Exhibition depicts life on streets in photographs
A PHOTOGRAPHY exhibition documenting homelessness and mental health aims to provoke discussion of the issues in the Valleys.
About A Strand is a twoyear project by Aberdare resident Lewis Phillips which is currently on display at the Cynon Valley Museum.
The exhibition is a collaboration between the museum, Lewis and Adref, a homelessness charity in the Valleys, with visitors able to donate.
Originally from Tottenham, Lewis said: “Part of the project was to just allow them to speak and have their voices heard.
“It was quite a tough project to do.”
The people featured in Lewis’ project all lived on The Strand, a major road through Westminster in London. Lewis, who has lived in Wales for around eight years, added: “Homelessness in the Valleys is very, very different to the big cities.
“In the Valleys it is not so noticeable a problem.
“People here sleep in their car, on the mountains or just on other people’s sofas.
“I personally think, and this is my view, that, after all the heavy industry left, people had nothing to fall back on.
“You have got four generations of some families who have never worked because they are either lazy or they like their lifestyle.
“But that leads to other issues such as alcoholism, drug addiction or homelessness.”
When the exhibition was first shown in London, Lewis took several homeless people with him to the opening to give them an experience “they would not normally have”.
Lewis hopes to host photography workshops and a trip to his bird sanctuary Wings of Wales in the Brecon Beacons for service users.
Charlotte Morgan, the development officer at the museum in Aberdare, said: “At Cynon Valley Museum we are proud to be providing a platform where these issues can be discussed and to be working towards breaking down the stigma which surround mental health issues and homelessness.
“We are grateful to Lewis Phillips Images for approaching us for the exhibition and to Adref for being so willing to work with us on the exhibition.”
Visitors can donate money at the museum, with proceeds split between the museum and Adref.
The exhibition is on display until April 15 and is open from 11am to 4pm from Wednesday to Saturday.