Cabinet Secretary visits impactful exhibition by people experiencing homelessness in South Wales

Julie James MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning and MS for Swansea West, last week (Friday 19 April 2024) visited House to Home, an exhibition from national homelessness charity Crisis which invites people to reflect on what makes a house a home.

The installation, produced by people with lived experience of homelessness, depicts the inside of a home and includes items such as wallpaper carefully made from street rubbings taken from across Swansea, lighting created from recycled bottles and a rug made from recycled materials, alongside other household items.

L-R: Debbie Thomas, Head of Policy and Communications for Wales at Crisis; Leanne Davies, Operations Manager for Learning at Crisis’ Skylight South Wales; Julie James MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Member of the Senedd for Swansea West at the House to Home exhibit

The exhibition, hosted by the National Waterside Museum, was curated off the back of art sessions run by Crisis’ frontline service in South Wales for people facing homelessness.

Homelessness can be an incredibly traumatic experience and for people staying in temporary accommodation like hostels and B&Bs or sofa surfing, the ability to make a house a home can be incredibly challenging. Crisis’ art sessions, which the charity provides alongside its other one-to-one support services, enable people to learn creative new skills while also helping people to bring a sense of home to unsuitable living conditions.

With homelessness rising, Crisis’ frontline teams are working hard to support people to rebuild their lives. Through its frontline service, people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness can access a range of support including benefit advice and guidance, employment support, alongside vital help with finding and maintaining a home.

The exhibition is currently open to the public and free to attend until Monday 29 April.

Leanne Davies, Operations Manager for Learning at Crisis’ Skylight South Wales, said: “We’re delighted the Cabinet Secretary came to visit and see this powerful exhibition. In creating the pieces on display, our members wanted to convey a strong message about the importance of home, and it’s great to be able to share this directly with Julie James, who’s also our local Member of the Senedd at the Skylight.

“At Crisis, we know that homelessness has a huge impact on people’s lives, and not having a place to call home can be incredibly distressing. That’s why it’s so important that we’re able to offer a wide range of support to help people rebuild their lives, while also providing a creative and therapeutic way for people to express their emotions.

“For our members, showcasing their work in this wonderful space has rightly given them a huge sense of pride and a connection to the community. We’ll continue to provide these important creative outlets, while we work to end homelessness in Wales for good.”

Julie James MS, Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Local Government and Planning and Member of the Senedd for Swansea West, said: “It was fantastic to be able to come to this exhibition and see the brilliant work that people in the local community have created. Their work really does make you think about what makes a house a home.”

Notes to Editors

The House to Home exhibition is running at the National Waterfront Museum in Swansea between 12 January through to 29 April.

The exhibition is running with thanks to our partners Amgueddfa Cymru, University of Wales Trinity Saint David: Swansea College of Art and Oakdale Trust.