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.

Restock alert 🚨The sold out Once Upon a Time - an anthology by The Merrittocracy written, designed, edited, and printed ...
17/06/2026

Restock alert 🚨

The sold out Once Upon a Time - an anthology by The Merrittocracy written, designed, edited, and printed within UK prisons - is back on our online shop, along with some select favourites we thought you'd enjoy.

No better time than the National Year of Reading to stock up on some books: https://ow.ly/Zr9Z50ZcOrh

A message left by a Koestler Award entrant on the back of their striking Portrait entry. 🖼️In our 2025 entrant survey, 9...
13/06/2026

A message left by a Koestler Award entrant on the back of their striking Portrait entry. 🖼️

In our 2025 entrant survey, 96% of respondents said their involvement with Koestler Arts made them want to continue making creative work — 94% reported an increased sense that they can achieve, enjoy and contribute to the arts.

[Artwork: 'Portrait', HM Prison Greenock, Portrait, 2026]

Entrants aged 18 and under can enter the Koestler Awards at any point in the year, and we send a response within 6 weeks...
10/06/2026

Entrants aged 18 and under can enter the Koestler Awards at any point in the year, and we send a response within 6 weeks of entry. 🌼

These three are a selection of works sent to us by young people between January and April, meaning they will also be put forward for the main Koestler Awards — they'll be among the many artworks up for consideration when judges join us next month!

[Artworks: New Growth, HM Prison and Young Offender Institution Parc, Painting, 2026 | Where Growth Begins, West Berkshire YJST, Printmaking, 2026 | Moonwalk, Aycliffe Secure Centre, Painting, 2026]

The artist behind 'Flying Geraint', shown at our Southbank Centre exhibition last year, 'Night Owls and Abstractions', s...
06/06/2026

The artist behind 'Flying Geraint', shown at our Southbank Centre exhibition last year, 'Night Owls and Abstractions', shared with us how much the feedback they received meant to them. 🚴

July is on the horizon and we are at nearly 3,000 entries logged so far. Artists and creative experts will be joining us very soon to read and respond to this year's Koestler Awards entries, with almost every entrant receiving personal written feedback each year.

[Artwork: Flying Geraint, HM Prison Long Lartin, Portrait, 2025]

We're nearly at 3,000 entries logged so far. These three stood out 🦈The sharks in the image — placed in front of many ot...
04/06/2026

We're nearly at 3,000 entries logged so far. These three stood out 🦈

The sharks in the image — placed in front of many other 2026 entries — are from establishments very far away from each other: one is from HM Prison Grampian, one from HM Prison Send, and another from HM Prison Manchester.

They’re now together in our offices. It makes us reflect not only on the national span of the Koestler Awards, but also on the breadth and depth of the entries we receive, and how similar (yet distinct!) they can sometimes be.

[Artwork: Therapy Shark - Oscar Brushetta, HM Prison Send, Sculpture, 2026 | Shark Attack, HM Prison Grampian, Sculpture, 2026 | Bruce the "Jaws" Shark, HM Prison Manchester, Matchstick Model, 2026]

'Total Eclipse of the Heart' is Keith's volunteer pick of the week! 🌕🌑The piece made Keith reflect on his previous exper...
03/06/2026

'Total Eclipse of the Heart' is Keith's volunteer pick of the week! 🌕🌑

The piece made Keith reflect on his previous experiences as a probation officer, and the difficulties faced by people in the criminal justice system that he's worked with in the past.

"The title is slightly melancholy to me. The piece makes me think of someone working through something difficult, and how important it is for others to witness that difficulty. It puts me in the mind of something being expressed — someone being heard — the way the painting opens up like a jacket."

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

"Being introduced to Koestler is one of the most positive things to come from my engagement with probation. I never thou...
29/05/2026

"Being introduced to Koestler is one of the most positive things to come from my engagement with probation. I never thought a really low point in my life would open such possibilities, enabling me to reach new people with my art."

In May's , Luis, an exhibited artist and mentee, shares his experimental process for developing and perfecting drawings.

You can download the sheet, and any previous sheets, here: https://ow.ly/P65p50Z5yJg

[Artwork: From the series 'Zoey'. Image courtesy of Luis.]

The Arts team have been been making headway through our archive of past entries to find them new homes. From May onwards...
28/05/2026

The Arts team have been been making headway through our archive of past entries to find them new homes. From May onwards, we’ll be sharing new works for sale each month — the first batch is here.

We’ve also done a restock of books — including Time after Time by Chris Atkins and Prison: A Survival Guide by Carl Cattermole — on our online shop to sweeten the deal.

Money spent on merchandise, books and donated artwork 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: https://koestlerarts.org.uk/product-category/artworks/

We are welcoming expressions of interest to judge the 2026 Koestler Awards from musicians/writers/artists/creative pract...
27/05/2026

We are welcoming expressions of interest to judge the 2026 Koestler Awards from musicians/writers/artists/creative practitioners aged 18-25. We are particularly interested in expressions of interest from creatives of the global majority.

Each year, the Koestler Awards receive around 8,000 entries in visual arts, music, and writing across our 53 categories, from Sculpture to Hip-Hop, Rap, & Grime.

Artists, musicians, writers, and creative practitioners with a developing creative practice or career are invited to express interest on our website: https://ow.ly/Axpp50Z4He0

Tom performed at Voices from Prison earlier this year, our showcase of Koestler Award-winning and new music and writing,...
22/05/2026

Tom performed at Voices from Prison earlier this year, our showcase of Koestler Award-winning and new music and writing, hosted at Riverside Studios by poet, mentor and broadcaster Lady Unchained.

Read his full reflections on the evening on our website: https://ow.ly/NwuX50Z1Cv7

Address

Koestler Arts Centre, 170 Du Cane Road
London
W120TX

Telephone

+442087400333

Website

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