Edmund Clark, Ikon’s artist-in-residence at HMP Grendon, has been nominated for the annual Butler Trust Award. The Trust, set up to recognise and celebrate outstanding practice by those working with offenders, received nominations equalling last year’s record high number. A significantly high proportion of these nominations, over a quarter, were received directly from prisoners. Presided over by HRH The Princess Royal since the Trust’s launch in 1985, the next annual award ceremony will take place in early 2018. For more information on The Butler Trust visit their website or follow the trust on Twitter.

Author Rachel Billington visited Edmund Clark and inmates of HMP Grendon:

Artist Edmund Clark spoke to prisoner Michael about what art means to him.

A selection of works by men from HMP Grendon went on display at Vibin’s a restaurant in Buckingham, a town just 10 miles from the prison. The opening of the exhibition coincided with the fundraising event of Friends of Grendon, a charity led by professor David Wilson.

HMP Grendon inmate Tom talks about his passion for poetry. His poem Guiltfoot Ron (below) received the Tim Robertson Platinum Award at the Koestler Awards 2016.

25 of the many artworks submitted by prisoners from HMP Grendon for the Koestler Trust annual arts award have received awards or commendations, more than doubling the success in the 2015 awards. This includes 15 commendations, 4 Bronze Awards (£20 cash prize), 3 Silver Awards (£40 cash prize), two Gold Awards (£60 cash prize) for a mixed media piece Still Life for a Still Life and sculpture Group Therapy (photo above), and one Tim Robertson Platinum Award (£100 cash prize) for a poem entitled Guiltfoot Ron. Congratulations to the artists!

Edmund Clark in conversation with Jonathan Watkins.

12 artworks by prisoners from HMP Grendon have received the Koestler Trust annual arts awards or commendations. This includes 8 commendations, 1 first-time entrant award (£25 cash prize), 1 Bronze Award (£20 cash prize), 1 Silver Award (£40 cash prize) and 1 Sir Hugh Casson Gold Award (£60 cash prize) for a painted portrait Love and Life (pictured above). Congratulations to the artists!

Art at HMP Grendon was the first exhibition of the prisoners’ artwork supervised by Edmund Clark held at the conference centre of the prison. It was a unique opportunity for the inmates to present their work to a number of invited artists, curators, writers etc.