The Art of Incarceration

Seen through the eyes of Indigenous prisoners at Victoria’s Fulham Correctional Centre, The Art of Incarceration explores how art and culture can empower First Nations people to transcend their unjust cycles of imprisonment. This narrative documentary both analyses and humanises the over representation of Indigenous Australians within the prison system, whilst seeking answers and striving toward solutions. The film is an uncompromising insight into the inmate’s quest for cultural identity and spiritual healing as they prepare for the annual Confined exhibition (facilitated by Not For Profit organisation The Torch) and life on the outside. From deep inside Fulham Correctional Centre the artists complete their works whilst painting the audience a contemporary insight into the deeply ingrained incarceration epidemic of Australia’s First Peoples. The film clearly and profoundly explores greatly misunderstood issues such as cultural disconnection, inter-generational trauma, addiction and institutionalisation. The Confined exhibition represents a middle ground between prison and society, providing the inmates with “experiences that no one can take away from us, no matter how dark the times get”. The Art Of Incarceration was conceived out of a strong friendship between filmmaker Alex Siddons and lead subject (and Co-Producer) Robby Wirramanda. Together with Christopher Austin – whom Alex met within the Indigenous unit of Fulham Correctional Centre – they began a 16-month process of filming hundreds of hours of life inside the prison – and out of it. More recently, Uncle Jack Charles has joined the team (and his old friends) to lend his voice to an issue he feels very passionate about.