St Petrocs launch new project giving a voice to people of Cornwall affected by housing crisis

An ambitious and innovative project giving voice to people in Cornwall who have struggled with housing insecurity or homelessness since the start of the pandemic has been announced on World Homeless Day (Monday 10 October) – led by St Petrocs, a charity supporting adults in Cornwall struggling with housing, facing or experiencing homelessness.

People. will share the experiences of almost 70 people interviewed across Cornwall this summer through an indoor and outdoor photographic portrait exhibition, website and book, and aims to challenge negative societal stereotypes by stating that all people deserve homes.

The project is a collaboration with the people of Cornwall who are being invited to help stage the outdoor exhibition, running in parallel with an exhibition at the Royal Cornwall Museum.

Event organisers are looking for locations to host one of the exhibition portraits – calling for members of the public and local businesses to display a portrait outside their homes and businesses.

A number of high-profile partners are already lined up including the Eden Project, Krowji, Kresen Kernow and Truro Cathedral.

The innovative St Petrocs project is a unique collaboration with social documentary photographer Gavan Goulder and community arts organisation StreetDraw24 – who are all working together to shine a light on an issue that increasingly affects the whole of the UK.

The team heard many heart-breaking stories of living on the streets or in cars or vans, of facing eviction, sofa-surfing or living with extended family in cramped conditions and more, as well as uplifting advice on how to survive tough times.

Thirty people were also photographed to dramatically underline the negative impact of housing insecurity and homelessness on a wide range of people in rural and urban settings.

The exhibitions will take place in November and December and hope to encourage anyone experiencing similar issues to seek support as early as possible and to see St Petrocs as an organisation to help prevent homelessness - not just there to help when the worst happens.

Helen Trevaskis, project lead for People. and Founder and Director of StreetDraw24, said:

“This project challenges the stigma and stereotypes of people struggling to find or keep a home and the shame many people feel – feelings that can stop people asking for help, or make them feel worthless when they do.

“We met great people in awful situations the length and breadth of Cornwall, because of a lack of affordable housing. A safe place to live should be a human right and we hope by sharing peoples’ words and their portraits, this will be heard by the people and organisations that can make a difference.”    

Steve Ellis, Vice President and former Chief Executive Officer of St Petrocs, said:

“We have yet to fully understand the implications of what the pandemic has brought upon us. We can forget that all the news, all the figures, all the policy decisions relate to ordinary people trying to live life.

“This project is about giving voice to people who live in the margins. It’s about not being frightened of having discussions about how to do things differently, because everyone deserves a fair chance.”

Dan James, Development Director for the Eden Project, said:

“Over the last 10 years of working with St Petrocs in hosting the Sleepout, Eden has become increasingly aware of the personal stories as to how people have become homeless. The People. portrait project reminds us that no one chooses to be homeless, and that it could happen to any of us.”

The Royal Cornwall Museum exhibition begins on 8 November and the outdoor exhibition will be officially launched at the annual Eden Project Sleepout which fundraises for people facing homelessness on 10 November.

Workshops exploring portraiture, power and identity will run at Royal Cornwall Museum in December for project participants and interested members of the public.

A book will be published following the exhibition, with a copy due to be archived at Kresen Kernow - Cornwall’s historical archive and the National Library, to mark the severity of the situation so many people in Cornwall find themselves caught up in right now.

Anyone who would like to find out more about the People. Project Cornwall can visit:

www.PeopleProjectCornwall.co.uk

Roscoe Communications has provided marketing and communications services for the People. Portrait Project, working in collaboration with St Petrocs, Streetdraw and Gavan Goulder on raising awareness of this vital project.