Prince William visited the Saatchi Gallery on Thursday 5th September to view Homelessness: Reframed, a groundbreaking exhibition which brings to life the breadth and complexities of homelessness and aims to help the public to engage with, and better understand, the stories of those who have experienced the issue.
During his visit, His Royal Highness met artists who have contributed newly commissioned pieces for the exhibition, alongside those with lived experience who have inspired some of the artwork.
Created in collaboration between Homewards, Saatchi Gallery and Eleven Eleven Foundation, the exhibition displays works from artists in the UK and beyond, providing a powerful platform for those directly affected by homelessness to share their stories through art. A central objective of the Homewards programme, which was launched by The Prince and The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales in June 2023, is to change the narrative and challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes around homelessness.
The exhibition, which has been created with the support of lived experience advisors, is split into three main sections. The first, ‘Invisible Words’, features a poignant collection of signs, donated by Eleven Eleven Foundation, created by people experiencing homelessness worldwide. Often overlooked in daily life, the signs capture a range of emotions from shame and desperation to humour and resilience, encouraging viewers to reconsider their perceptions.
In the second section of the exhibition, ‘Reframed’, The Prince viewed newly commissioned pieces by artists who have reflected their own or others’ experiences of homelessness and hear more about the stories behind the artwork. Artists who have provided poignant works for the exhibition include Marc Quinn, Dave Tovey, Simone Brewster, Opake, and poet Surfing Sofas. His Royal Highness also heard from celebrated photographer, Rankin, who worked with Homewards to photograph and interview nine individuals with lived experience to generate imagery that challenges stereotypes around who we believe can experience homelessness.
His Royal Highness then visited the final section, ‘Open Doors’, which features doors made by children and young people from the six Homewards locations – Aberdeen; Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole; Lambeth; Newport; Northern Ireland; and Sheffield. Created with the support of local artists with lived experience of homelessness, the doors symbolise the diverse paths to ending homelessness, serving as metaphors for the opportunities and challenges for those facing the issue, and emphasising the importance of community and support. The Prince also met children from Creative Kids, a charity in Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole, who took part in one of the workshops.
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