Creative Justice? Co-designing with Prisoners

This talk explores what happens when artists and designers work with, rather than simply for, people in prison. Professor Lorraine Gamman, joined by Sarah Gresty (Course Leader, BA Fashion), Alex Schady (Programme Director, Fine Art) and a selection of guests will discuss co-design and creative practice at HMP Pentonville and HMP Isis. Through illustrated examples the speakers will consider how humane creative interventions can make sense of prison’s often inhuman conditions and constraints. They will explore how making together and studio culture an humanise alienating environments, creating opportunities for agency, dialogue, recognition and learning. An open discussion (30 minutes) will consider the possibilities and challenges of co-design and creative engagement in prisons. 

Participants

• Professor Lorraine Gamman, Professor of Design, Central Saint Martins 

• Sarah Gresty and Louis Louzou, BA Fashion, Central Saint Martins 

• Alex Schady, Programme Lead Fine Art 

• Michelle Cunningham, HMP Pentonville Prison Industries 

• Steve StClair and Tess Crichton-Miller, members of STITCH UP volunteer sewing group at HMP Pentonville 

Being Human Festival

This event is part of Being Human Festival, the UK’s national festival of the humanities, taking place 5-14 November 2026. Led by the School of Advanced Study, University of London, in partnership with the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy. For further information please see beinghumanfestival.org.