Srebrenica Now at Feltham YOI (26/05/06)
FELTHAM YOI LAUNCHES FIRST ART EXHIBITION SPACE
Feltham Young Offenders’ Institution is launching its first art exhibition space for prisoners and staff with Srebrenica Now, a show of photographs taken by people piecing their lives back together again after conflict.
“We’re trying to give the lads access to the arts and use this space not only to encourage them to consider that art is something that they might be interested in, but also to address issues that are central to the lives of both prison officers and staff,” says Anne Loveday, Feltham’s Head of Skills and Learning.
“This is something that’s going to run and run. It’s a gallery space that’s going to be constantly used, showing art from within the prison as well as from outside.”
The first exhibition, Srebrenica Now, presents photographs taken by people living in Srebrenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, ten years after the genocide in which more than 7,000 men and boys died. They are not professional photographers, but ordinary people who wanted to make a record of normal life gradually emerging after the war.
The show opened in London in July 2005 on the anniversary of the genocide and has since toured. For more information, contact
susanroberts@bridging-arts.com
NOTES TO EDITORS:
1. HM Young Offender Institution & Remand Centre Feltham was formed by the amalgamation of Ashford Remand Centre and Feltham Borstal in 1990/91. Its operational capacity as of 31st January 2006 was 764.
2. Srebrenica Now opened at the Salon des Arts, London, on 8 July 2005.. It was staged by bridging arts (www.bridging-arts.com) in partnership with the Srebrenica Justice Campaign, the refugee support group BH Community UK, the Refugees and the Arts Initiative, Refugee Week 2005 and the Bosnian Institute.
3. Srebrenica – declared a ‘safe area’ by the United Nations – was allowed to fall to besieging nationalist Serbs in July 1995. More than 7,000 men and boys were massacred.
4. bridging arts specialises in events, art installations and performances with a message so that people without a voice can speak out through the arts. For more details For more information, email susanroberts@bridging-arts.com, visit www.bridging-arts.com or call 020 8749 9010.
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