After 3 years of dwelling firstly in homeless hostels after which insufficient housing, the lady on this {photograph} sits on her mattress after transferring into a brand new, everlasting residence. She’d turn out to be homeless by means of home abuse and recounted that she felt doubly punished: not solely had she misplaced all that was related together with her earlier life, each private and materials but additionally needed to reside by means of the emotional and sensible influence of being homeless. This house is a brand new begin for her, however indelible hint of trauma stays vital.
“It’s tiring – that is your life, I’m protected now but it surely’s all restricted, I don’t exist anymore.”
As a part of our Time for Change initiatives, a few of our friends took half in a undertaking with the photographer Margaret Mitchell. To coincide with the exhibition of one of many portraits on the Nationwide Portrait Gallery’s Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, Margaret solutions some questions on the story behind this picture. The girl, whose identification is protected, additionally displays on being concerned within the undertaking.
Are you able to inform us just a little of the background to the undertaking?
The broader undertaking ‘An Extraordinary Eden’ has been occurring for 3 years and includes a number of people, who’ve all at some stage skilled homelessness. Every particular person got here with a particular story on housing and residential. Some individuals had been in hostels after we first met and moved into everlasting housing through the undertaking. Others had been in substandard lodging while others had moved right into a everlasting residence however nonetheless wanted ongoing help. Others had skilled homelessness years in the past and mirrored on its influence on their lives. The thread that runs by means of all their experiences is the necessity for security and safety that accompanies a must belong, to put roots and re-establish lives. While the work considerations concepts round ‘residence’, wider social points are raised alongside the very human want for connection. It’s essentially a undertaking asking how we will do higher as a society to help individuals.
After we take a look at this picture that’s on present as a part of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition, the face is just not proven or a reputation given, are you able to clarify why that’s?
Working with individuals was very a lot about respecting their wants when it comes to how they may very well be photographed. With this lady, we spoke at size on the telephone earlier than we met. She informed me she didn’t need her full face proven or identify used. She fearful this may rule her out of being a part of the undertaking as she was eager to be concerned. I think about it necessary that individuals who need to share, can share, however in a protected means and on their phrases. Working carefully together with her, she has seen all pictures in my edit through the undertaking’s growth.
What’s the wider background to this picture, was it carried out the primary time you met for instance?
No, this picture was made almost a yr after I first visited. In that point, the lady had moved from a substandard, cramped studio flat into her everlasting residence, which was in good situation and had a separate bed room and a lounge. The primary picture mirrored her private story, the cramped circumstances and the isolation felt. The second go to resulted in a picture about her present state of affairs: regardless that she had obtained her residence, the experiences that led her to be homeless nonetheless left their hint and their influence.
Are you able to share the background to how her homelessness had occurred?
The state of affairs was one in every of home abuse over a few years. Ultimately, she managed to depart and was initially positioned in a homeless hostel however felt unsafe in that setting and returned to her abuser. She managed to depart once more and by the point we met was positioned in a studio flat which was in poor situation. Not solely was it extremely small but it surely additionally had damp. She needed to pile up her possessions and hold her garments from curtain rails. She had a single mattress and one chair. The query this raises for me is: why do individuals should reside like this? Why are we not ready, as a society, to offer higher and extra dignified options for individuals who want help?
How else have individuals been concerned through the undertaking?
Most individuals I photographed have additionally labored collaboratively with me, placing collectively a combination of artistic work for a publication which shall be obtainable subsequent yr on the exhibition.
What’s subsequent for this work?
This picture is on present as a part of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition till mid-December and one other picture is at Head On Images Competition in Sydney. The undertaking additionally acquired an honourable point out from the 2022 Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award earlier this yr. I’m delighted that the total undertaking shall be exhibited subsequent yr at Road Stage Photoworks in Glasgow.
There’s additionally a small choice from the undertaking on show throughout the Shelter Scotland workplaces. variety of individuals photographed got here from the Time for Change peer community and I’m extraordinarily grateful to everybody who has taken half by means of Shelter together with the unbelievable help from all the event staff in Time for Change.
Our peer displays on being a part of Margaret’s undertaking ‘An Extraordinary Eden’:
It’s been a extremely optimistic and empowering expertise working with Margaret. From the outset she had a pure empathy for my story and consulted me all through, discussing the images, accompanying writing, double checking information and if I used to be pleased with it. I’m happy her work is being recognised and that the problems it raises are identified extra extensively. My purpose all alongside by means of my involvement in her undertaking was to lift consciousness and I’m extremely glad the story has spoken to individuals.
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Margaret Mitchell is a documentary and portrait photographer who lives in Glasgow – margaretmitchell.co.uk
The Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition is offsite this yr because of renovations on the Nationwide Portrait Gallery and will be seen at Cromwell Place Arts Hub, London till 18 December 2022.
