A unique photography project, led by researchers from The University of Queensland, depicts homelessness and housing instability in Brisbane from the perspective of those who are experiencing it.
‘Health Home Hope – a photographic exhibition on housing instability and health’ is a visual representation of the lived experiences of homelessness and its impact on health and hope. The exhibition, which is to be displayed over the first weekend in April, is the result of a highly collaborative project bringing together a range of UQ researchers with Brisbane homelessness and housing support service providers, advocates and the people they assist.
Dr Stefanie Plage, a Life Course Centre Research Fellow at the UQ School of Social Science, said the exhibition showcases the photographs of participants with lived experience of homelessness to provide new insights and understanding of what their lives are like. Participants were specifically prompted to “tell the story of what health looks and feels like, and what it means to them”.
“While we see and hear a lot about homelessness and housing instability from other sources, including politicians and the media, this exhibition provides unique first-hand visual representations captured by those who are actually experiencing it,” Dr Plage said. “We provided participants with a camera and invited them to show us how they look after themselves and others. Their photographs and captions evoke how homelessness results in considerable suffering, but they also tell stories of hope, ingenuity and solidarity in their pursuit of health.
“This exhibition seeks to not only reimagine health in the context of housing instability as something that is lived and done with others, but also to challenge our assumptions, asking us to consider what needs to be done to better support the health of people who are homeless or unstably housed.”
‘Health Home Hope – a photographic exhibition on housing instability and health’ is supported by UQ’s Life Course Centre, which is investigating solutions to break the cycle of deep and persistent disadvantage, and Brisbane-based not-for-profit community service provider, Micah Projects. It also includes collaborations with St Vincent de Paul Society and the UQ School of Social Science and School of Communication and Arts.
The exhibition will be launched with an invitation-only event on the night of Friday 31 March 2023.
It will then be open to free public viewing:
Saturday 1 April 10am-4pm
Sunday 2 April 10am-2pm
Vacant Assembly, 266 Montague Road West End
Curatorial team: Dr Stefanie Plage (Life Course Centre, UQ School of Social Science); Robert Perrier; Dr Andrea Bubenik (UQ School of Communication and Arts); Kirsten Baker (Micah Projects); Dr Rose-Marie Stambe, Dr Ella Kuskoff, Professor Cameron Parsell (Life Course Centre, UQ School of Social Science).
For more information, visit Vacant Assembly or contact Dr Stefanie Plage (07) 3346 7350 s.plage@uq.edu.au