- the fifteenth iteration of the yearly event - features an extraordinary array of 430 artworks by 380 First Nations artists who have experienced incarceration in Victoria.
In the sidelines of the event launch, NITV Radio caught up with Susannah Day, CEO of the Torch, and Flick Chaffer-Smith, an artist and former participant in the Torch’s program who is currently employed by the organisation.
For Susannah Day, the program's impact extends far beyond the gallery walls as it helps participants provide support to their families on the outside, increasing stability and helping to alleviate ongoing socio-economic disadvantage.
“As the fight for justice and Indigenous rights continues, Confined 15 stands as a testament to the resilience, creativity, and cultural pride of First Nations people who have experienced incarceration. Through art, they are reclaiming their narratives and paving the way for meaningful change,” Susannah Day said.
"Confined 15 serves as a poignant reflection on the disproportionate representation of First Nations Australians in our criminal legal system, underscoring the urgent need for change."
Some key outcomes from The Torch's programs:
- Increased cultural connection and strengthening of cultural identity
- Improved sense of mental health, social, spiritual, and emotional wellbeing
- Engagement in an arts practice - reducing boredom and thoughts of isolation whilst incarcerated or in community
- Economic self-determination
- Seeing a future without prison
- Passing down of learned cultural knowledge and skills sharing to children and community
- Pre-release skills and exploration of post-release career opportunities
Flick Chaffer-Smith, a participating artist in the Confined 15 is also the first female participant in the Torch's program allowed to return into the justice system to support serving inmates on their journey towards rehabilitation.
Chaffer-Smith underscored the profound impact of The Torch's initiatives for her, likening the program to a lifeline.
"I've gained strength of courage and I look at life differently. I'm not just a number, I am a person. Confined helped me shift my thinking. It helps me to connect to my culture, it's a big thing and is what I paint about – my culture, Flick Chaffer-Smith said.
For Susannah Day, as the exhibition's timing coincides with National Reconciliation Week it carries added significance.
"It is a compelling reminder to all of us that no matter what, the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people will — and must — continue.”
