Anne Peaker and Jill Vincent (current Chair of the Board of Trustees of Anne Peaker Centre) established the Unit for the Arts and Offenders (now Anne Peaker Centre for Arts in Criminal Justice) in 1992 as part of the Centre for Research in Social Policy at Loughborough University. The Unit for the Arts and Offenders was established as a registered charity and limited liability company incorporated on 21st October 1996.

Anne Peaker retired in May 1999 as Director of the Unit. The organisation was relocated to Canterbury and Pauline Gladstone and Angus McLewin were appointed as Co-Directors. Pauline and Angus successfully developed the Unit further, increasing annual turnover substantially, and establishing the charity’s role as a national umbrella organisation, delivering information services and a national training programme for artists.

In 2004 the Unit underwent an organisational review. Susan Ashmore was appointed as Chief Executive. The organisation has since re-branded to reflect its remit as a national umbrella body, and has been renamed Anne Peaker Centre for Arts in Criminal Justice to honour its founder, who sadly died in 2000. Anne Peaker's pioneering work continues to inspire us and she left a legacy which forms the basis of the work of Anne Peaker Centre today.

Anne Peaker Centre now has an established track record of valuable research, training, information provision and advocacy, and Bridget Edwards has been appointed as Susan's successor. The centre functions not as an external, confrontational lobbyist, but as an involved practitioner and umbrella body, working collaboratively with all parties. As such Anne Peaker Centre has gained respect from the prison service, government departments, arts organisations, educationalists and researchers.

Annual Report

Below is a copy of our annual report.