Banksy offers £10M to turn Reading Gaol into cultural hub

Banksy has offered £10 million to purchase Reading Gaol, the former prison where Oscar Wilde was incarcerated, with plans to transform it into an arts and culture center. The street artist proposed selling the artwork he created last March depicting Wilde escaping the prison to raise the funds. Reading Borough Council is considering contributing up to £12.6 million to secure the site. The prison, also known as Reading Gaol, is historically significant: it was built on the site of Reading Abbey, a medieval monastery founded by Henry I, who may be buried there. Wilde was imprisoned there in the late 19th century for homosexuality, leading to his poem "The Ballad of Reading Gaol." Banksy emphasized the building's layers of history—literary, LGBT+, Victorian social, and royal—arguing it should be preserved and used constructively rather than redeveloped into apartments. Support has come from actors Judi Dench, Kenneth Branagh, Kate Winslet, and Natalie Dormer. Council leader Jason Brock confirmed informal approaches from Banksy's representatives and stated the offer has broad community and artistic support.