Fiona attended the launch at Chester Cathedral with Joan Colwell of Middlewich Mothers’ Union and Vivien Ley, President of Chester Diocese Mothers’ Union, of a year long roving exhibition of artwork by prisoners which will be hosted in communities across Cheshire, which the Mothers’ Union has helped facilitate. Fiona has been a member of Middlewich Mothers’ Union since becoming MP for the town in 2010.
The exhibition ‘Journey into Light’ was launched at Chester Cathedral and exhibits artwork created by inmates from Styal and Thorn Cross prisons. The aim of the exhibition is to demonstrate the experiences of prisoners and the stories behind their convictions and sentences.
Debbie Dalby, Director of Social Responsibility in the Church of England Diocese of Chester said
“The hope is by seeing the creativity of prisoners and hearing their stories people will be able to better understand and even identify with some of the choices, mistakes and circumstance that prisoners have faced.”
Vincent Whitehead, Chair of the Criminal Justice Group at the Diocese of Chester said
“Through their art, prisoners have discovered new ways to explore and express their emotions and thoughts.”
Fiona said
“I found the exhibition deeply moving with many of the paintings highly complex, but one positive theme ran through it all which is the hope for a changed and better future, as many artists stated underneath their paintings - here are just a few; “to make positive steps to a positive future on release” and another “no living in the past, I can change like the caterpillar to the butterfly, bright and free from drugs and negative people” or “ hope of a happy future where the lone figure moves from darkness into light”.”