A workshop led by Deborah Zeldin-O’Neill and Sarah O’Hana
Inside
‘Take care of the luxuries
and the necessities will take care of themselves.”
Dorothy Parker
Designers have worked with prisoners before. In 1994
Wayne Hemingway, of Red or Dead, produced his
controversial ‘Keyhole’ catwalk collection, using motifs
such as arrows and prison numbers, and making
stylistic references to prison-wear.
Like Hemingway I wanted to explore the potential of
prisoners to produce truly unique pieces that would
reflect their individual experiences. But unlike him, our
limitations were made clear to us from the start. In our
first meeting we were told that any photographs taken
for use in the catalogue should not directly reference
prison-life, that any cable or cord should not exceed
nine inches in length, and that all sharp implements
such as scissors and needles should be meticulously
monitored at all times. One might think that such
restrictions may have exacerbated an already difficult
task, but as the project progressed, any such notions
were quickly dissipated. The women that we worked
with showed imagination and creative brevity beyond
any of our expectations, producing remarkable
pieces both reflecting and being influenced by their
surroundings – testament, surely, to the fact that art-
jewellery can be fabricated using the most readily
available of materials and tools, and in circumstances
that could so easily have thwarted originality.
Interestingly, it became apparent from conversations within the group
that a myth had arisen regarding the ‘privilege’ system within the
prison.Good behaviour such as obeying the rules or helping others was
rewarded by being allowed to wear more items of personal jewellery,
such as another ring or an extra pair of earrings, if they owned them.
I noted with fascination that this particular luxury was prioritised above
necessity, despite the scarceness of the latter.
Despite having invested much time and emotional energy into
their pieces, the prisoners weren’t allowed to keep the work after
completion. Whilst this rule is obviously logical, it was nevertheless
difficult to observe their anguish as they were separated from items
which we had been transformed from such everyday objects such as J
Cloths, toy soldiers, and safety pins, into personal treasures which we
they had watched grow.
Having worked with the women of Styal Prison, it has become evident
that while jewellery means one thing to the customers of high street
jewellers, it means quite another to these women to whom jewellery is
a vehicle by which to interpret their emotions and communicate their
sense of social isolation, the irony being that their pieces carry a far
more potent message than anything that can be bought.
Deborah Zeldin-O’Neill
Jeweller artist
Out!

5

t o f
O u
“Is this going on the out, miss?”(Emma)
Very early on in the planning of the Ars Ornata
Europeana for Manchester 2007, the title Inside Out
produced a myriad of ideas that we hoped would
make for a stimulating event. The suggestion to hold
a jewellery-making workshop in prison with Deborah
Zeldin O’Neill was not as directly linked to the obvious
notion of ‘being inside’ as it was to the idea of offering
quite a different audience a new set of skills that they
might engage with and adopt for their own future
development.
The workshop was carried out over six weeks and
has been treated as an experiment, with undeniably
experimental outcomes. It has been lead by
experienced qualified jewellers/lecturers whose values
lie beyond the measurable skills often prioritised in
society today. It seems logical to artists that when
an individual is at a loss for words, for whatever the
reason, s/he should find a different mode of self-
expression. The work of Peaker and Vincent, (see
Jermyn 2001, p.22) supports the well-documented
fact that creative learning enables personal
transformation and increases self-esteem. I believe the
creation of jewellery offers an alternative to collective
activities such as murals or theatre productions, as
it opens opportunities to work alone on something
very small and very private in an unlimited range
of materials.
t y a l
S
Perhaps this decision was rather a brave one. What made us think that
prisoners would be interested? Would they think it presumptious of us to
assume they would? How could we get past the association with precious
materials? Of what use could our specialism and our enthusiasm be
in their world?
Working within the Styal environment restricted our activity to an
absolute minimum:
• No tools or sharps of any sort allowed
• Lengths of wire, ribbon, string etc, restricted to 12 inches
• Different audience every week
• Short attention span
• Women not allowed to keep items made
• High proportion of self harm
• Some homeless
We had to shed a number of preconceptions. That jewellery is not all
made of gold and diamonds, and that prisoners are not all criminals
serving a life sentence. Only 5% of the prison population is serving
a life sentence and 24% is unsentenced. This means they are simply
waiting. Most welcomed the fresh novelty of a jewellery workshop run
by people from the outside. There was some disappointment with the
materials we offered, but all were keen to adorn themselves and quickly
did so as soon as the first tentative pieces were made.
The varying groups of women that joined us week by week spoke
mainly of their families, of boredom, of children’s birthdays that they
would not be home for, of missing nice food, of never marrying again,
ever. Making by playing with nonprecious materials produced a slow
drip feed of confidence that grew from our conversations, and our
delight at the emerging pieces raised a new conscience, if briefly, in
the mind. Like patchwork quilters who would gather together, this
workshop developed from the fragments of thoughts and materials
stitched together with the common thread of women in solidarity
with each other. Over cups of tea and persuasion, latent imagination
flowered into beautiful pieces made entirely without tools. The therapy
of making through talking revealed to the women how possible it was
to create from everyday materials, and to consider the true value of
objects made with intent. In this way the transformation of a ‘J Cloth’ to
a necklace became quite acceptable, where once it had not.
In steering this movement home to its ideal conclusion and fuelling the
women’s initially tenuous ideas, Gabina’s evocative collar of soldiers
(p.11), Sharon’s poem necklace (p.36), Alya’s painted figures (p.14)
and many other pieces were born. Was this not the final measure
of success?
The workshop, not without its fun and levity, caused many in Styal
prison to think twice about their creative potential, a newly found
freedom with a future potential.
Reference:
Jermyn, H. (2001). The Arts and Social Exclusion: A Review Prepared for the Arts Council of England. London, Arts Council England.
One last stage would confirm this victory: the
scrutiny of the eye behind the camera that observed
each piece and committed it to permanence in this
publication. Through a journey in and out of the
jewels, stopping to focus on details that expose
the drama of each piece, the viewer can receive
all the power and the undercurrent of emotional
expression invested throughout the six weeks of this
workshop.
We are indebted to the collaboration of the
women in HMP Styal and sincerely hope that,
despite the problems of tracking those who are
now out and possibly homeless, they eventually
receive this publication with all our good wishes
for the future. In answer to Emma’s question
at the beginning: yes, this exhibition is going
‘on the out’.
Sarah O’Hana
Jeweller, lecturer, The University of Manchester

