A New Chapter for Koestler Arts

As we embark on a new era, having just moved into our new custom-built arts centre next door to HMP Wormwood Scrubs, Koestler Arts Chief Executive Fiona Curran reflects on what the new Koestler Arts Centre means for the charity.

I started working for Koestler Arts in 2009 at the old Governor’s house outside Wormwood Scrubs, but in its 60-year history, this charity has called many different places home. During the early years of the Awards scheme, the work took place at HMP Sudbury, and then HMP Kingston. As the scheme grew, so too did the need for more space. HM Prison Wandsworth opened their doors to us for 8 years until 1999 when, needing the space for their own workshops, Koestler Arts had to move on. Luckily, the Director General of Wormwood Scrubs kindly offered their pre-release hostel, formerly the Governor’s house, and Koestler Arts found its first ‘permanent’ home at 168a Du Cane Rd, enabling us to grow and develop our programmes whilst fundraising to make our long-awaited ambition – a building of our own – a reality.

The new building, created with the needs of Koestler Arts and our beneficiaries in mind, feels exactly right for our charity: it’s on the grounds of the local prison, so close to some of our beneficiaries; it’s welcoming, accessible, and bright; and of course, quirky and creative! For the first time we have a public facing presence on the street, which will allow us to showcase artists in our windows throughout the year. We have already started to use the new building to host volunteer training sessions and can now begin to plan in-house events to celebrate this new stage in our development.

But most importantly, it will help us to process the 8,000+ entries to the annual Koestler Awards more efficiently, so we can use our resources to do more for people in the criminal justice system. The 2024 entries are being delivered straight onto the ground floor (rather than up two flights of stairs!), where there is space to enable our staff and volunteers to collaborate to give great feedback and support. We are really looking forward to welcoming the 100 or so Koestler Awards judges this summer – for the first time we are fully accessible to all and have open-plan spaces in which to stand back and admire the work.

None of this would have been possible without the support of our Koestler House Champions, charitable trusts, Arts Council England, Hammersmith & Fulham Council, and Ministry of Justice. Special thanks are owed to our former chief executive Sally Taylor, who spearheaded fundraising and project delivery, to the dedicated Koestler House Committee led by David Banks and later Tom Campbell, guiding us through the project’s challenges, as well as to past and present members of staff that worked hard to see this project through.

The team has so many fond memories at the old ‘house’ at 168a: I remember seeing Bob & Roberta Smith find unexpected inspiration in the building’s mustard-coloured foam walls for his exhibition ‘Snail Porridge’ in 2014; breeze blocks from Sarah Lucas’ 2012 UK exhibition plinth doubling as a monitor stand for years afterwards; sitting in the back garden with Antony Gormley and the team discussing final choices for his 2017 show; hosting the late, great Benjamin Zephaniah for his incredibly warm curation of the 2016 show; and somehow managing to do video walk-throughs of all our entries from the North West, so that Lady Unchained could select work for our 2021 regional exhibition in Manchester while social-distancing. So many incredible artists and wonderful people walked through those doors to help a charity to grow and inspire growth in others.

But as the sun comes in the window at my new desk, and the 2024 entries are beginning to be opened downstairs, I am looking forward to a great Awards year, and many more to come, in our wonderful new space at 170 Du Cane Road.

– Fiona Curran, Chief Executive