Koestler Arts

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The Koestler Awards (Update from Kroestler Arts)

In 2025, we received 7,574 submissions from 3,874 entrants from across 325 establishments. 99.9% of entrants received bespoke, handwritten feedback - to achieve this, in addition to feedback from our judges, volunteers, and supporters, we hosted 10 public feedback days. Processing thousands of Koestler Awards entries, let alone writing feedback for all of them, is a mammoth task for our team, so we are very proud of this achievement - it would be impossible without the support of our dedicated volunteers!

Showcasing Our 18th annual National Exhibition at the Southbank Centre, curated by poet and playwright Inua Ellams and titled Night Owls and Abstractions (31st October - 14th December) contained over 200 works of fine art, music, writing, craft and design by artists in secure settings, and received over 7,000 visitors. Tying into the event, our collaboration with the Irene Taylor Trust to present Music from the Criminal Justice System was a huge success, presenting musical performances and conversation that celebrated work created by Koestler Award entrants to a sold-out audience, hosted by our curator.

In case you missed the exhibition (or you’re one of the 7,000 who simply want to relive the experience!) an exhibition walkthrough is now available to watch on our website , or below. Our exhibitions and showcasing are a core strand of our annual programme - and it also sounds like it resonated with our audiences! On our social media, videos featuring the show and the artworks in it were some of the most well-liked, like this one featuring the very popular Baby Cthulhu and other works made from unusual materials.

Beyond the Southbank exhibition, we undertook two projects to highlight more stellar work from those with lived experience of the criminal justice system. In September, we hosted a retrospective by Peter Cameron, who first picked up a paintbrush in prison in the nineties and was the inspiration behind our mentoring programme for people post-release! This was the first-ever exhibition/display of artwork open to the public at the new Koestler Arts Centre and it welcomed 110 visitors in just a few days. Buy the book here!

Our crowdfunder for Koestler Voices: New Poetry from Prisons, the fifth volume of our biennial poetry anthology, ran between 22 July and 9 September, with over a 100 people taking part in helping us raise £6,000. It is also the first time someone with lived experience of prison - Lady Unchained - edited the collection. This project, like many others, wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of our incredible community of supporters and friends - thank you!

Events and exhibitions:

Through the Blue Old Fire Station, 40 George Street, Oxford OX1 2AQ 29 January – 14 March 2026. Through the Blue is now open! You can head on over to see artwork, music and writing made in criminal justice settings in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Surrey and entered into the 2025 Koestler Awards. We’re also excited to be hosting a tie-in philosophy workshop in the exhibition space; details below.

Horos – Crossing Boundaries 1 March 2026 @ 10am & 1pm. A free community philosophy workshop What does the word boundary mean to you? Is it something that protects you, restricts you, or helps you understand where you stand in the world? Join community philosophers Andy West and Kate Halliwell for an open, creative philosophy workshop exploring the many roles boundaries play in our lives. Responding to thought-provoking activities and selected artworks from the Through The Blue exhibition, we’ll think together about where boundaries come from, why we live within them, and what happens when we cross them. The event is free to attend, but booking a ticket is required. Get your free tickets here! Voices from Prison Riverside Studios, 101 Queen Caroline St, London W6 9BN 11 March 2026 @ 7:30pm.