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Praise for quality of prison art

Art and craft work produced by prisoners on the Island has gone on public display.

More than 100 examples of their handywork is being exhibited in the main hall of the Isle of Man College.

The college provides all the education at the prison in Jurby, and the two staff involved encourage all manner of work from cross-stitch and quilting to working in media such as pastels, water colours and acrylics.

Prison education manager Judy Jackson says most of the prisoners have one or two 60 minute classes a week and develop their work over a long period.

She believes the quality of some of the work produced is good enough to be professional (play audio file):

The Koestler competition, referred to in the audio clip, attracts over 5,000 entries from offenders, detainees and secure patients across the United Kingdom.

This year's judges include the potter Grayson Perry, Will Self and Emma Bridgewater.

The exhibition at the Isle of Man Colleg is open from 9am to 8.30 pm tomorrow (Friday), then from 9am to 5pm from April 11 to 15.

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