Co-ordinating a creative programme in HMP Deerbolt

Sarah, who works at Nepacs, is part of the team delivering Creative Aid – a co-creation project with care-experienced young men in Deerbolt Prison, supporting the young men to be recognised as artists.

Posted: June 24 2025
Category: Blog

What did your role involve during the first stage of Creative Aid?

I’m the support worker and I co-ordinated the prison side of things – liaising with security, wing staff, the activities department and offender management, so that everyone is on the same page and the work can go ahead.

I had lots of one to one time with the group members, to build relationships and trust, and to support them to work towards Arts Award, along with any other issues they were having. There is so much else! But that sums it up.

At the start of the project, did you have any concerns about how the group might respond to it?

Yes. They were new to this kind of project, and they naturally shy away from doing anything that’s different to what their peers are doing. I wondered if they would settle in to something so creative.

We worked hard trying to find a core group who could work together and who would see it through to the end. You’ve got to think about people who can and can’t work together, and other things they’ve got going on to get a group that works for everyone.

And what has the response been like from the young men who have been involved? Have there been any surprises (good or bad!)?

The response has been really positive. We lost a few along the way, but that’s normal in a prison setting – they’ve got a lot going on, and things change. Some are at the very start of their sentence, where processing what’s happened and getting settled in is a priority, and so this wasn’t right for them at that point.

In the first year of the project, we kept the core group of five to the end – one of whom we thought we’d lose right at the start, but he really kept with it. All of them have said it’s really helped their confidence and supported them in ways they didn’t realise they needed.

And how have the staff at HMP Deerbolt responded?

They’ve responded positively. In a few key worker sessions they’ve talked about it, and use it to have conversations with the group members. One of the staff came down and joined us for a session, and joined in, so it’s helping to build relationships. Wing staff have been so supportive when we were delivering on the wings.

What's one thing you've learnt during year one which you'll carry forward into year two?

To go with the flow – even more than I used to!

How did it feel to see the artists' book and online gallery, with artworks produced during the first year of the project?

It makes me feel really proud and happy that they will have something concrete and special to show for their hard work. It’s something for them to keep, and gift to important people in their lives.

I think this will go a long way to develop their self confidence and worth – it’s there to show people what they can do.

We have copies of the book in the prison library as well, to share the brilliant work with the other young men. The online gallery will help us to share the work with a wider audience as well, which is really exciting.