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HMP Barlinnie launch Special Unit exhibition

The Scottish Prison Service, together with The Open Museum and New College Lanarkshire, today official launch ‘Barlinnie Special Unit – A way out of a dark time’.

23rd November 2016, HMP Barlinnie.

The Scottish Prison Service, together with The Open Museum and New College Lanarkshire, today official launch ‘Barlinnie Special Unit – A way out of a dark time’. The exhibition showcases what life would have been like for those living in the Special Unit. Invited guests, staff and a men currently in our care at HMP Barlinnie enjoyed looking at pieces artwork created by men who were in the special unit as well as listening to short interview clips with them. They also read pieces of creative writing of those currently in HMP Barlinnie, reflecting on what life in the special unit would have been like. 

The weeklong exhibition was researched and curated by Barbed Wireless, the radio group run by those in Barlinnie, as well as the Scottish Studies group at HMP Barlinnie. ‘A way out of a dark place’ will also be shown to members of the public in Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in March 2017.

Tracey Yuille, Head of Education at HMP Barlinnie said: “This has been an exciting opportunity to get students to carry out original research on a part of Barlinnie’s social history, whilst also gaining qualifications and improving their confidence. We welcome the opportunity for this exhibition to go out to the community in 2017 and for it to provide a discussion on education in prisons.”

Open Museum Curator Claire Coia said: “Glasgow Museums is grateful to Joyce Laing for her generous donation of her Barlinnie Special Unit archive and artwork collection.  Like Joyce, we are keen that this unique collection is kept alive to allow for continued debate around the benefits of creative expression and learning in prison today.

“The Open Museum, Glasgow Museum’s community outreach team, has a strong, productive relationship with New College Lanarkshire and the Scottish Prison Service, stretching back a number of years.  We all agreed the best way to interpret the work was to involve the students at Barlinnie and Barbed Wireless in a creative research project on the collection.

“We’ve had such a positive response from everyone involved.  The student’s enthusiasm, insights and interview skills have revealed new knowledge about this important group of works.  Together we have curated the exhibition, written the interpretative text and helped equip them to be exhibition guides during its run in Barlinnie.  Researching objects from the past has also provided a chance to reflect on their own experiences of the criminal justice system and new opportunities going forward.  It’s wonderful to see the exhibition come together and I think everyone should be very proud of what they’ve achieved.”