HMP/YOI Wormwood Scrubs host the Anne Frank exhibition once again. December 2014

Aargh!, Anon, HM Prison Whatton,  Portraits. Image: Courtesy of the Koestler Trust

The last event for 2014, found me on home ground in West London. A very welcome return indeed!

A fantastic job was done by our guides over  the 2 weeks. Over a quarter of the prison population visited the exhibition. The final day was a very special event combining a talk from Dr Eva Schloss and a closing ceremony which was very well attended by the Prisoners, Staff and Guests. The whole event was filmed including interviews with prisoners and staff an was reported in the December issue of the Jewish Chronicle. A wonderful 2 page spread.

Click this link to read the JC article:http://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/126652/speaking-conviction

An extremely good speech from deputy Governor David Redhouse to round off the proceedings. Books and certificates were presented to prisoners and it was the perfect end to a very exciting and eventful year for the Anne Frank Prison Project.

We would like to especially thank Sarah Poynton, the Diversity Manager and her colleague Lizzie Watson for doing such an amazing job in organising and coordinating the event, in order for us to show the public some of the very positive things that go on in prisons.

Anne Frank Exhibition at HMP Thameside November 2014

Snowfields, Anon, Kibble Safe Centre, Pastels. Image: Courtesy of The Koestler Trust

We did a two week event this time around at Thameside and it was a very welcome return. The exhibition was very ably presented by the prisoners.

It was a great pleasure to return to recently opened HMP Thameside in London,which is situated on the Belmarsh site in Abbey Wood London. The Chaplaincy Team led by Rev Andrew White again did such a marvellous job in organising the events and were a great pleasure to work with.

Mrs Eva Clarke came along  as a special follow up event, and was particularly impressed by the reaction of the audiences to her talk. Well done to everyone.

Anne Frank Exhibition visits at HMYOI Aylesbury, HMP Kirklevington Grange and HMP East Sutton Park in October 2014

My World, Anon, HM Prison Full Sutton, Gold Award for Drawing. Image: Courtesy of The Koestler Trust

HMYOI Aylesbury
A tough Young Offenders Prison which held the Anne Frank exhibition over 2 weeks. We Worked with a very committed group of young men who did a first rate job of educating their peers about the dangers of prejudice and hatred towards others.

Our guest speaker on this occasion was Rwandan genocide survivor, Sophie Masereke who told her own unique story which was very well received. 

Thanks to Sophie and a special thanks to the Event Organiser Pam Wayte.

Kirklevington Grange

It was a very intense week in Cat C/D prison Kirklevington Grange. A small  group of prisoners presented the exhibition within the prison during the first part of the week, but on the last two days they transferred the exhibition to Stockton Library where it was presented to the general public. It was great to see the interaction between prisoners and public.

Mrs Eva Clarke was superb in bringing her talk to both venues and was wonderfully received. 

A special thanks to the Organiser Graeme Parry and the Team.

East Sutton Park

We worked with quite an amazing and very forward thinking category D prison for women. It was a great honour to see the great work that is done in this prison, with an incredible non – reoffending rate.

Dr Eva Schloss was the guest speaker and was extremely well received. Exhibition guides did a tremendous job.

Thanks to Governor Helen Campbell-Roe, Victoria Barnett and Ruth Eagles for all their help and support.

Anne Frank Exhibition visits HMP Stafford Sept. 2014

The Visit, Anon, HM Prison Shepton Mallet, Bronze Award for Oil or Acrylic. Image: Courtesy of the Kostler Trust

A welcome return to HMP Stafford,this time with the large prison exhibition which looked wonderful in the prison Chapel. A very enthusiastic and involved team of prisoner guides ensured that the message of the exhibition got through to all visitors.

A very well organised event by Val Musgrove(Diversity Manager). Excellent talk by Eva Clarke who was presented with flowers from the prison in appreciation of her talk.

