Snail Porridge exhibition at Castlefield Gallery + open day

Castlefield Gallery teams up with prison arts charity Koestler Trust next month for Snail Porridge, a new exhibition of art by offenders, curated by artists Bob and Roberta Smith. The exhibition features a collection of artwork, music and writing from prisons and secure hospitals across the North West, selected from entries to this year’s Koestler Awards. Taking its name from one of the works in the exhibition (pictured), Snail Porridge touches on themes such as well-being and inner peace (Your Inner Being), remembering a life outside (Silence) and art as a tool for escape (Snail Porridge), offering a chance to view works by artist outside of the conventional art system and promote creativity as a means to rehabilitation. There’s an open day on Saturday 7 June, with short tours at 2pm, 3pm and 4pm. Castlefield’s Jennifer Dean will give a short introduction to the Koestler Trust, Bob and Roberta Smith, and some of the themes explored in the exhibition.

Fri 9 May – Sun 15 Jun, Castlefield Gallery, Hewitt Street, M15 4GB. Tel: 0161 832 8034. Wed – Sun 1 – 6pm, open day Sat 7 Jun, 1 – 6pm, FREE, castlefieldgallery.co.uk