HMP Peterborough welcome the Anne Frank Exhibition again. June 2015

Binds,The Ayr Clinic, PiC, Scotland, photographic print on paper, Photography. Image: Courtesy of the Koestler Trust 

Men’s prison May – June 2015

A much welcome return to HMP Peterborough after 3 years.

We started the first week of the event in the men’s side of the prison, and set up the Anne Frank exhibition on ‘Main Street’, a large space in which all prisoners pass through on most days. A perfect place to open up our exhibition to its full length.

An interested and very capable group of prisoners worked with me, and interestingly enough, a couple of the men had worked with me previously in other Gaols.

A slow start – but gradually interest grew and on the last days there were lots of people coming on the tours to see what was going on.

 Women’s prison June 2015

‘Main Street’ in the women’s prison is exactly the same as in the men’s side of the prison, and so once again we set up the exhibition there.

The group of women that volunteered to be our guides were a wonderful group to work with, and were extremely enthusiastic about the project. They did a wonderful job in presenting the exhibition to fellow prisoners and staff.

The highlight of this event was the talk from Dr Eva Schloss who spoke of her own incarceration in a concentration camp and about the Holocaust. It was magnificently inspirational, and the women (100 of them) showed their appreciation by giving Eva, two standing ovations. It was a beautiful moment, and Eva was extremely touched by this.

The closing day was a celebration of the Guides achievements over the week, and were all presented with Anne Frank books and certificates as a gesture of appreciation for their hard work and commitment to the project.

Later that day I was kindly introduced to Mr Michael Gove (the new Justice Minister) by long -time supporter of our work, HMP Peterborough’s Governor Nick Leader.

Mr Gove was very interested to see our exhibition and hear about all the work we have been recently been doing in prisons, and was also very pleased to hear how well the event had been received at HMP Peterborough.

Many thanks to Governor Nick Leader for his support and to Mr Tony Ryan for organising this very special event