Unlocked: 40 Years of Prison Radio on 4ZZZ

Banshees exclusive!
Language and concept warning!

Unlocked is an art exhibition showcasing 40 years of prison radio at 4ZZZ, opening at Banshees in Ipswich on the 16th December 2023.

In 1983, 4ZZZ journalists ran a campaign called the Spring Offensive, to provide 100 radios to prisoners in the infamous Boggo Rd jail. This tradition of providing connection to those locked up in South East Qld jails has evolved to the Locked In program which has been running in the same timeslot for 16 years.

Despite the efforts of many to uphold human rights, prisons continue to torture and abuse through the use of spit hoods, long term solitary confinement, witholding medical treatment, ignoring suicide attempts, delayed sentencing, racist and discriminatory application of laws, and holding children as young as 10 in adult facilities.

This exhibition is confronting and complex, presenting issues that challenge viewers to reconsider prejudice and privilege, the intersections that lead to incarceration, and what we are going to do about it as a community.

Through more than 150 drawings, paintings, sketches and scribbles Unlocked will show how art is a tool for connection to culture and community, and one of the only positive forms of self therapy available to isolated humans.Art saves lives.

Visit Banshees (any night we are open) from December 17 to February 17 to explore Unlocked, an exhibition designed exclusively for Banshees Bar and Art Space.