Barbara Szőke

6.28 Art Education as a Punishment or a Second Chance as Part of a Healing Process? (Paper)

Barbara Szőke – Jaschik Álmos Art High School and Technical School, Hungary – virtual

Gabriella Pataky – ELTE, Faculty of Primary and Pre-School Education, Budapest, Hungary

Robert Potočnik – University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Education, Slovenia

Abstract:

In the context of social responsibility, the exploration of opportunities for inclusive pedagogy is becoming more widespread. These can provide support at different levels of our ever-changing reality, whether through direct inclusion, through improving quality of life or, as we will show, through a fresh start. In our presentation, we will explore the practise, potential and challenges of art education in prisons. Prisons as institutions of punishment and marginalisation often deprive inmates of their self-determination and connection to society. However, art can counteract this by giving prisoners a sense of self-determination, relaxation, and emotional support. By involving prisoners in art education, there is a great opportunity to help them better understand their personal situation and deal with various emotional and social problems that arise in the prison environment. The case study suggests that structured art education in prisons – with different techniques and content that strengthen social and emotional skills – can make everyday prison life more bearable. Furthermore, fine art activities conducted by trained artists or art educators can enhance the psychomotor, affective, and cognitive development of both juvenile and adult inmates, creating a conducive prison environment. This study highlights the potential benefits of involving art educators in prison programmes to improve the quality of art activities and provide emotional and social support through art. This study is the first to explore this approach in the Hungarian and Slovenian context and offers new insights into the use of visual arts as a rehabilitation tool in prisons.