Due to my work, I haven’t been able to connect with my fellow Trainee Art Therapist colleagues outside the university times. However, last Friday a group of 10-20 of us went to see the Koestler Arts exhibition at the Southbank Centre. I couldn’t believe that it’s been running there for fifteen years and I had never been!
Curated by Ai Weiwei, the Koestler Awards is an annual programme encouraging people from the UK’s criminal justice system to change their lives through the arts. I’ve posted just a selection of the artwork here, as there were nearly 2000 pieces exhibited. You can find out more about Koestler Arts here.
The guides were also people who had been in prison or another kind of secure facility. You could also write to the artists, who would receive you comments. I picked the one with the Deliveroo takeaway. I went to Topolski for the first time, and they had enough space for twelve of us on a Friday night, which was great!
Otherwise, I’m in a period of intensity now, after having time socialising, I have been staying up reading until 1/2am some nights, working 10-12 hour days some days, doing additional EFL lessons at a school during the day and still doing evening tuition. In two weeks’ time, things will be less intense and I can gradually wind down for some holiday at the end of next month!
Poet on page and stage. Creator of She Grrrowls. Facilitator. Writer. 