Straight outta Saughton

Straight-Outta-Saughton1-566x800The Edinburgh Peoples Festival presents an exhibition of paintings by the city’s prisoners.

An exhibition of paintings by prisoners at HMP Edinburgh opens to the public next week. ‘Straight Outta Saughton’ presented by the Edinburgh People’s Festival, begins a two week run at the WHALE Arts Centre in Wester Hailes starting Monday [29th August].

The paintings have recently been on display inside the prison but Peoples Festival Director Colin Fox believes they deserve to be seen by a wider audience.

‘The People’s Festival has a strong relationship with HMP Edinburgh having worked together on several projects over the past 14 years. We are hosting this remarkable exhibition of paintings by inmates at Saughton because they are worth seeing and provide a glimpse of the rehabilitation work that goes on inside the jail. We believe marginalised communities such as prisoners should be included in the artistic life of the city.

‘Like the prison staff we believe in the restorative power of art and in giving people the chance to put past mistakes and offending behaviour behind them. Art and culture can help that process.

‘This particular initiative allowed the prisoners to express themselves through their art and we are grateful to HMP Edinburgh for helping us to show the work. We are also indebted to WHALE Arts Centre for agreeing to host the show. We believe it is an important display and hope people from across the city will come and see it.’

‘STRAIGHT OUTTA SAUGHTON’ runs at the WHALE Arts Centre, 30 Westburn Grove, Wester Hailes from Monday 29th August until Monday 12th September 9am-5pm.

Comments (5)

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  1. Derek says:

    This is what the Koestler Trust has been doing for many years. https://www.koestlertrust.org.uk/
    They go further in that they support the making of art in prisons and similar organisations.
    Inevitably it’s a London-based organisation therefore prominent in the south-east.
    https://www.koestlertrust.org.uk/ for ideas.

  2. Frank says:

    I don’t understand the what the purpose of the Edinburgh Peoples Festival is?

    1. What bit do you find confusing?

    2. Darby O'Gill says:

      The Edinburgh People’s Festival is a registered charity dedicated to advancing the the right of every citizen to access the world’s greatest arts festival and the greatest art and culture the world has to offer.
      It was founded in 2002 by a small group of community activists and arts enthusiasts. Initially it was to be simply a one-off tribute to Hamish Henderson, the Scots singer songwriter, folk musician, working class intellectual and founder of the original People’s Festival (1951-1954) who died that year.
      The enormous success of that 2002 gala evening however encouraged us so much that we decided to press on and see how far Hamish’s idea of a festival ‘for the people and by the people’ could be taken in the modern context.
      Over the past fourteen years we have built up a unique event, presenting many imaginative and acclaimed performances and we have kept to its inclusive spirit throughout. We are determined to see the Edinburgh People’s Festival get even bigger and better in the years to come. We are determined to ensure that the world’s greatest arts festival is open to all citizens of the city. Our festival promises that, unlike the others, our programme will remain within the financial reach of everyone, our shows will take place throughout the city [and not just in EH1] and throughout the year and we will act primarily, although not exclusively, as a showcase for local talent.
      We are committed to presenting the widest possible variety of high quality artistic productions. We aim to stimulate and challenge as well as entertain.

    3. Darby O'Gill says:

      So far this year the Edinburgh People’s Festival has organised:
      ‘A Walk with James Connolly’ (a walking lecture in the Canongate on the early life of the Irish revolutionary leader who was executed as a result of the uprising in 1916 followed by tea and scones.
      HipHop and Poetry by young Glasgow artists in Harry’s Bar.
      Four screenings of ‘Hamish’ the documentary on the life of Hamish Henderson at the Edinburgh South Yes Hub
      An exhibition of art by inmates of HMP Edinburgh (Saughton) at the WHALE Arts Centre, Wester Hailes.
      Arrangements for the Tessa Ransford Poetry Award will be announced soon.
      After the extraordinary success of ‘Burns on the Beach’, we will be back at Portobello in 2017 to serve a five course supper as we listen to recitations of the Bard’s songs and poems.
      Admission to all events is free

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