ARTful Dodgers at Fireside, Birmingham, Week 2

Calvin Hard at work.



The beginnings of 'Past, Present, Future' a possible group exhibition or project.

This week the atmosphere and dynamic within the group had completely changed. Everyone segregating themselves into a their own safe individual environments. Through out the session we heard reports of the night before, some members of the project had been involved in disagreements and arguments, resulting in some not showing for the Friday session and others, feeling alone and isolated. It was certain that the dynamic had changed, we just hoped that it would be for one week only.

In the morning the team, Emma and I, visited HMP Grendon, a unique facility, in the middle of the oxfordshire countryside. Grendon is a one of a kind, a therapeutic prison that works through the use of therapeutic communities. Inmates have to request to serve the end of their sentence at this facility, it is a way of integration back into society, many trials have proved its worth as a centre of rehabilitation. The team were influenced by the meeting greatly and began planning a project that would hopefully lend itself, as it does in Grendon to a development of self confidence and awareness of emotion that is deemed necessary for such individuals regain a place within 'normal' society.