Reading prison which captured the attention of Banksy and counted Oscar Wilde as a past inmate has been sold by the Ministry of Defence to an educational charity with links to China.
The jail where the celebrated Irish-born wit and playwright was imprisoned was closed in January 2014 and has remained empty ever since.
A campaign to turn the Grade II listed building into an arts and community centre was supported by celebrities including Stephen Fry, Kate Winslet and Dame Judi Dench.
The Ministry of Justice said the prison has been sold to the Ziran Education Foundation.
The foundation, giving a UK contact address in Poplar, London, said it is a non-profit organisation founded by Chinese billionaire Channing Bi ‘and his partners with same values’. It added that it is ‘dedicated to promoting a compassionate, peaceful, and sustainable world through education’.
In 2021 a portrait by the celebrated street artist Banksy appeared on the prison wall in Reading
The image shows a prisoner escaping on a rope made of bedsheets tied to a typewriter
Oscar Wilde (pictured) spent two years in the jail after being convicted in 1895 of gross indecency – effectively for being gay
‘To achieve this goal, the organization focuses on several key areas of education such as teacher training programs, workshops, and active partnerships with existing schools.
‘These programs are designed to provide educators with funding and resources they need to foster the development of emotional, social, and ethical intelligence in students and themselves.’
The MoJ said Ziran’s plans for the site included an educational centre incorporating a museum and exhibition space.
Oscar Wilde spent two years in the jail after being convicted in 1895 of gross indecency – effectively for being gay.
He spent the last three years of his life in exile in France, where he composed his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, describing an execution at the prison.
In 2021 a portrait by the celebrated street artist Banksy appeared on a prison wall.
The image showed a prisoner escaping on a rope made of bedsheets tied to a typewriter.
The artist later offered to support the campaign to create an arts hub at the site by selling the stencil he had used in order to match the jail’s £10m asking price.
The MoJ said: ‘The sale follows an extensive bidding and vetting process to guarantee best value for taxpayers’ money while ensuring future planning applications acknowledge the historic nature of the site.
‘The Ziran Education Foundation will now engage with Reading Borough Council on the use of the site as it will need to approve any development plans.
The Ministry of Justice said the prison has been sold to the Ziran Education Foundation
Oscar Wilde’s health suffered in prison and continued to decline after his release
‘Initial proposals included plans for an educational centre providing services to the local community, including a museum outlining the history of the prison and an exhibition space accessible to the public.’
Reading East Labour MP Matt Rodda’s wanted it saved for public use.
Campaign group Save Reading Gaol, and celebrities including Oscar-winning Titanic actress Kate Winslet, who grew up in Reading, Stephen Fry, Natalie Dormer, Dame Judi Dench and Sir Kenneth Branagh, plus street artist Banksy, pressed for rtp kingslot96 it to become a site for the arts and culture.
It’s been claimed the empty prison costs more than £250,000 a year to maintain.
The jail officially closed in January 2014 after the last inmate left in November 2013. It was put up for sale by the MoJ in October 2019.