Inua Ellams, poet and playwright, curates the next Koestler Arts exhibition to open at the Southbank Centre

This autumn, Koestler Arts, the arts charity known for its work within the criminal justice system, presents its 18th annual exhibition. Approximately 200 works have been selected by multidisciplinary artist Inua Ellams from over 7,500 sent for consideration from all over the UK and British prisoners abroad. The exhibition, alongside a programme of events, is presented in partnership with the Southbank Centre.

During curation, Ellams was struck by the many depictions of owls and what they might represent to people in these settings. ‘To me, these night birds are symbolic of what it means to be behind bars, looking out, thinking and searching for clarity that often only comes at night,’ he says. He hopes to challenge the public’s preconception of the kind of artworks they’d expect to see from people within prisons and other secure settings by including a range of styles and themes. Humour and colour sit alongside sadness and monochromatic designs, while portraits and landscapes sit alongside figurative and abstract work.

Opening on 31 October, Night Owls and Abstractions is a free exhibition and will feature a selection of music, writing, fine art, craft and design by individuals in prisons, secure hospitals, young offender institutions and immigration removal centres, as well as people on community sentences and probation. The artworks on display were entered into the 2025 Koestler Awards, the only annual UK-wide arts competition for people in the UK’s criminal justice system. This year, Inua Ellams has selected around 200 artworks from over 7,500 entries to be on display, highlighting the talent and creativity within secure settings.