A special art exhibition has been officially opened at Irvine’s Harbour Arts Centre.

Anonymous Visions features the work of first-time artists taking part in a unique Criminal Justice project.

Income generated from sales of the works will go to a North Ayrshire charity, allowing the service users to ‘give back’ to the communities where they committed offences.

The exhibition was officially opened by professional artist Dronma Mailley, a past President of the Glasgow Society of Women Artists, who was full of praise for the work on display.

Dronma said: “It was amazing to see such creative spirit especially as most of the artists had, I believe, never expressed themselves visually before.

“All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibition and congratulate all the artists, their tutor David Martin, and the unpaid work team as well as the Harbour Arts Centre for bringing this to the public.”

The work in this exhibition has been produced by service users involved in North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s Criminal Justice Service in Stevenston. These service users can face barriers to mainstream employment.

The Creative Arts Project allows people to explore offending behaviour via discussion on the artwork being produced and can help develop communication and social skills for those who are often isolated and vulnerable within their local communities.

Donna McKee, Interim Head of Service, Children, Families and Criminal Justice at North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership, said: “The Creative Arts Project has provided an environment which has allowed service users to develop their skills while also giving something back to the community.

“Many of the service users involved in the project say that it has given them a sense of dignity, which they had lost, and has helped develop their self-worth”.

Anonymous Visions is on at the Harbour Arts Centre, Irvine, until Sunday, May 21. Entry is free.