HMP Onley

Hastings’ Finest, Anon, HM Prison Cookham Wood, Under 18s Special Award for Oil or Acrylic
Image Courtesy of the Koestler Trust

This was the first time that we had visited HMP Onley and we were very pleased with the reaction that we received there.

This was an action packed week! We set up the exhibition on the Sunday and worked through the Bank holiday Monday to ensure the maximum impact of the event.

A well organised event, and again, an extremely enthusiastic  group of prisoners presenting the exhibition to peers and to staff.

The week culminated in a talk from Dr Eva Schloss, about her own personal experiences during the rise of the Nazis in Germany and the Holocaust. Miraculously, Eva and her mother Fritzi survived the extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau – sadly losing her father and brother and many other members of her family. Her mother married Otto Frank many years later, thus making Eva the posthumous step-sister of Anne Frank. As you can imagine there were many interesting questions from the audience. There was also a great surprise for Eva, as her birthday was going to be 2 days later the prisoners presented her with a framed portrait of the prison’s emblem transforming into a bird in flight.  Eva was very touched by this gift from the men.

We are very grateful to our prisoner guides for doing such a great job.

Very special thanks go to Mo Porter (Equalities) and Deputy Governor Craig Smith for organising this event. We would also like to thank  Governor’s  Sarah Coccia and Steve Ruddy for all their kind help and support.

HMP Moorland – HMP Lindholme – HMP Hatfield

My World, Anon, HM Prison Full Sutton, Gold Award for Drawing
Image Courtesy of the Koestler Trust

This was a combined event over the 3 Establishments in Doncaster.

HMP Moorland event was extremely well organised by Officers Jane Ayres and Debbie Freeman. The talk from Mrs Eva Clarke (Holocaust Survivor was recorded for prison broadcast and posterity by a small team of prisoners who were very professional.

HMP Lindholme a Cat C/D prison.

The exhibition was very well attended and much appreciated by all the visitors.

The guest speaker was again Mrs Eva Clarke who did a fantastic job in relating her story to both prisoners and staff at the prison. These 2 prison events were very emotional moments for Eva, as these were the first prisons that she had spoken in since the sad loss of her mother Anka in 2013.

HMP Hatfield

An open prison where there is a great emphasis on individual responsibility and rehabilitation back into the community. The men there did a wonderful job in guiding the exhibition, and as the finale to these events Dr Eva Schloss came up from London to give her talk there on the very last day of the event. Needless to say, it was a great success.

Many thanks to Mr Neil Moore, Chris Buttrick, and all the staff at Hatfield for making it such an enjoyable success.

We are especially grateful to Deputy Governor Tony Oliver of HMP Lindholme for initiating the 3 prison project, and to  #1 Governors David Bamford and Mahala McGuffie for all their support.

Thanks Tony!

‘All the way to Wayland’

Snowfields, Anon, Kibble Safe Centre, Pastels
Image: Courtesy of the Koestler Trust

Another first time event for the Anne Frank Prison Project. we were invited to bring our exhibition to HMP Wayland in Norfolk at the end of February this year. The programme was really good and we had a great bunch of prisoner guides, and great staff supporting the event.

Creative writing workshops were held with the prisoners by Leah Thorn. The Guest speaker for the closing event was Mrs Eva Clarke whose talk was greatly appreciated by all.

Many thanks to Deputy Governor Dodson and all the team at Wayland. 

Anne Frank Exhibition at HMP Deerbolt

Hakahookoo, Anon, Ashworth Hospital, Sculpture
Image: Courtesy of the Koetsler Trust

Our first visit to HMYOI Deerbolt, a Cat C young offenders prison in a picturesque location near Barnard Castle in County Durham.

Working with a group of enthusiastic group of young men who quickly grasped the relevance of Anne’s story to today, and who very ably presented the exhibition to all visitors including their peers.

The highlight of the event was a talk from Mrs Eva Clarke.

Eva was actually born in Mauthausen Concentration camp and miraculously survived. It is an extraordinary story, and she had the audience completely spellbound.

