About
Join us for an open discussion that explores the role photography, media and the arts can have in helping tackle homelessness and rough sleeping in Manchester and beyond.
Photography has a long history as a tool for creativity, self-expression, confidence building and empowerment. It is used to shed light and reveal truths about politically sensitive situations, and help foster goodwill and change. Many concerned photographers have addressed the complex subject of homelessness, but with varying results.
As Manchester and its mayor Andy Burnham commit to ending unintentional homelessness and rough sleeping in the city, what roles can photography, alongside other media and the arts, play in helping achieve this goal? This event explores some of the most successful and progressive projects and asks how the photographic, creative and homelessness communities can work most effectively together.
Who is it for?
- Photographers, artists and media professionals currently working within, or interested in being involved with, projects around the homeless community
- Professionals whose work involves homelessness, rough sleeping, and related areas.
- Anyone who has experienced homelessness - now or in the past.
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About the Speakers
Beth Knowles
Beth Knowles is currently Andy Burnham's Lead for Homelessness and Rough Sleeping across Greater Manchester and Chair of With One Voice, an international movement that aims to strengthen the arts and homelessness sector through exchanges in practice and policy.
Beth worked on the My Manchester photography project while director at Symmetry Creative to work with people affected by displacement and homelessness in the city.The project sought to explore, the photography, the light and dark, public and private, visible and invisible sides of the city as never before and involved thirty people who had been rough sleeping, seeking asylum or were street and sex workers use disposable cameras to capture their perspectives of the city. Inspired by Café Art’s My London initiative, the exhibition aimed to draw attention to the different sides of homelessness and the real lives of people taking part beyond the labels imposed on them. The project ran in three phases with The Booth Centre, Boaz Trust and MASH and was generously supported by Jessops and Chapter One.
David Tovey
David Tovey is a formerly homeless artist, educator and activist who works in a range of media. He is a photographer, painter as well as an installation artist and performance-maker. At the heart of David's practice is a very special quality - the ability to bring you to the subject in ways both beautiful and hard-hitting in equal measure in order to raise awareness about the social issues he tackles. David has exhibited internationally in locations such as Somerset House, Tate Modern and he is also the founder of the UK's first One Festival of Homeless arts. He speaks regularly at house and homelessness events and teaches art to people experiencing homelessness at the Pilion Trust and Passage Day Centre. His Man on Bench performances have earned him significant aclaim and have taken place on the pavement of the Southbank and the halls of Tate Exchange.
Paul Crudgington
Paul Crudgington first became involved with the homeless community when working on a photography project with Street Support. The project involved producing a range of images to increase awareness of the issue of homelessness across the city. From there Paul has continued to work with organisations such as The Booth Centre, Mustard Tree and Coffee for Craig, working closely with staff and service users to produce photos for Street Support. Paul also worked on the My Manchester homeless photography project with support from Beth Knowles and fellow photographer Charlotte Graham.
Paul tells us "I was truly inspired by the My Manchester project and saw first-hand how photography could be a powerful tool in helping people express their situation."
Paul has since become part of the team to helped run the second round of workshops which worked with staff and service users from the Boaz Trust. Paul is currently working as an Engagement Coordinator for adult education charity Back On Track, working on the Big Change Manchester (ICM) project managed by Shelter, as well as supporting his practice and research into understanding the complex barriers people face to living a fulfilling life. This November, Paul will be shooting the Booth Centres, Manchester Sleep Out at Manchester Cathedral, an annual fundraising event that invites people to take on the challenge of sleeping out to highlight some of the hardships that homeless people have to face every single night. To support and find out more about the project follow this link.
Tony Mallon
Since January 2012 Tony has worked with Crisis Skylight Merseyside, where he devises and delivers regular photography sessions at various homeless hostels. Recent workshops have engaged members in producing photographic work as part of celebrating Crisis's 50th year. Art in Crisis resulted in them exploring the theme 'What If' - how we can look to a future where homelessness is ended. The resulting photographic work was exhibited at the Museum of Liverpool.
As part of LOOK/15, Mallon exhibited If It Could Speak, which moved beyond the human presence to explore, examine and document through photography and text, the spaces and experience of living in homeless hostels in Merseyside during 2015.
When
7 December from 13:00 until 16:00. Doors open at 12:30.
Where
International Anthony Burgess Foundation, 3 Cambridge St, Manchester M1 5BY. The venue is fully accessible. For more information on International Anthony Burgess Foundation including how to get there please follow this link.
Tickets
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