The newsletter for arts organisations working in criminal justice.
In this month's issue...
- National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance news
- Arts in criminal justice news and publications
- Events and training
- Resources and opportunities
Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group – Arts Specialist
We are very excited to announce that Clinks is seeking a senior leader in a voluntary organisation with expertise and current experience of delivering arts practice to people in contact with the criminal justice system. The role is to sit as the Arts Specialist on the leadership group of the Reducing Reoffending Third Sector Advisory Group (RR3). Find out more, and apply here.
Save the date: Anne Peaker Lecture 2024
26 March | 16:00 | online | free
Join us as we honour and celebrate the work and legacy of Anne Peaker. At this year’s online lecture we will be joined by member organisations, the people they support and individual artists as they share performances and arts created in, or inspired by, criminal justice.
NCJAA Writing Development Workshops
February 2024 | online | free
The National Criminal Justice Arts Alliance (NCJAA) is excited to revive its writing development training programme for individuals and organisations delivering arts-based services and projects in the criminal justice system. Working in partnership with the Royal Literary Fund (RLF), a programme of free, digital workshops is being held throughout 2023/24 to teach vital writing development skills for reports, case studies, and funding applications.
Visit the NCJAA website for information about the workshop programme.
Our next workshops take place on 27 and 29 February 2024.
Book now for NCJAA Writing Development Workshop – Writing Funding Applications Workshop 1
Book now for NCJAA Writing Development Workshop – Writing Funding Applications Workshop 2
Could you be the next Chair of Clinks' Board of Trustees?
We are excited to extend our recruitment for you to apply to be Clinks Chair of the Board of Trustees. Our new chair will be committed to voluntary action, our organisation, our values, and anti-racism. This role is pivotal in creating the conditions for overall board and individual director effectiveness, both inside and outside the boardroom. We aim to onboard our new chair as a trustee from April 2024 to ensure efficient handover, ahead of the AGM. We welcome applications from across society and we aim to have a diverse board representative of the communities impacted by criminal justice and the challenges they face. The deadline for applications is 5 February. Click here for more information and how to apply
Creating Roots for well-being through art
Our recent publication on the NCJAA website launched the blog series Creating Roots for well-being through art. In the series artists involved in the Creative Roots team share their full insights in their own personal blog about the project and its impact. The series includes commentary and reflections from six artists in total, including Dee Rogers, co-director of Das Clarks, who’s creative work focuses on difference and language. Alongside multi-dimensional shape shifting performance-based artist, Marega Palser.
Dee's Blog for Creative Roots
Marega's blog for Creative Roots project
Catch up on the full blog series here
Fine Cell Work
Fine Cell Work (FCW) trains and pays prisoners to do craftwork in their cells to encourage motivation, improve mental health and build employability skills. FCW is geared to long-term, male and female, people in prison who are deemed high-risk. They tend to stay on the programme for two to ten years. The goal is to enable prisoners to gain social and employment skills so they can desist from re-offending in the future. People on the programme work for 20-40 hours a week in their cells.
The workforce has expanded to approximately 250 prisoners across 30 prisons. The apprenticeship training is done by 50 skilled volunteers. Find out more here
Clean Break Audio Drama
Clean Break’s audio play A Proposal for Resisting Darkness is now available on their Knowledge Hub Written by Yasmin Joseph with women at HMP Downview, the play was the outcome of Clean Break’s participation in the NCJAA’s Inspiring Futures work alongside Cambridge University. Listen to the audio drama here
National Centre for Creative Health (NCCH) launch the NCCH and APPG on Arts, Health and Wellbeing Creative Health Review report
On 6 December 2023, Creative Health Review commissioners, contributors and guests from across the sector gathered at the launch of the NCCH and APPG on Arts, Health and Wellbeing Creative Health Review report. The report; Creative Health Review – How Policy Can Embrace Creative Health, highlights how creative health can help to tackle key policy challenges across health, social care and wider systems, and makes recommendations to the government and metropolitan mayors for a dedicated cross-departmental strategy on creative health. It brings together evidence and examples of best practice explored in a series of roundtables over the past year, shaped into recommendations with the support of their panel of commissioners and lived experience panel. Read the report
Performing Recovery Issue 5 - Veterans’ Arts Special
Issue 5 of the Performing Recovery magazine offers stories around recovery. Unlike previous issues though, they have recognised that not every recovery is from addiction and have decided to broaden the scope and look at how the arts are helping with the mental health of veterans in general. Read online
Building a resilient workforce – lessons learnt
20 February | online | free
At Clinks we have heard consistent feedback from our members about ongoing recruitment challenges within the voluntary sector and how difficult it is to retain skilled and experienced staff. Join us to hear from our guest speakers, Matina Marougka, Head of Regional Operations for London services at Together for Mental Wellbeing; Dawn Harrison Criminal Justice Service Manager at Changing Lives and John Speyer, Director at Hear Me Out as they explore the challenges of building a resilient workforce. The event will end with an optional networking space led by Lucy Ball, CEO at New Bridge Foundation, where attendees can reflect on their learnings from the event and share their own best practice. Book your place here
Best practice in working with people with mental health problems on probation: what the evidence tells us
4 March | online | free
In Clinks’ latest evidence review; Best practice in working with people with mental health problems on probation, Professor Charlie Brooker, honorary professor at Royal Holloway, University of London and Dr Coral Sirdifield, Senior Research Associate at the University of Lincoln, looks at:
- The benefits of focusing on the mental health of people on probation
- What we know about the mental health of people on probation
- The organisation of mental health care, current initiatives, and challenges to providing high-quality care
- What good quality care for people on probation looks like
- Improving the evidence base and provision of care.
