Powerful indoor and outdoor exhibition launched by St Petrocs shares stories of housing crisis in Cornwall
· A moving exhibition challenging stereotypes of homelessness and confronting the stigma attached to housing insecurity
· Indoor exhibition at Royal Cornwall Museum from 8 November to 23 December
· Outdoor exhibition launching at the Eden Project Sleep Out on 10 November before rolling out across Cornwall at almost 40 locations
A moving and insightful exhibition giving voice to people in Cornwall who have struggled with housing insecurity or homelessness since the start of the pandemic opens this month – led by St Petrocs, a charity supporting adults in Cornwall struggling with housing, facing or experiencing homelessness.
People. Project Cornwall shares the experiences of 70 people interviewed living in Cornwall through indoor and outdoor photographic portrait exhibitions, a website and book, and challenges negative societal stigma and stereotypes by stating that all people deserve homes.
The indoor exhibition opens at the Royal Cornwall Museum in Truro on 8 November where 27 portraits are on display alongside excerpts from accounts of the housing struggles of individuals, couples, parents and families. It runs until 23 December.
The first location of the multi-site pan-Cornwall outdoor exhibition is at the Eden Project Sleep Out on 10 November before it rolls out into early December at nearly 40 locations across Cornwall, each displaying one of the portraits.
A number of high-profile partners have signed up to host one of the outdoor portraits including the Eden Project, the Minack Theatre, Rick Stein Restaurants, BBC Radio Cornwall and Jubilee Pool alongside smaller organisations and members of the public who’ve volunteered to display a portrait outside their business or home.
This innovative and ambitious St Petrocs project is a 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 practical and uplifting advice on how to survive tough times.
Helen Trevaskis, project lead for People. and Founder and Director of StreetDraw24, said: “People. taps into the unique power of the portrait and of people’s own words to tell an important story about the struggles with housing so many people are facing in Cornwall right now.
The outdoor exhibition - which is only happening because individuals and organisations stepped up and said they wanted to be a part of this - reminds us of what we can do when we work together.”
Henry Meacock, Chief Executive Officer of St Petrocs, said: ““The People. Project Cornwall is a wonderful demonstration of how we are all individuals but that we are part of the collective.
“Through the combination of portrait photography and the careful curation of personal stories, the project has created a legacy of a point in time that I hope will inspire change. We must listen to the voices of our community.”
Jonathan Morton, Chief Executive Officer at Royal Cornwall Museum – home to the indoor exhibition – said: “The work that St Petrocs does to end homelessness in Cornwall is of particular importance especially in the current climate.
“The project has beautifully communicated and raised awareness of those around us who are experiencing housing insecurity and homelessness. We are proud to host the portraits of those individuals involved on the project.”
A St Petrocs client featured in the People. exhibition, who has asked to remain anonymous, said: “Why do people have this stigma around homelessness that says people that ended up homeless are worthless? Something needs to be done to highlight this because there are some intelligent and useful people to society who end up homeless. You’d like people to treat you with a bit of dignity if you found yourself in that position.”
Kerry Blewett-Hill, Activities & Outreach Coordinator at Jubilee Pool – one of the Cornwall businesses hosting an outdoor portrait – said: “Much of the work we do here at the Pool is to benefit the community. This exhibition highlights a part of Penzance and the wider Cornish community that is often overlooked - which is why we were really keen to support the People. Project, to shine a light and bring attention to ever growing homelessness in our communities.”
Rebecca Ryder, from St Day, is one of the members of the public who has volunteered to host one of the portraits. She said: “'I think it’s a beautiful idea, very clever and of great value. There is a hidden aspect to homelessness across the country, not just Cornwall, and this project offers the opportunity for a wider discussion instead of the usual stereotyping.'
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.
Find out more about where you can see the exhibition at:
www.PeopleProjectCornwall.co.uk