When Prince William launched his Homewards initiative one year ago with the ambitious aim of ending homelessness, he made it clear that he wanted to encourage people to rethink how the problem is viewed and tackled. And today, a unique new exhibition launched at the prestigious Saatchi Gallery in west London aiming to use the power of art to improve understanding and galvanize conversation around what can be done.
Homelessness: Reframed opens on August 7 and runs until September 20. The exhibition features work from artists including Marc Quinn, Rankin, Philip Colbert and Simone Brewster as well as pieces from artists directly affected by homelessness. It has been created through a partnership between Prince William’s Homewards program, the Saatchi Gallery, and non profit the Eleven-Eleven Foundation. Pieces on display include a collection of framed signs created by homeless people, and a replica car that has been turned into a sculpture of a house by artist David Tovey.
A sculpture by Dave Tovey.
“Greg and Roxy” by Marc Davenant.
“This exhibition has been a huge collaborative effort,” a Kensington Palace spokesperson told reporters today. “A central objective of Homewards is to change the narrative and challenge negative perceptions and stereotypes around homelessness. It was, and continues to be, one of the Prince’s key ambitions in launching the program.”
The idea of an art exhibition came from a conversation with William and the Homewards team before the project even launched. “The Prince also wanted a project to generate new imagery around the topic of homelessness,” the spokesperson said. “His royal highness has long been passionate about helping the public to see the real people behind the homelessness crisis.”
Prince William has not yet seen the finished exhibition but is expected to visit it in September after taking a break from royal duties during the summer holidays. His three children are currently on their school holidays, and it is thought that the Wales family will follow the tradition of spending some time in Balmoral over the summer before returning to their home in Windsor.
Art by Sam D’Cruze.
Artists who have been affected by homelessness spoke about their journeys today during an event launching the exhibition. Film-maker Lorna Tucker, who experienced homelessness and is an advisor to Homewards, spoke about the importance of “coming from a place of listening to people with lived experience.” Artist Robi Walters, whose work Are all journeys undertaken alone? is featured in the gallery, described how he likes to “take things that people discard and make them beautiful so that they want them back, which is a reflection of my life.”
“One of the things that’s great about Homewards is it’s shifting the narrative around homelessness that it shouldn’t be something that we manage, it’s something that we prevent,” chief executive of homeless charity The Passage, Mick Clarke, told T&C today. “The thing with the Prince, there are so many other areas or causes that you could pick that are a lot easier to solve and are far more palatable perhaps. The only reason you would lead in the way that he is around the issue of homelessness is if you passionately believed – and had seen that it can be through his work with Centerpoint and the Passage and now with Homewards – that it can genuinely be prevented and ended. We’re just very blessed to have him leading from the front.”
Town & Country Contributing Editor Victoria Murphy has reported on the British Royal Family since 2010. She has interviewed Prince Harry and has travelled the world covering several royal tours. She is a frequent contributor to Good Morning America. Victoria authored Town & Country book The Queen: A Life in Pictures, released in 2021.