Himaya Haven received funding from the Heritage Lottery in 2021 for a heritage arts project with HMP/YOI Swinfen Hall. The project was named Heritage Behind Closed Doors and aimed to look into the heritage and history of Swinfen Hall prison, alongside the prisoners at this prison, and for them to translate this through creative means. We chose this method as it will aid prisoners to improve their mental health and wellbeing, particularly after the isolation faced in the previous two years due to the Covid19 pandemic.

The project was 18 months long and involved four young males aged 21-27 participating. It was intended that a total of 11 men would be involved in the project however the project theme didn’t seem to have much appeal. A variety of items were created by those involved, including canvas art, matchstick models, origami and wood work. Each piece of art highlighted a different part of the prisons heritage. There was a timeline of prisoner and prison officers’ uniform as far back as the 1920’s, a then and now adaptation of a prison wing, a matchstick model of a double and single cell, and a wooden craft piece showing the direction of prayer for Muslims for each wing, a piece of art that is being actively being used within the prison and will become a part of the heritage of the prison in coming years.

A celebration event was held within the prison with our team joined by the Deputy Lieutenant of West Midlands Chris Loughran, and the Deputy Governor of the prison. The young males were able to meet our team, learn more about us as well as meet with the other members of the project as they had each done their artwork in their own cells. They got to have a look at the historical archives we found about the prison and each others work. They were given food (supplied by the prison) and certificates, cake, a chocolate box each and a trophy (which would be held in their property box for when they leave the prison) to celebrate their efforts and to show appreciation. We are definite this raised their self-esteem and confidence. What was also very impressive is their positive outlook on life and the fact they all had full time jobs within the prison yet still took part in the project.

On 7th of March 2023 Himaya Haven had a public launch for their art exhibition showcasing this work out in the community, to show a positive side to prisoners and highlight the talent they hold. In attendance were community members, Birmingham City Council rep’s, West Midlands Police, Lawyers and more. The exhibition was extended to last a week long, for people to walk in and view in their own time. The exhibition showcased each person from the project’s work alongside a short written piece about the impact of the project for them. Artwork from members of the community who had previously been imprisoned many years ago were also showcased to add further depth to the exhibition.