A GROUP of artists are appealing for others to join them behind bars as part of an exciting project for next year’s Coastival event in Scarborough.

The Prison Project will transform the town’s disused prison off Dean Road, into a visual arts space, featuring contemporary work inspired by the prison.

Six artists have been commissioned to run the project and they are looking for 10 others to join them in creating work in the prison to exhibit at Coastival between February 13 and 14.

Artists are now being invited to submit proposals for how they would use one of the cells in the prison (2.5m high, 2.1m wide and 3.8m long). These proposals must be focused upon using drawing, in its broadest sense, as a medium.

There is scope for 10 artists or students to take on a commission and they will be selected by the panel of six project artists.

People interested have until November 15 to submit a proposal to prisondrawingproject@gmail.com

Each artist will be paid £150 and will also be part of an online publication recording the event, have professional documentation of their work and have the opportunity to sell other work for zero commission at the venue during the event.

Coastival’s organisers, Scarborough-based arts development agency Create, say the prison project represents a fantastic opportunity.

Director Wendy Holroyd said: “The prison is an amazing, unique building that offers a truly inspiring backdrop to the six artists and the 10 that will join the project. It is a great opportunity and we expect it to generate a lot of interest from artists locally and across the country.”

The six project artists are Tracy Himsworth, Andrew Cheetham, Andy Black, Kate Black, Sally Taylor and Lucy O'Donell. They have a wide skills base and knowledge, with experience of putting on exhibitions both in galleries and in unusual spaces,

For more information, visit coastival.com