You have been placed in an environment with strict
rules and routines away from society. You no longer
have easy access to friends, family, known routines
and belongings that provide you with a sense of
security and belonging.
When you are placed in such a depersonalising
institution it means you will not have the same access
to many meaningful paid or unpaid activities we take
for granted in everyday living. It is also likely you will
be subject to a wide range of uncertainties about your
future. This could include how long you will have to
be in prison if you are waiting the outcome of ongoing
investigations, the trial process or applications for
parole. You will be worrying about whether your life
will be the same or different when you do eventually
get out.
You may also become aware of how you may have
been impulsive, manipulated by others, ill informed or
unaware of the consequences of your actions. It may
be you had made a calculated decision, which you
now regret in deciding to carry out criminal activities
assuming you would not be found out. As a result
you are apt to become prone to boredom, anxiety,
depression and stress. Your behaviour may
indicate you are experiencing real mental health
problems. These can include emotional responses
You!
such as phobias and physical symptoms such as chronic headaches
or abdominal pain, without a discernable physical cause.
In addition you can develop eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa
and bulimia, or adverse habits, such as tics, sleeping problems and
soiling. You are also known to self-harm, attempt suicide and use
drugs, both illegal and prescription, that have been illicitly obtained.
You might get involved in episodes of stealing, defiance towards staff,
verbal and physical aggression, over activity and other antisocial acts.
In an effort to support your well-being there are various sources of help
including medical staff, prison officers, social and probation workers,
representatives of the judicial and legal systems, prison visitors, forensic
psychologists, probation services and educational staff.
You will have your own issues and your own personal support systems
but for all of us creativity is a vehicle for breaking out of your own
prison. It is possible to do this in everyday ways from deciding what
you’re going to wear to what you are going to cook and how you
will decorate your living space. Out of Styal is an exhibition of work
channelling emotions and thoughts into artistic expression using the
most mundane materials available.
Jennifer Noble
Chartered Psychologist
Useful Reference:
Rowe, D. (2003). Depression: The Way Out of Your Prison.Taylor and Francis.
!

Collective piece. Vintage Levi’s, found objects.

Gabina. Collar: plastic toys, monofiloment, steel tubing.
Gabina. Necklace: plastic toys, silk ribbon.

10
Joanne. Collar: plastic toy, felt, steel wire.

13
Alya. Necklace: plastic toy, silk ribbon, steel binder rings, paint.
Alya. Necklace: plastic toy, cotton tape, steel binder rings, paint.

14
 Alya. Necklace: plastic toys, cotton tape, lace.
Alya. Necklace: plastic toy, ribbon, steel binder rings, paint.

17
Sharon. Pin: laminated poems, found objects, kilt pin.

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 Gabina. Necklace: safety pins, paper clips.

21
Gabina. Necklace: fine steel wire, washers.
Gabina. Rings: fine steel and copper wire.

22
 Dawn. Pin: kilt pin, buttons.
Emma. Medal: Cable ties, rubber ring, ribbon.

25
Collective Piece Jeans: vintage Levi’s, found objects, marker pen.

26
Amanda. Collection: plastic tape measures, safety pins, split rings.

29
Sam. Necklace: measuring tape, safety pins.
Victoria. Bracelet: measuring tape.

30
 Karen. Bracelet: paper clips.
Joanne. Bracelet: electrical connectors, metal componants.

33
Sharon. Necklace: J Cloths.
Michelle. Brooch: prison tea bags, buttons.

34
 Sharon. Necklace: laminated poems, silk thread.

37
Acknowledgements

Out of Styal was a project carried out by Sarah O’Hana and Deborah Zeldin-O’Neill
at HMP Styal with the support of City College Manchester. The exhibition was curated
for Inside Out, the Ars Ornata Europeana conference 2007, Manchester, UK.

Conference Organisation Texts Copy-editing

Sarah O’Hana Deborah Zeldin O’Neill Jeremy Lawrance
Jo Bloxham Sarah O’Hana Sophie Charlotte O’Neill
Jim Grainger Jennifer Noble

Graphic Design Photography

Mia Bengtsson, www.graformat.com Jim Grainger

HMP Styal
Steve Hall Governor
Norma Garvey Education Manager
Richard Gray Department Education Manager
Maggie Barnes Lecturer
Annick Platt Head of Learning Skills
Nicola Murray Art Department

Joanne, Sharon, Sam, Karen, Marie, Victoria, Carmel, Michelle, Dawn, Gabina, Amanda,
Karen, Emma, Joanne, Alya, Amy and all the others whose names we did not record
but who contributed to the success of this project.

Thank you to Pablo O’Hana for the donation of toys used in the workshop.

Published in 2007 by TheVirtualCompany.co.uk ©Ars Ornata Manchester Ltd. 2007
Text © 2007 Deborah Zeldin-O’Neill, Sarah O’Hana and named contributors
Images © 2007 Ars Ornata Manchester Ltd.

ISBN 978-0-9556044-3-0