COMMUNITY SUPPORT

Koestler Awards supported by ASHER

“Being creative has given me a new lease of life. I can share my thoughts and feelings through colour. I no longer feel suppressed or confined. Art has shaped a stronger version of me.”

Koestler Arts is the UK’s best known prison arts charity aiming to encourage people in the criminal justice system to change their lives by participating in the arts. ASHER annually donates money to fund prizes so that prisoners know that there is an outside group that wants to see them thrive and cultivate a creative life through their art. Three prizes were awarded in 2023.

A Woodland Waterway Birdwatch and Back in Time were made by an artist at HM Prison Humber, a men’s prison near Hull. This artist has been entering the Koestler Awards since 2018, and in that time has entered and won a handful of awards in a variety of categories - Sculpture, Painting and Mixed Media, a huge achievement.

Sitting Donkey was created by someone fairly new to the Koestler Awards, first entering in 2022 with another Matchstick Model. This piece impressed our judges, with the clever shaping of the body and the donkey’s cheeky expression!

Your support has helped recognise the talent and ingenuity of people finding their voice and confidence through creativity and the Koestler Awards. These artists will receive bespoke certificates confirming that they’ve won the 2023 Arts Society Hull & East Riding Award and personalised feedback from our Koestler Awards judges and feedback volunteers.