Koestler Arts

Koestler Arts The UK's leading prison arts charity.
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Our work harnesses the uniquely transformative power of the arts to help individuals learn the skills and gain the confidence to live creative, positive and productive lives. Each year we receive more than 7,000 entries from over 3,500 entrants in criminal justice settings across the UK in 52 categories. More than 2,000 Awards are granted by over 100 esteemed judges, and each year culminates in a

curated exhibition at Southbank Centre which showcases the incredible power of the arts to transform lives. Throughout the year, we also hold exhibition programmes across the UK, involving local groups and artists to shape the content, as well as running outreach projects to support people after release through arts mentoring and employment opportunities.

Missed out on eclipse glasses? Here's a Koestler Award entry you can look at safely 😎Tonight the UK will see a partial s...
12/08/2026

Missed out on eclipse glasses? Here's a Koestler Award entry you can look at safely 😎

Tonight the UK will see a partial solar eclipse, with the moon covering up to 90% of the sun. It begins around 6pm, peaks near 7pm. If you're watching, proper eclipse glasses are essential: never look directly at the sun!

You may also remember this piece from Keith's volunteer pick of the week we posted back in early June, when he reflected on the way the piece opens up like a jacket, which reminded him of something important being expressed, and someone being heard.

[Artwork: Total Eclipse of the Heart, Mixed Media, HM Prison Humber, 2026]

Join our team!We are looking for a keen, conscientious administrator with an eye for detail to play a crucial role in re...
08/08/2026

Join our team!

We are looking for a keen, conscientious administrator with an eye for detail to play a crucial role in responding to entrants to the 2026 Koestler Awards. The Awards Administrator must be enthusiastic about working in an arts charity which supports people across the criminal justice system and be experienced using Excel to create mail merges and validate data.

For more information head to our website: https://ow.ly/hBjr50ZxGjT

[Artwork: The Bat, HM Prison Isle of Wight (Albany), Outstanding Debut Award for Painting, 2025]

Have you purchased artwork from us before? 👀Money spent on artwork donated to us by Koestler Awards artists on our websi...
07/08/2026

Have you purchased artwork from us before? 👀

Money spent on artwork donated to us by Koestler Awards artists on our website, unless otherwise stated, goes directly towards our work encouraging, awarding, and showcasing art made in criminal justice settings.

Head to our website to browse the full range of affordable art we've just put up: https://ow.ly/LLUm50ZxEhI

And if a work you’ve purchased now has pride of place in your home, let us know!

[Artwork: Embroidery Butterfly, HM Prison Bronzefield, Textile Art, 2025 | Pollution, HM Prison Peterborough, Mixed Media, 2025 | The Secret Meet, HM Prison Barlinnie, Drawing, 2025]

05/08/2026

“Something will emerge.” 🌼

, and encouraged budding artists entering the Koestler Awards to embrace ambiguity and challenge, and emphasised that persistence (and trusting the process) is key.

The full interview with the trio is up on our website - link in bio.

05/08/2026

"Something will emerge." 🌼

Wilfrid Wood, Lela Harris and Sarah Moulden encouraged budding artists entering the Koestler Awards to embrace ambiguity and challenge, and emphasised that persistence (and trusting the process) is key.

The full interview with the trio is up on our website now: https://ow.ly/l0RL50ZwGeh

01/08/2026

Lee Child, author of the Jack Reacher series and the UK's first ever Prison Reading Laureate, joined us last week 😎

He was here judging short stories and flash fiction, and shared some advice on writing. It won't surprise you to know: he didn't say stick to the rules.

Watch out for more from him on our socials, and the full interview, soon.

"I never thought of myself as an artist. I didn’t even pick up a pencil until I was almost 30 years old. It started as s...
31/07/2026

"I never thought of myself as an artist. I didn’t even pick up a pencil until I was almost 30 years old. It started as something small, something to fill time, but it quickly became so much more."

In July's , Paul, Koestler Award winner, exhibited artist and mentee, invites you to try a random word generator to inspire your next drawing.

You can download the sheet, and any previous sheets, from our website: https://koestlerarts.org.uk/get-inspired/art-aid/

[Artwork: Ice Cream Man, Atkinson Secure Children’s Home, Kath and Harry Bryan Under 18s Special Award for Drawing, 2015]

29/07/2026

What’s the best (or worst!) advice the 2026 Portrait judges ever got? 🫠

When they joined us last week, , , and all shared the good, the bad, and the ugly when it came to advice they’ve received in the past.

Keep your eyes peeled on our socials for more from the trio 👀

29/07/2026

What's the best (or worst!) advice the 2026 Portrait judges ever got? 🫠

When they joined us last week, Wilfrid Wood, Lela Harris, and Sarah Moulden all shared the good, the bad, and the ugly when it came to advice they've received in the past.

Keep your eyes peeled on our socials for more from the trio 👀

Another week of judging done and dusted 💪Sculptures were sized up by Sarah Turner, Sophie Parkin and Charlotte Cullinan;...
24/07/2026

Another week of judging done and dusted 💪

Sculptures were sized up by Sarah Turner, Sophie Parkin and Charlotte Cullinan; Wilfrid Wood, Sarah Moulden and Lela Harris were face-to-face with portraits; Hot Chip tuned into computer-generated music; Monica Parle, Lee Child, Parul Bavishi, Claire Berliner and Charlotte worked their way through short stories and flash fiction; Bob and Roberta Smith and Molly Wilson picked through pastels; and Rhys Williamson took a seat for performance.

Thank you to everyone once again who gave their time to review and write feedback for some outstanding entries. Looking forward to another week, and more from our judges - see the full list on our website: https://koestlerarts.org.uk/judges/

Address

Koestler Arts Centre, 170 Du Cane Road
London
W120TX

Telephone

+442087400333

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