Jonny to jolly up 700 years of history at former prison
Jonny to jolly up 700 years of history at former prison
Artist Jonny Hannah has been commissioned to brighten up Hexham Old Gaol – but there aren’t any inmates to benefit these days. Its use as a lock-up ceased in 1820 and in 1980 it first opened as a museum.
The two-year commission is made possible with a £40,000 award to Museums Northumberland, the county museum service, from the Art Fund charity as part of its Reimagine programme.
It will see the extraordinarily prolific illustrator and printmaker returning to the scene of past glories.
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In 2021 he delved into the county’s history for Northumberland Folk, an exhibition which saw Hexham Old Gaol - along with museums in Ashington, Morpeth and Berwick – vividly reanimated.
This time Jonny will again work with local communities to tell the stories of the old building in a new and vibrant way.
There’s plenty to go on. Reputedly the oldest purpose-built gaol in England, it was built of stone from a local Roman site in 1332 – this during the reign of Edward III who started the Hundred Years War with France.
The project will expand Museums Northumberland’s partnership with HMP Northumberland, exploring how its collections and themes chime with a modern prison.
Rowan Brown, chief executive of Museums Northumberland, said: “Anyone who visited Hexham Old Gaol during Jonny Hannah’s Northumberland Folk will know how his work transforms spaces, using local stories to bring museum and heritage collections to life.
“We want to use Jonny’s unique approach to developing art with local people to transform Hexham Old Gaol into an engaging ‘story box’ where people of all ages and abilities can learn about the history of the building, its impact on the local area and how it still plays a part in the story of Northumberland today.”
Jonny Hannah said: “Every community, place, town or region has stories to tell. I find this fascinating.”
While some people might think their stories unimportant, he added, he had never found this to be the case.
“Urban Folklore, as I call it, is a vast pool of inspiration for me, with small nuggets waiting to be uncovered and brought to life by me as a visual statement.”
As for the prison of today, Vicky Robinson, director of HP Northumberland, said: “We have some very talented prisoners and my ambition is to broaden the programmes of arts within the establishment, recognising the rehabilitative benefit of such programmes and partnerships.”
Art Fund’s Reimagine programme is designed to inspire creativity and increase stability and resilience in museums. Its latest round of awards, totalling £1m, targets those reliant on local authority support.
Director Jenny Waldman said: “The projects supported showcase the incredible value local museums have for communities and demonstrate their remarkable ambition, resilience and entrepreneurial spirit in the face of growing challenges.”
Hexham Old Gaol closes for the winter on Sunday (November 3) and will reopen in Spring 2025.