Bringing the Inside, Out - Exhibition now Open

Our Art Department at HMP Morton Hall was honoured to be asked to participate in an exhibition hosted by Bishop Grosseteste University titled ‘Bringing the Inside, Out’. The exhibition, which launched on 30th May and will remain open until 13th June, features a stunning array of artwork created by our talented learners.
The packed launch event was, attended by the Senior Management Team from the prison, dignitaries from the university, directors from PeoplePlus, and numerous art enthusiasts. The celebration highlighted the significance of the learners' work and the positive impact it represents.
This exhibition is particularly special as it provides our PeoplePlus learners from HMP Morton Hall with a platform to showcase their artistic talents. It allows them to express themselves, discover new aspects of their abilities, and contribute to something meaningful.
Here's a short show reel of some of the artwork that is at the exhibition:
Before the exhibition took place, we went to see some of the artwork in progress and meet the men to talk about how they felt at having their work being shown in an exhibition – you can watch a short video of this below.
Kenny Boyle, Managing Director of PeoplePlus, emphasised the importance of teaching art in prisons, stating, “Teaching art to prisoners is invaluable for their personal growth, emotional well-being, and wider rehabilitation. It encourages self-expression and serves as an emotional outlet to process difficult feelings. Engaging in art boosts mental health, supports life skills development, and offers a pathway to personal growth and emotional healing. In short, teaching art in prisons goes way beyond considerations of employment —it offers a pathway to personal growth, emotional healing, and offers prisoners a chance to reconnect with themselves and with society.”
The launch event also proved to be a successful fundraiser, with nearly £600 raised from the sales of the prisoners’ artwork. A silent auction for the remaining pieces will continue throughout the exhibition, with proceeds benefiting PeoplePlus’ supported corporate charity Amber’s Army, Victim Support, and the prisoners themselves.
The exhibition is open to the general public, for free, un-ticketed for anyone wishing to see the pieces and contribute to the silent auction.