Special exhibition by people accessing our services to launch in Manchester
Local people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless, as well as the wider community, have been taking part in an innovative project at our Cornerstone and Morning Star services, which will culminate in a special exhibition at HOME in Manchester city centre.
‘A Place at the Table’ has seen people visiting the Cornerstone day centre and residents from our Morning Star supported accommodation working alongside poet Phil Davenport and artist Christine Johnson to develop poster poems evoking a day in the life of the many authors. It brings focus to the voices of Manchester people during the cost-of-living crisis.
The work created by the groups will be on display in a special exhibition in HOME’s Inspire Gallery from Monday 9 September until Sunday 1 December 2024.
The exhibition will invite visitors to appreciate the wit, wordplay, and distinct perspectives on food and everyday life that are shared within the collection of poetry and rhymes – candid words and genuine expressions of the challenges facing people experiencing poverty locally.
Supported using public funding by Arts Council England, the poems developed through a year of sessions, some during one-to-one conversations with people experiencing homelessness, with others through more formal community workshops themed around food, warmth and togetherness.
Zhang, one of the project participants, said: “The poems are from difficult feelings, in a sad old place, where people judge me. If people can understand my feelings, that’s what I want. If they can understand my written emotions, that’s marvellous.”
Project participant, Steve, said: “Poems tell us the truth and the truth resonates with everyone.”
Our Cornerstone day centre supports hundreds of local people every week and is just one of our services working alongside people experiencing homelessness or at risk of becoming homeless in the city.
As well as providing hot meals for those who need them – something which has been integral to the ‘A Place at the Table’ project – the team at Cornerstone is committed to not only supporting those who are already homeless but also preventing people from becoming homeless too.
They work alongside people to help them secure safe accommodation and ensure appropriate support for health and wellbeing, access to specialist support services, education, training, and volunteering opportunities, and employment, as a means of sustaining positive housing outcomes.
Poet, Phil Davenport, said: “People at Cornerstone have made a portrait of this community through their collaboration and writing that’s unconventional, full of flavour and connection, but also with frank and unfiltered views and experiences.”
Artist, Christine Johnson, said: “By itself a table is a lonely image, but seat people around it and it becomes an inclusive, contained, and versatile space – for eating, reading, writing, drawing, talking, laughing; a shared experience and a place of possibility. I hope this project will maintain a spotlight on the human experience behind the statistics. And I hope it will be emotionally impactful as it is only through empathy that there is any hope of societal change to prejudice and policy.”
Patrick O’Dowd, director of our charity, said: “This is a really exciting project for us, we work hard to offer a range of projects and activities within our services that help people to increase their confidence, improve their mental and physical health and build connections. ‘A Place at the Table’ is a great way for people to come together, listen, and learn a lot about themselves and each other, in a way that is reflective and supported.
“The cost-of-living crisis has hit people hard and more and more people in Greater Manchester and Lancashire are coming to us in crisis. This project aims to empower people to control that narrative for themselves, to tell their own story, and to be supported to change their own lives with dignity.
“We can’t wait for people across Greater Manchester to read the poems and see the incredible artworks on display at HOME, and I know participants will be really proud to see the exhibition being enjoyed by so many.”
We’d love to hear from you if you visit the exhibition at HOME from 9 September until 1 December – do get in touch, or post about your visit on social media and tag us in so we can share with the authors from Cornerstone and Morning star.