Spokesperson Network

Lady Unchained

Poet and Founder of Unchained Poetry, a platform for artists with experience of the criminal justice system.

lady_unchained

Sitting in her front room, with a group of like-minded friends, Lady Unchained and her friends would have debates and discussions about the problems they faced around everything, and write about how they made them feel. This inspired her to set up Unchained Poetry, a platform for artists with experience of the criminal justice system. In 2016, Lady Unchained won an open mic competition and received a prize of £500. She used this money to help fund a trip to Uganda, where she visited in mates in two separate prisons talking to them about their experience of prison in Africa. She documented all of her experiences and she is now working on producing a short film about the trip. Lady Unchained has worked with a number of charities including Body and Soul Charity, Working Chance and Safe Ground. She now hosts Unchained Nights in partnership with Arts admin at Toybee Stations, a night of inspirational storytelling, through poetry and music, performed by artists with lived experience of the justice system. She also co-hosts for National Prison Radio’s show We Are Straight Line, a show about Getting out of prison and Staying out of prison.

"My life ended and began with a prison sentence, those metal doors awoke the faith in me."

Watch

Creating a platform for prison poetry

Lady Unchained’s mission is to prove that there is life after prison. Through poetry she tells her own personal story and the untold stories that are often left untold, because of shame or labels. She performed a selection of her poems at Being the Story.

In the Media

  • Lady Unchained‘s powerful voice and artistry have been recognised by The Radio Academy, with a nomination for a prestigious ARIA (Audio & Radio Industry Award). Read more here.

  • Six members from our Spokesperson Network were selected as part of Big Issue’s Top 100 Changemakers for 2025: Lady Unchained, Emma Pears, Expert Citizens (Darren Murinas), Families in Harmony (Sharon McPherson and Johanna Bernard), My Life My Choice (Benjamin McCay) and JENGbA (Jan Cunliffe).

  • Lady Unchained was interviewed on BBC Radio 1Xtra discussing the BBC series Tagged and how art can support people coming out of prison.

  • Lady Unchained on the award-winning Media Storm podcast on prison overcrowding.

  • Lady Unchained was interviewed in The Daily Mirror for an article titled ‘Brenda proves women can turn their lives around after being released from prison.

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