We would all like to thank Organisers Dave bates and Kati Cowley for doing such a great job.

                                                                                                                                 February 2014

HMP Ford hosts the Anne Frank Exhibition once again!

Communitree, Anon, HM Prison Cookham Wood, Bronze Award for Oil or Acrylic.   
 Image, Courtesy of the Koestler Trust

                                                       

We kicked off 2014 with a very welcome return to HMP Ford – an open prison which is very much involved in the re-socialization and rehabilitation of its prisoners. Many of the prisoners are allowed out of the gates each day to work in the community prior to their release.
 

This two week event was scheduled to coincide with this year’s Holocaust Memorial Day commemorations, and was especially poignant for everyone involved in the project. A group of nine prisoners were trained to present the exhibition to all visitors including prisoners, staff and prison Governors.

A Creative Writing workshop presented by Leah Thorn produced some very good poetry from the groups who attended. Steve Gadd (Prison Project Manager) presented two ‘Free 2 Choose’ debate sessions which were well attended, very lively and most enjoyable.
Our guest speaker was Dr Eva Schloss who spoke on the final day, needless to say it was very well received, and Eva was asked many interesting questions about her experiences by the audience. Eva also presented signed copies of her book ‘Eva’s Story’ to our exhibition guides and to staff and Governors.
 

Special thanks to Equalities Officer Tash Boughton for organizing this event, and for all her support throughout.

HMP Hewell - Hewell Grange - Redditch Library Host the Anne Frank exhibition

You're Getting Transferred, Anon, HM Prison Shotts, Highly Commended Award for Oil or Acrylic. Image courtesy of the Koestler Trust.

The events took a great deal of planning, but we had the rare opportunity of combining three separate events with HMP Hewell.In the first week we started the Anne Frank exhibition in the closed prison HMP Hewell. A group of dedicated and enthusiastic prisoners presented the exhibition to fellow inmates as well as staff, and were remarkable in their knowledge and communication skills. Everyone remarked how well they did.The event in HMP Hewell culminated with a talk from Dr Eva Schloss MBE(Holocaust survivor and Posthumous step-sister of Anne Frank.) This was extremely well attended and proved to be a highly emotional occasion. Her visit was very much appreciated by everyone especially the guides who expresssed how they had all felt honoured and humbled that she would come to speak to them. It was very moving, and you could see that Eva was very touched by this gesture.

The exhibition was then moved to Hewell Grange (Cat D prison) for the second week. Hewell Grange is a beautiful Grade 2 listed building once owned by the Earls of Plymouth until it was sold to the state, and turned into a borstal in 1946.The exhibition was set up in the Great Hall, where another set of guides/inmates were trained to present the exhibition. This they did extremely well, and were very committed to the project. The week went very well and most of the prison community and staff were able to see the exhibition there.Hewell Grange also boasts a media centre where Eva Schloss, and Project Manager Steve Gadd were both interviewed for Prison radio by inmates/radio presenters, who did a very professional job of it. Very impressive!

For the final week’s event, the exhibition was moved from the Grange to Redditch Library, where the same group of prisoners from the Grange presented the exhibition to the general public.This was a first for the Prison Project, in having the exhibition presented by prisoners outside of a prison environment, and turned out to be a great success. The prisoners were at first quite nervous about working with the public, but it turned out to be a great success, and everyone concerned got a great deal from this experience. The overwhelming majority of comments from the public were very positive and supportive of the prisoner’s efforts. A member of the Independent monitoring board and his wife dropped in unannounced, and was so impressed he informed the Chair of IMB Tony Roper who in return wrote to Governor of HMP Hewell to commend what they were doing.

All Library staff said that the men had behaved impeccably whilst they were there,and would miss working with them when the event was over and they returned to Hewell Grange.This had been a remarkable experience. Well done to all, and special thanks to Governor Stephanie Roberts-Bibby, Darryl Jones and Mike Williams from Education/Diversity dept, and to Redditch Head Librarian Jodie Ford.