Community Arts In Spring 2023 TASO was able to donate a further £250 to HM prison Stocken to support their first ever Art Exhibition of the men's work, undertaken with supervision and support, in their Art Academy. Three TASO members attended the preview evening and presented the cheque then. In return TASO was gifted a beautiful, framed portrait of a young woman, (identity unknown), skillfully drawn in a soft pencil by one of the inmates. This now hangs in our lecture venue, the Victoria Hall Oakham. Our autumn donation to HM Stocken Prison, of £500 to buy art materials, supported the HOPE project over the winter 2021/22. This was an opportunity for the men to express themselves through the medium of paint, brush and canvas. Click here to read a press release about the project In 2025 The Arts Society Oakham were pleased to support, with a small grant, St Nicholas Primary School Cottesmore in the national Art Bytes competition for Year 5 school pupils. The children, under the care of their inspiring art teacher Jane Morton, produced a range of 2D artwork and submitted their entries for judging by regional and national panels. We were further delighted to learn that one young boy in this class won prizes at the East Midlands level, and these were presented in June at the Usher Gallery in Lincoln. TASO is hoping to replicate this support to enable English Martyrs Catholic Academy, Oakham to compete in 2026.