Steven Ellis, who was sentenced to four years for burglary, turned his life around via the prison’s art classes. He has now won the Butler Trust award for his art programme for people recovering from substance abuse.
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'Art is the best route to recovery', says former prisoner with royal award (Guardian Northerner Blog)
Steven Ellis is in good company as he works towards a BA in fine arts at Leeds College of Art. The roll of alumni at the West Yorkshire academy include Henry Moore, Barbara Hepworth and Damien Hirst.
But it is doubtful if any of these illustrious artists have had to overcome the obstacles placed in the path of the 37-year-old Ellis, a Leeds man. His remarkable story is one of a life changed by art; and now he is dedicated to changing the lives of others facing the barriers he has surmounted.
In 2008, Ellis was sentenced to four years in jail for burglary. He was no stranger to imprisonment, having served several sentences for crimes committed to service his heroin addiction. But this one was to be different.