making sure it can be traced en route and sent back to the creator after the judging. All this activity is over and above what is required by a normal teacher and is a huge undertaking each year.
Turner Prize winner, Jeremy Deller, and former prisoner-turned-artist, John Costi, will co-curate No Comment, the 17th edition of Koestler Arts’ annual UK exhibition at the Southbank Centre. The show will feature a selection of works by prisoners, secure mental health patients, immigration detainees, and other individuals in secure settings, from the UK and abroad, all submitted to the Koestler Awards.
Of the 200 artworks selected for the exhibition, 12 are from the two prisons on the Isle of Wight, with seven from HMP Albany and 5 from HMP Parkhurst, a fantastic achievement.
Koestler asked tutors nationwide to put forward suggestions for a theme for their 2025 competition and exhibition, and we’re delighted to announce they have chosen ‘Wings’, a concept suggested by Richard Wallis, Programme Manager at HMP Albany.
Mark Fisher added: “Congratulations to all our learners who contributed artworks and were awarded prizes, and to their tutors who have supported them during this process”.
To find out more about MK College Group’s work in prisons, visit Prison Services – MK College
