A post from Jodie, our Digital Communications Assistant on her latest gallery trip!
I recently visited the Saatchi Gallery, to take a look at their new free exhibition called ‘Homelessness: Reframed’. It is presented in collaboration with the Eleven Eleven Foundation, who work for a more equitable future, and Prince William’s ‘Homewards’ programme. This is a locally led programme, where groups of committed people deliver a plan to prevent and end homelessness. The aim is that after a five year period, homelessness is rare, brief and unrepeated.
The exhibition is structured into three main sections. The first of which allows you to connect with real individuals, as they share their own stories after perhaps losing and element of their humanity during their time without a home. The second section gives people the opportunity to engage with the complex causes and consequences of homelessness, the unique journeys that each individual experiences, and challenges many of the common misconceptions of homelessness . Part three specifies the opportunities to end homelessness. It inspires hope and optimism, reminding people that if we work together, homelessness doesn’t need to be a part of society at all.
A particularly poignant part for me, was the display of dozens of cardboard signs, used by people in crisis situations. The messages on these signs ranged from ‘This is awkward 4 me too’, to ‘Original jokes $1, $2 if you laugh’. These oddly touching yet painfully desperate messages portray the humanity of those in crisis, and showcase an element of creativity and entrepreneurialism that I found really inspiring to read.
I thought that ‘Homelessness: Reframed’ did successfully reframe homelessness, outlining how it is avoidable, and can indeed be ended. There is also a key thread throughout the art pieces that suggests the importance of a focus on prevention, rather than only managing the problem. It is this that makes me proud to work for Herts Young Homeless, as we put prevention at the centre of what we do, striving to put an end to youth homelessness at its root.
All exhibits have been guided by those with lived experience of homelessness, giving a voice to people who have perhaps been silenced so much in the past. I don’t want to ruin any more of the exhibition, as I highly recommend going to see the truly eye-opening and increasingly crucial pieces of art at this exhibition for yourselves!
Click here to read more!
https://www.saatchigallery.com/exhibition/homelessness-reframed
