Liverpool’s homeless show life through photography

May 13 2008 by Vicky Anderson, Liverpool Daily Post

AN EXHIBITION of powerful photographs showing life through the lens of the city’s homeless community has been launched at a Liverpool library.

What We See at Kensington Library shows the raw work of 23 people from Everton’s Whitechapel Centre, who were offered a 12-week photography course.

The exhibition opened yesterday and course tutor Christian Petersen, a freelance photographer for the Liverpool Daily Post, said he was proud of the work.

“The students made great photographers as they see the world in a very honest and direct way and this makes for interesting and unique photographs,” he said.

“Lots of the shots are very brave. I look forward to seeing what they produce in the future – they have proven that they are more than capable of expressing themselves with a camera.”

Mr Petersen has run similar courses in Liverpool and the United States.

He said: “We’ve all seen the pictures of the Liver Birds or of fireworks, and to be honest they bore me because you know what they are going to look like before you see them.

“These pictures tell another sort of story about the city.

“Liverpool may be having a renaissance, but it is still socially and economically polarised.

“Those on the streets are perhaps the most polarised group of them all, so I hope the photographs act as a cue for opening up some debates.”

The photographs show life from the perspective of homeless people.

Emma, 34, who declined to reveal her surname, was one of the people whose work was exhibited yesterday.

Showing The Post her picture entitled Wire, Dock Road, she explained: “These are twisted railings all tied together on Dock Road that I saw, and sometimes my own life seems like a mess so it seemed a bit symbolic to me.”

Like several who took part in the scheme, she has gone on to find and keep hold of a tenancy in Everton. Others have become volunteer photographers at the Whitechapel Centre.

Bernadette, 48, landed on the streets after enduring years of domestic abuse in Wigan.

Her black and white exhibit, Workers on a Break, reveals a side of Liverpool that is seldom documented by professional photographers.

She said: “Liverpool is not about the buildings – it’s about the people, and that’s what I’ve done here.

“I think pictures are a way of slowing down and telling stories.”

Maureen McCarthy is chief executive of the Whitechapel Centre, a dedicated service for the city’s homeless and those at risk of being without a home.

She said: “Many of the people using our services have had poor experiences of formal learning, lack confidence and are excluded from opportunities most people take for granted.

“This project has proven to be a fantastic opportunity to showcase their talents.”

What We See was commissioned by the city council and Tony Hunter, executive director of the council’s community services, is urging people to go along.

He said: “People should have a look at the photographs, which give a remarkable insight into the lives of people who for a whole range of reasons find themselves homeless.”

THE exhibition runs until Friday, May 23. Admission is free.

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