This is the official website for the UBC A.R.T. & Justice Research Project group.
A.R.T stands for action, reciprocity, and transformative.
We’re a dedicated collaborative Participatory Action Research project supporting the holistic health, well-being, and dignity of currently and formerly incarcerated people in BC through Indigenous-guided and trauma-informed art and creative writing initiatives.
We believe that storytelling can build community, reduce stigma, and support healing
In April 2020, the Correctional Service of Canada announced that all research would be postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Feeling uneasy about having research funding not being put to use – based on all that we knew about the power of meaningful creativity to support holistic wellbeing within and beyond prison walls – our team made the decision to carry forward the wisdom, creativity, and compassion we have had the honour to witness from men and women hidden inside. We aimed to find creative ways to support the health, wellbeing, and dignity of people in prison during the pandemic (and beyond).
With support from our partners in Correctional Service of Canada, our team gifted high quality art and creative writing supplies to people in prison facing immense social isolation during COVID-19. Since August 2020 we have gifted over 756 art kits to people in prison, on parole and others disproportionately impacted by colonial harms in Canada.
We would like to welcome you to our website. We see this site as a community hub to continue nurturing current and new relationships between people in prison and the wider community, share updates from our ongoing work, and receive insights and feedback from you.
