I’m Still Here
Art by prisoners, secure patients and detainees, entered into the 2018 Koestler Awards.
Curated by prisoners’ families
19 September – 4 November 2018
Exhibition Space, Level 1, Royal Festival Hall
What’s it like having a loved one in prison? Our I’m Still Here exhibition featured artwork entered into the 2018 Koestler Awards for arts in criminal justice. Curated by families supporting someone inside, each family selected artworks that illustrate their experiences. Their exhibition featured a diverse range of art, writing and music being created by prisoners, secure patients and detainees, as well as people on community sentences, across the UK.
I’m Still Here is the 11th exhibition produced in partnership with Southbank Centre, and followed the 2017 exhibition Inside, curated by Antony Gormley.
Watch the highlights of the exhibition:
Working alongside Southbank Centre exhibition hosts to welcome visitors and invigilate the exhibition, are ex-prisoner Hosts were specially recruited, trained and employed by Koestler Arts. As well as gaining valuable work experience and new skills, the hosts offered first-hand insight on how the arts reflect and transform the lives of those in secure and criminal justice settings.
Unilink Visitors’ Choice Awards
The powerful writing, music and fine art exhibited in I’m Still Here moved thousands of people. At Christmas we forwarded on 5,096 notes of appreciation, written by visitors while voting on their favourite works, to the artists who made them.
We also gave additional awards, supported by Unilink, to the pieces that received the most ‘votes’. The four artworks at the top of the below online gallery won Platinum, Gold, Silver and Bronze Visitors’ Choice Awards.
Online gallery
View a selection of artworks from the show in the gallery below.