As part of State of the Nation, Exchanges will be happening throughout the weekend. Exchanges is a collection of objects and stories from across the UK offering a snapshot of what’s happening in people’s lives and homelessness throughout the UK.
Objects have been donated from a wide mix of sources including homelessness workers and volunteers, activists, and people experiencing various forms of homelessness. Taken together, they show the devastating impact that housing, welfare and immigration policies are having on people’s lives. In collecting these objects, we have seen the resilience and compassion that comes with working in homelessness today, against a backdrop of funding cuts, new and toxic drugs and societal divisions.
Throughout the day different objects and their moving testimonies will be shared with the public. The testimonies that accompany the objects are performed by actors, directed by Tony McBride, associate for Museum of Homelessness who has worked with Cardboard Citizens for many years. The actors bring the complex and moving stories behind the objects to life, using the words spoken by the donors.
State of the Nation is generously supported by Coventry University.
