Artistic talents flourishing

A group of 10 volunteers in the Canterbury region are facilitating art sessions with prisoners.

The Canterbury Region has some very talented artists and a group of Volunteers asked if they could help prisoners to create art by expressing some of their thoughts on canvas.

Prisoners are not allowed to have art materials in their cells so a group of volunteers are now going into the units at Christchurch Men’s prison to supervise art groups in communal areas such as classrooms or gyms to enable the prisoners to be more creative.

Volunteers are now able to take with them pre- approved items that prisoners do not normally have access to such as supplies of acrylic paints, pastels, pencils, brushes and paper. The prisoners are enjoying the wonderful opportunity to create art with other prisoners and volunteers in a relaxing and supported environment.