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Celebrating Black History Month with role models suggested by prisoners from HMP Isis

Written byInternal Communications
Published date 31 October 2022

See a bold display of posters featuring famous role models chosen by inmates of HMP Isis.

Who do you admire? Who are your heroes? Who might inspire you to change? These are the questions that inmates at HMP Isis were asked by the Design Against Crime Research Centre in July 2022. Role models from the worlds of music, sport and design, as well as the likes of Martin Luther King, came up time and again.

Design Against Crime has worked with Here Design to bring this list of heroes to life in a series of posters, now on display at Central Saint Martins in the Granary Building foyer, and across the HMP Isis prison estate. Of the 650 18-24 year olds at HMP Isis, 70% are from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic backgrounds. Although these posters were initially created for Black History Month, they aim to provide inspiration all year-round to inmates.

Each poster features an inspiring quote from the individual pictured in the design, including Barack Obama, Stromzy, Virgil Abloh, Marcus Rashford, Nipsey Hussle, Lebron James, Usain Bolt and more.

The quotes inspire the young men to change their own stories and create new futures for themselves.

— Comfort Ayankoya, Development Manager of Untold

Poster designs

a series of brightly coloured posters — **Designed by Here Design in collaboration with Design Against Crime Research Centre**

Professor Lorraine Gamman from the Design Against Crime Research Centre says 'starting a dialogue with prisoners is challenging. We want them to see that they are the agents of their own futures. Creative education can allow these young men to discover new narratives and generate their own identity transition to crime free lives. Empathy and creativity learned through projects like this, are crucial tools for their life outside prison.'

Kate Marlow of Here Design says 'working collaboratively with the prisoners and staff at HMP Isis and the Design Against Crime Research Centre, gave the team at Here a unique understanding of the potential of these posters to positively influence young men’s lives. The design aesthetic is deliberately in tune with the aesthetics of brands the prisoners stated they liked or aspired to, with a touch more empathy and less aggressiveness through the more modern colour palette. The quotes were chosen to reinforce affirmative messages which show the pioneering spirit of the heroes chosen by the prisoners’.

Comfort Ayankoya, Development Manager of Untold says 'Untold is delighted to see the poster collection of the icons chosen by the young men, each of whom has been through challenges to get where they are. The quotes inspire the young men to change their own stories and create new futures for themselves. Seeing them around the prison will remind them that they have the same power as their heroes to choose their paths.'

Creative education can allow these young men to discover new narratives.

— Professor Lorraine Gamman from the Design Against Crime Research Centre

Poster designs

What's next?

These posters are only the first outputs in the partnership between Design Against Crime Research Centre, HMP Isis and Here Design. 2023 will see the launch of Untold Magazine, created by prisoners and prison staff, as well as other education opportunities and collaborations. The Bromley Trust will also provide a training fund for Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic UAL art and design graduates who are interested in passing on their valuable skills to inmates.

About Design Against Crime Research Centre

The Design Against Crime mission is to disrupt crime by bringing together government, businesses, local communities, prisoners and returning citizens to generate strong socially responsive, co-created crime prevention strategies and crime diversion projects. The centre is based at Central Saint Martins and has delivered practice-led design research for over 20 years.