KEY ORGANISATIONS
NOT SHUT UP / www.notshutup.org
Set up in 2003 with support from Arts Council England, NOT SHUT UP is a registered charity (no. 1090610) which publishes a professionally edited magazine of creative writing and visual art produced by inmates of prisons and other secure establishments around the UK.
Started 10 years ago as a literary magazine representing several London jails, we are now the only publication representing art produced in over a hundred UK prisons, as well as secure hospitals, immigration centres and other similar institutions, delivering 7500 copies to almost 300 locations around the country.
All of our trustees are either artists or professionals working within the criminal justice system, or both; one of our trustees and some writers we have worked with have been prisoners themselves. We send writer/tutors into prisons to run workshops and work in close partnership with teachers and many other prison arts organisations.
In 2013, we are developing a range of new initiatives, including spoken word and digital publishing programmes, to take us firmly onto the next decade of artistic development. We hope to continue in our unique role representing all of the “unfree” across Britain, and increasingly abroad, involving work with organisations such as the Anne Frank Trust, International PEN, Koestler Trust, Southbank Centre and many others.
OFF_PRESS / www.off-press.org
Set up in 2010, OFF_PRESS is a non-profit publisher, based in London, specialising in translations, unique binding formats and new media development. We work across all storytelling platforms, from live spoken word performances to digital film production.
Producing limited edition hand-made titles, as well as conventionally bound books, OFF_PRESS has worked with a range of partners, including Book Institute Poland, British Council, Hungry Arts, Polish Cultural Centre London, Southbank Centre, School of Slavonic and East European Studies / University College London, University of Lublin and University of Gdansk.
In 2013, OFF_PRESS is moving into publishing new genres of writing and multi-media initiatives, including TV and film production and radio broadcasting.
ASSOCIATE ORGANISATIONS
BirdWord delivers creative, word-based projects to women and their families caught in the criminal justice system and raises awareness of the issues that they face. Our community and prison-based activities provide opportunities to develop practical, emotional and social literacy, build positive identities and relationships, and desist from offending behaviour.
Hungry Arts / www.hungryarts.org / is a creative company that works with local, national and international artists and performers to help build dynamic new bridges between communities. Created in 2005, their key focus is developing and producing multi-discipline and diverse arts festivals that provoke new conversations, new collaborations and new artistic commissions.
No Bounds / www.nobounds.org.uk / is a not for profit organisation that aims to break the cycle of poverty, crime and discrimination fostering a commitment to young (ex)offenders and those at risk of offending in education, employment or training. They provide non-formal and informal education programmes based on Arts and Media Production.
Orange Boat / www.theorangeboat.co.uk / are a group of artists, psychologists and teachers helping people reach their full creative potential. They work with various tools and art techniques such as calligraphy, bookmaking and life drawing – all supported by creativity and soft skills training.
PLAY FULL / www.playfull.info / is a London based non-profit organisation that creates art and cultural events such as film festivals, concerts and art exhibitions. Our goal is to form a platform for an inter-cultural dialogue, exchange of ideas, experience and passion. By working closely with Play Poland Film Festival we aim to introduce emerging Polish filmmakers and artists to London audience.
Story Slam : Live / www.storyslamlive.net / is a unique platform for the creative writing community in London. Each event (hosted by Southbank Centre) is a live showcase that provides an arena for writers to present their writing, benchmark their work amongst their peers, share experiences, network and find out about the creative writing community in London.
Vision 4 Arts / www.vision4arts.co.uk /, based in Essex, provides opportunities to participate in training, workshops, projects and production. It works with a diverse range of community groups, including people of all ages. Vision4Arts ACADEMY provides high quality creative education, business training, professional development and community engagement opportunities for Alternative Education Students around south-east England.
Social Butterfly Effect aims to engage students at risk of permanent exclusion from mainstream education. SBE has developed 'The Pathways Project', an early intervention inclusion programme to illustrate the dangers associated with permanent exclusion and attempt to engage young people in order to make them realise that they have a choice to make an informed decision about their own future.