The participants behind an art project exploring homelessness in Coventry gathered to celebrate its pride of place in a major city institution.
A group of 10 people with lived experience of homelessness joined visitors, academics and charity partners to celebrate the arrival of Constellations of HOME – an exhibition of photography and personal reflections on their experiences – at the University of Warwick’s new Faculty of Arts Building.
The exhibition is the first to be featured in the University of Warwick’s new Faculty of Arts Building, and includes artefacts and photographs chosen and co-curated by the participants alongside assisted self-portraits.
It will be on display until Thursday, October 27 as part of Resonate, a year-long programme of inspiring and interactive events designed to bring to life the work of the University and its staff.
The participants, which form the Agency Photography Group, created the work alongside Anthony Luvera, Associate Professor of Photography in the Centre for Arts, Memory and Communities at Coventry University in collaboration with Ben Davenport, Arts Coordinator at Crisis Skylight Coventry and Warwickshire, as well as Nadine Holdsworth, Professor of Theatre and Performance and Jennifer Verson, Research Fellow, both from the University of Warwick.
The launch comes one year after Agency by Anthony Luvera was first exhibited in October 2021 as part of the HOME: Arts and Homelessness Festival during Coventry’s City of Culture year. The group of participants who worked with Luvera have continued to meet regularly ever since.
Susan Sadler and Tracy Villiers both attended the launch alongside other members of the Agency Photography Group. Both have experience of homelessness in Coventry.
Tracy said: “It’s wonderful to see our work in what is for most of us our home city. It’s been a big commitment from everyone involved and we should all be really proud.
“It’s important that we have this platform to engage with the public and get them to think about what home means, and I think the more we interact and educate the better.”
Susan added: “We’ve all been through the stigma around homelessness, and this has been a great way to show our creativity, imagination, and our identities.
“Beyond that, this group feels like a family that have been through thick and thin so it’s a brilliant feeling to be able to share our work and be at this launch together.”
The project has been funded by the Warwick Institute of Engagement.
Anthony Luvera said: “I’d like to thank everyone for coming and joining us today to launch the work of the Agency Photography Group.
“So many good things have come off the back of this partnership established a year ago, and it’s inspiring to see the results on show here at the university.
“We hope the exhibition prompts questions and helps to build a dialogue around homelessness, and how people can engage with it.”
Nadine Holdsworth said: “It’s incredible to have all of these people in one place celebrating their work, and being able to showcase the project to the countless people who pass through the building every day.
“A lot has been achieved over the last year and the University of Warwick is delighted to have played a part.”
Ben Davenport said: “It's been amazing working with this group of artists. Their work challenges the negative stereotypes too often associated with homelessness, and it's been great to see them using their creative skills, developing their confidence and taking ownership of their own narratives.”