On the Move - Voices from the Street (2003)
Keywords:
Project Background
On the Move - Voices from the Street
Photography by homeless Londoners over the age of 25
London, United Kingdom, 2003 - 2004
Project Team:
Caroline Shuttle - Project Manager and photographic trainer
Miranda Gavin - Project Co-ordinator, PR, and photographic trainer
Partner: Quaker Homeless Action
PhotoVoice volunteers took to the streets of London over the summer (2003), to offer weekly photography workshops to homeless people over the age of 25. Initiated by PhotoVoice, in conjunction with Quaker Homeless Action (QHA), this pilot project echoed the transitory and outdoor nature of many of the participants’ lives, as - without a centre to work from - the training and handing back of photographs also had to take place on the street and in parks.
Using automatic and Single Lens Reflex (SLR) cameras, the participants were initially given ‘on-the-street’ training and learnt the basics of photography. The workshops aimed to provide both a creative outlet and a potential tool for self-advocacy - a means of speaking out and raising awareness of the experience of rough sleeping and becoming homeless.
From this, a core group emerged and decided to work towards a Christmas exhibition, On the Move - Voices from the Street, at the Concrete Basement, Waterloo, London. Working with Miranda Gavin and Caroline Shuttle, the group documented and commented on key aspects of their lives. By this time, all the participants were in some kind of temporary accommodation and, as part of this process, they developed powerful bodies of work around the theme of transition.
Opened by The Big Issue founder and PhotoVoice trustee, John Bird, the show was well-received and gained national press and radio coverage. The participants also took responsibility for invigilating the show and selling Christmas cards and, as a result of the project, one of the group is now planning to go to college to further his photography skills.
The work is currently on show at the Quaker Meeting House, London and will be featured as part of a week-long event, 10 Feet Away, at the Union Chapel, London, in April. This event aims to bring together a number of organisations working creatively with homeless people and Miranda Gavin and Caroline Shuttle will be working alongside the group to offer taster photography workshops throughout the week.
The initial few months of this project were funded with a small grant from Quaker Homeless Action and, although there is still no further funding in place, it is still being run on an entirely voluntary basis.
Project photo gallery
Coming soon
Meet the Photographers
Go here to read more about the photographersPress
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Project Outputs
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Further project info
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