Charlie and Coral will discuss this topic in a webinar as part of our 'A matter of fact: what the evidence tells us' series on 4 March. Register online
New funding guidance for the criminal justice voluntary sector
As a sector support organisation, providing information, advice and resources to voluntary organisations is an important part of Clinks. We have heard from many of our members about how difficult it is to identify, understand and navigate funding opportunities for the criminal justice voluntary sector, and know that this is becoming even more challenging. We have therefore published new information and guidance on our website which explores this topic and includes guides to statutory and charitable funding, fundraising support, and information on securing alternative sources of income. Have a look at our new Funding and Income webpages here.
Call-out: Resources for creative health practitioner support
Are you an artist/creative health practitioner, commissioner, or partner organisation delivering creative programmes to people living with challenging conditions or circumstances? We would like to hear what supports you in your work.
By 'support' we mean psychosocial/wellbeing support specifically related to your work with challenging conditions or circumstances, rather than personal mental health support. Dr Julia Puebla Fortier and Dr Kate Massey-Chase, supported by Arts Council England, are crowd-sourcing this information to update and strengthen resources for practitioner support. Results will be released in a public webinar and online in March 2024. Click here to participate confidentially.
Innovate Now with City Bridge Foundation
A new funding opportunity for Black-led charities & social enterprises delivering support to Black and Global Majority communities in London.
Do it Now Now's - Innovate Now fund - will provide 64 London-based Black-led charities & enterprises with £12,000 grant funding, bespoke support & £3,000 in compensated capacity building. This will help participating organisations build their financial resilience and operational readiness, increase their chances of raising social investment & aims to create a sustainable future for their work. Read more
National Lottery Awards
The National Lottery Community Fund is offering funding from £300 to £20,000 for up to two years. Grants are to support community-led projects, fostering social connections and community activities, to create healthier, happier lives and a flourishing society. The application deadline is ongoing. Please apply at least 16 weeks before you intend to start the activities or spend any of the money. Find out more
Vacancies
Trainee Music Director - Prison Choirs - Beating Time
Chair of Trustees – Clinks
Trustees x 2 – Clinks
Co-Chairs of the Board – Clean Break
Fundraiser: Trusts & Foundations - Pan Intercultural Arts
Musicians – Finding Rhythms
Want to post a vacancy?
Clinks members can post job and volunteer vacancies on our Jobs Board for free.
Full instructions for uploading a vacancy can be found here.
For assistance, email membership@clinks.org
Take a creative break
The first episode of Revolving Doors' Rethink & Reset (RE)cordings podcast is now live, and can be found wherever you like to tune in by searching for 'Revolving Doors Podcast' on your preferred listening platform. There are six episodes altogether, with the remaining episodes due to be published throughout the next month. Listen here
Want to include something in the next newsletter?
The next NCJAA monthly newsletter will be sent on Thursday 25 January. If you have any news, opportunities or events relating to art organisations or projects within the criminal justice system that you would like included, please submit your information via our online form by Monday 15 January.
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This newsletter is written monthly. Email artsalliance@clinks.org if you wish to submit any news.
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