Date: June 28 2007
Release: Immediate

YOUNG OFFENDERS SHOWCASE TALENTS AT ART EXHIBITION IN READING

Artwork produced by talented young offenders in the south of England’s secure establishments will be showcased for the first time at the headquarters of international education charity CfBT Education Trust in Reading next month.

CfBT Education Trust manages education and training programmes in a number of institutions for young people under the age of 18, including HMYOI Huntercombe near Henley-on-Thames. Every year, the charity helps around 1,000 young adults to improve their educational achievements and build their vocational skills.

The art exhibition, taking place on July 5, 2007, will celebrate the achievements of the young people who benefit from CfBT’s education and training programmes which include art and design. Young people from HM Huntercombe YOI, Oakhill Secure Training Centre and HMP Woodhill juvenile unit in Milton Keynes, and young women in the Josephine Butler Unit at HMP Downview in Sutton and Sir Evelyn House at HMP Cookham Wood in Rochester will be taking part in the exhibition. Their work, created as part of the art and design curriculum led by CfBT’s teaching staff in the secure estate, will be judged by CfBT’s Chief Executive Neil McIntosh on Thursday July 5 at 2.30pm at CfBT’s Queens Road office.

Lesley Moore, Director of Schools & Justice Services at CfBT Education Trust said: “We are looking forward to seeing this unique arts exhibition visit Reading. The Arts play an important part in the education of young people in the secure estate, providing them with the opportunity to explore and develop both technical and critical skills. Many of the young people exhibiting have never studied art before; the standard of artwork produced is outstanding and I am delighted to recognise the talents of these young people in this way”.

Up to 90 works of art including painting, drawing, sculpture, animation and sound installations are to be included in the exhibition and the public are welcome to view it at CfBT’s offices on 60 Queens Road, Reading, from 2pm to 5pm on Thursday July 5, 2007.

Ends


Notes for Editors:
CfBT Education Trust is a leading education consultancy and service organisation. Our objective is to provide education for public benefit both in the UK and internationally. Established 40 years ago CfBT Education Trust now has an annual turnover exceeding £100 million and employs more than 2,000 staff worldwide who support educational reform, teach, advise, research and train.

As a not-for-profit organisation we re-invest around £1 million of our surpluses every year for practice-based educational research.

Visit www.cfbt.com for more information.

For more information contact:

Gillian Parry
Marketing Communications Officer
CfBT Education Trust
60 Queens Road
Reading
Berkshire
RG1 4BS
Tel: 0118 902 1221
gparry@cfbt.com