New exhibition at Aylesbury's Waterside Theatre aims to give homeless people a voice

An exhibition of photographs portraying the lives of homeless Bucks residents will open at Aylesbury’s Waterside Theatre on Friday, January 20.

Alongside the pictures of eight people who are or have been homeless, each individual’s personal story has been sensitively captured in text and audio, highlighting the often complex circumstances that have led to these situations.

Multi award-winning photographer Craig Easton worked with Aylesbury Homeless Action Group and Wycombe Homeless Connection, who were keen to share the powerful stories in a new way, putting the individuals at the heart of the work.

Craig was commissioned by the two homelessness charities and Buckinghamshire Culture, the newly formed cultural development partnership for the county, to work with the individuals – all of whom have had a very difficult time during Covid-19 – to give them a voice and to encourage others to view homeless people with greater insight and understanding.

CEO of Aylesbury Homeless Action Group, James Boultbee, said: "As well as providing support for people who are homeless, our charities also aim to share what we know about homelessness with local people who want to know more.

"Facts and figures are part of that but I think anyone who comes to see the exhibition will agree that it offers the chance for local people to look closer.

"These are the words and pictures of real people who wanted to share their stories with you and I think there is a great opportunity to form deeper understanding and connection with issues involved with homelessness here.

"WHC and AHAG do need your support to keep providing help but first we wanted to simply give people a chance to connect with the issue, and Craig has done that so well."

As well as the exhibition, which continues until February 19 during the theatre’s opening hours, Craig has produced a newspaper of the images and stories which is available from Aylesbury Homeless Action Group for a suggested donation.

The project has been funded by Rothschild Foundation as part of a larger project aiming to support the cultural sector and its partners after the pandemic and encouraging organisations to use culture to contribute to fulfilling their agendas.