Participatory mapping workshops with homeless people

I have worked with homeless people in a range of different contexts using theatre exercises and other participatory arts practices to encourage creative expression and social dialogue.

I ran a series of participatory workshops to find out what service users at St. Petrock’s Homeless Centre wanted to express or change in terms of their experience of Exeter. The participants said that they needed a better guide to homeless services in the city, because the existing guides did not provide useful information in an accessible format. They wanted to create a better guide themselves. This would be a way for them to share their perspectives, the lessons they had learned, and give advice to newcomers.

I facilitated participatory mapping techniques, encouraging homeless people to express their unique perspectives on Exeter, creating their own guides to the city that others might use. We mapped the contents of the bags we carried around with us, to show what you need to have with you. These ‘bagmaps’ could then be used to tell others that important supplies, like dry socks and rucksacks, were available for free at St Petrock’s Homeless Centre. It was essential that our creative guides provided useful information.

For more information visit http://www.sarahashfordhart.com/roughsleepers.html