Inday Hablon Freedom Weaves with After-care Post Prison Art Program
This project is a restorative recovery process from COVID-19 Pandemic engaging the
most vulnerable and marginalized artists in the region such as Women Artists Persons Deprived of
Liberty (PDL) mothering behind bars and those in post-incarceration from Iloilo City District Jail
Female Dormitory. Currently four trained weavers in Iloilo District Jail in Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo has
continued the weaving culture behind bars. Twenty post-detention women expressed their need
and desire to continue being part of the Inday Dolls Hilway Prison Art Project even after their release
or being acquitted. There is massive potential in the hablon freedom weaves behind bars and also
re-engaging in the after-care program of former incarcerated women artists. Some of these women
showed great talent and developed new skills as part of the core group design team when they were
inside as persons deprived of liberty (PDL). Reintegrating in the society is a challenging and can be a
traumatic circumstance especially during the pandemic which needs concrete support. Most of the
women are bread winners who can greatly benefit from creative enterprise and relevant income
generating projects.
The Inday Hablon – after care post prison art program will provide creative income opportunities for
20-30 PDL and former incarcerated women artists working at home as part of the psychosocial
support and rehabilitation through the arts. The process-oriented art production reflects the local
culture integrating weaving in the product development and design process developed by women for
women.
Objectives:
1. To provide after-care creative livelihood opportunities to former incarcerated women
artists as psychosocial support
2. To develop after-care women art products by women integrating hablon weaving,
embroidery and fabric design
3. To conduct after-care workshops to former incarcerated women for product and skills
development.
4. To produce a collaborative sculptural art for permanent public exhibition and fabric
tapestry art for mobile exhibition as collaborative work of PDL and post-detainee in Iloilo
and beyond.
Impact of Project to Participants, Beneficiaries and Community:
Taking care of women is taking care of families. The public art of women formerly incarcerated are
given an agency to be part of the global conversation and have a powerful voice through their
artworks. One woman has a layer of generations on her shoulder. The healing of one woman, is
the empowerment of several inter-generations. Women in their most vulnerable situation as
formerly incarcerated individuals are not spared from the worst economic collapse especially
reintegrating in society during pandemic. This project is a pioneering initiative in the after-care
program of the BJMP Iloilo. This psychosocial support in the reintegration of formerly incarcerated
women back to society brings out the most creative and innovative in our humanity.