Helping the lives of offenders through creative expression, self reflection and spiritual formation.

What We Do.

  • Creative Expression

    Our poetry workshops equip the participants with a life long tool for self expression, building confidence, articulation and a belief in their own voice.

  • Spiritual Formation

    Using the Psalms, we journey through the practices of lamentation, confession and awe, developing a tool for Spiritual growth, rooted in the way of Jesus.

  • Self Reflection

    Poetry is a relief valve for our human experience. Equipping offenders with the daily practice of writing, we help further their emotional and mental well being.

Joshua is an utterly inspirational guy with an incredible heart and passion to bring hope, truth and light into the darkest of places and spaces. He manages groups of difficult prisoners and within a matter of minutes engages them at another level. He draws out their stories, helps them re write their narratives, bringing about redemptive messages and encouraging them to reach out and use the hurt, pain and disappointments of the past for the greater good. He has a mesmerising way of working – using his empathetic ability to attune to individuals alongside his honed intuition. It’s incredible to see.

Alecia Johnstone | Managing Chaplain | HMP Lancaster Farms

“Our vision is that by providing a space for creative expression, reflection and spiritual formation, we would play a part in decreasing reoffending rates as inmates leave prison. We truly believe that a creative practice is vital for the wellbeing of a person. We believe in the power of poetry. We believe in the power of words to shape our worlds.

Our lived experiences need a point of expression, a form of release that leads us to a redemptive rather than destructive end.”

Joshua Luke Smith | Founder

"Over the past few years Joshua has visited HMP Northumberland and shared his knowledge and experiences with some of the prisoners here. He is an engaging communicator, an enthusiastic facilitator of groups and an encourager of raw talent. He holds the ability to draw out deep truths from people who have never engaged in the platforms of written and spoken word before. Given my experience of working alongside Joshua Luke Smith I completely endorse the workshops he has run in this prison and have been thoroughly impacted by his performances.

Phil Drabble Team Lead, Junction 42, HMP Northumberland

The Psalmists was founded by pastor, poet and published author Joshua Luke Smith.

Joshua has over 15 years of experience as a writer and performer, travelling around the world with the mandate to “Speak into the Chaos”.

Early in his career Smith began performing in prisons and saw first hand the power that poetry had in impacting the lives of those inside.

The Psalmists seeks to equip offenders with the life changing practice of Poetry for themselves, bettering their lives and the lives of those around them.

Joshua has been featured in Complex Magazine, BBC 1XTRA, BBC 6 Music, Premier Radio, UCB Radio, Wordplay and many other media outlets. He has given a TED X Talk, tours extensively and has served as a Pastor for over ten years.

  • Each workshop provides a space for the participants to learn about poetry as a tool for creative expression. These sessions are interactive and engaging.

    We spend time focusing on the importance of discovering our creative voice, owning our stories and discovering a way to express our experiences and emotions.

  • We are a not for profit. Our charitable status is pending, we are awaiting the approval of our application which we hope to have by the end of 2022.

  • The workshops are free, they are funded by The Psalmists, a not for profit organisation.

  • Simply fill out the booking form on our contact page.

  • I have SSCL clearance for all B and C category prisons across England, Scotland and Wales.

  • The Psalms are an inspired and timeless collection of ancient Hebrew poetry.

    Across the 150 poems that make up the Psalter, no stone of the human experience is left unturned. From the depths of despair to the highest point of elation, the voice of the Psalmist rings out, in sorrow and in praise.

    Our work is deeply rooted in the tradition of the psalms, creating spaces for lamentation, confession and awe.

We’ve flown free from their fangs, free of their traps, free as a bird.
Their grip is broken;
we’re free as a bird in flight.

PSALM 124:7