Postcards from Prison is an exhibition and fundraising event at which 160 original artworks by high- profile artists and artists from prisons across the country will be won by lottery. The exhibition will be open to the public free of charge from 9 to 10 May, 9am – 4.30pm.
Artists including Jeremy Deller, Tracey Emin, Cornelia Parker and Mark Wallinger have donated artworks on postcards, which will be exhibited alongside postcards created by prisoners. Ticket-holders at the event will have a one in four chance of winning a postcard by a famous artist.
Tickets to the event on Thursday 10 May (6.30 – 8.30pm) are £100, including an original postcard artwork drawn in a lottery and an invitation for two to the champagne reception at Sotheby’s hosted by comedian Griff Rhys Jones. Those who are not available on 10 May but would still like a chance to win a postcard can buy a £50 ticket for the postcard lottery draw.
The Koestler Trust is the UK’s leading prison arts charity, running an annual Awards scheme, exhibitions across the UK in venues including the Southbank Centre, and arts mentoring and employment programmes. Past and present judges of the Koestler Awards include Louis Theroux, Ghetts, Sarah Lucas, Grayson Perry, Emma Bridgewater, and Speech Debelle.
All profits from Postcards from Prison will go towards continuing the Koestler Trust’s work rewarding, awarding, exhibiting, selling and championing artwork by prisoners, people in secure hospitals and immigration removal centres.
“We are so grateful to the all the artists, both inside and out, who have donated a postcard, and to Sotheby’s for hosting the event. You have a one in four chance of winning an original Cornelia Parker! Having donations from such high-profile artists is wonderful and we’ve been blown away by the amazing works by prisoners. It is difficult to distinguish between them,” says CEO Sally Taylor.
Tickets are on sale at www.koestlertrust.org.uk/events or call 020 8740 0333. £100 event ticket (including postcard lottery ticket)
£50 postcard lottery ticket.