Big ‘A’ Awards Recognise Prisoner Art Programmes

19 July 2012

Big ‘A’ Awards Recognise Prisoner Art Programmes

An auction of prison art that raised $21,000 to help rebuild Christchurch and a volunteer group teaching prisoners quilting have taken out awards in the 2012 Arts Access Aotearoa Big ‘A’ Awards, held in Parliament last night.

Ann Abraham, Prison Manager of Wellington’s Arohata Women’s Prison, was also recognised, receiving a Highly Commended Citation for her leadership in arts programmes in prison.

Corrections’ Deputy Chief Executive, Christine Stevenson, congratulated the recipients, saying the awards confirmed the value of prison arts programmes.

“Prison arts programmes are a valuable part of Corrections’ rehabilitation initiatives. Our ultimate goal is to reduce re-offending, which is why rehabilitating prisoners is incredibly important.

“Through prison art, prisoners develop skills in teamwork, patience and goal setting. For many prisoners, it is the first time they’ve produced anything positive in their lives.”

Ms Stevenson presented the Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Leadership Award to Corina Hazlett, a Christchurch-based visual artist and prison art tutor for her involvement in mentoring and tutoring prisoners. One of the successes of the programme was the auction of all 140 pieces of prisoner artwork which fetched a total of $21,000 for the Christchurch Earthquake Mayoral Relief Fund.

The inaugural Big ‘A’ Prison Arts Community Award went to the Quilt-Stitch Group at Auckland Region Women’s Corrections Facility, which provides weekly classes in quilting, starting with the basics of how to thread a needle. The award recognises the contribution of a community group working with Corrections and using art to support prisoners’ rehabilitation The prisoners’ work includes “angel” quilts which are donated to newborns at Middlemore Hospital.

As Prison Manager of Arohata Women’s Prison in Wellington, Ann Abraham was highly commended for showing exceptional leadership in supporting a range of arts programmes for prisoners, including reading, creative writing, quilting and the successful Songs From the Inside series on Maori Television.

The Annual Big ‘A’ Awards are organised by Arts Access Aotearoa, and are held to showcase the achievements of individuals and organisations that provide opportunities for people with limited access to engage with the arts.

ENDS

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