10am-5pm daily
B-Wing at Shepton Mallet Prison, Frithfield Lane , Shepton Mallet BA4 5LU
Entrance: reduced rate adults £10, children free. Free workshops include free entry!
Our Sculptors Exhibitions
B-Wing is an Arts Council funded project set in the unique spaces of B Wing, Shepton Mallet Prison. Site-responsive artworks, poetry and performances will transform the space, reflecting its history, and confronting political and environmental issues. Somerset based artists/co-curators Fiona Campbell and Luminara Star are working alongside 6 South West artists and writers for an exhibition and events during Somerset Art Weeks Festival, 21 September-6 October 2019.
Shepton Prison is hidden behind 75ft high walls, inaccessible to the public until recently. The oldest working prison in UK until closure in 2013, it now stands vacant. B-Wing’s evocative spaces, full of dark histories, summon powerful responses. Light through windows and bars casts dramatic shadows; strong acoustics conjure imaginings of its past. For visitors it will be an immersive, poignant experience. There will be a sense of wonder and curiosity as each person makes their own way through the labyrinth of cells and corridors, discovering unpredictable interventions in astonishing deserted spaces. Appealing to different interests, B-Wing will provoke thought and debate around art.
John McCarthy, world-renowned writer and broadcaster, will open their Special Events Day, 28 September. The day includes poetry reading, performance, artist talk and ‘Join-in-the-Conversation’ to bring the work to life and invite discussion.
On National Poetry Day (3 October), writer Rosie Jackson will lead a poetry performance ‘18 poets in B-wing’ with South West poets.
Free workshops, talks, readings, exhibition tours and performances will be spread throughout the fortnight. Local community groups have taken part in workshops creating collaborative artworks to form part of the exhibition.
‘We are pleased to support B-Wing … Working with the community and non-arts organisations, this project helps to achieve our mission to make arts and culture more accessible to more people…’ Phil Gibby, SWDirector, Arts Council England.
Open 21 Sept–6 Oct, daily 10-5. Entrance: reduced rate adults £10, children free. Free workshops include free entry! Further info: www.b-wing.weebly.com @bwing2019.
10am-5pm daily
B-Wing at Shepton Mallet Prison, Frithfield Lane , Shepton Mallet BA4 5LU
Entrance: reduced rate adults £10, children free. Free workshops include free entry!