How music and art helped churches grasp poverty
Art and music are great ways to bring people together for good - as The Let's Face It! exhibition shows
Churches in the South West of England hosted an immersive art exhibition to improve people’s understanding of poverty and homelessness by sharing first-hand accounts.
More than 1,000 people visited the Let’s Face It! installation at Helston Central Methodist Church, Truro Methodist Church, The Mint Methodist church, The Royal Lyceum Theatre in Torquay, and Sherwell United Methodist Church in Plymouth.
Works included a rucksack filled with bricks with ‘cold’ and ‘hungry’ written on them, and a mirror adorned with labels, through which people were invited to view themselves.
Organisers also used some of last year’s Church Action on Poverty Sunday resources, and there was live music and testimony by Rhys Wynne-Jones, ‘the nightchurch pianist’, who shared his experience of homelessness.
In the video of the exhibition (above), Rhys says: “Something that homeless people need more than a home is to heal and to be understood, so this art exhibition is vital to have that link between society and people who are homeless.”
Helen Pearce, social justice coordinator for the South West Peninsula Methodist District, said the Let’s Face It! tour drew a positive response and insightful ideas.
She said: “Good news stories are always encouraging. This is certainly that. The whole initiative was supported by prayer an we saw many amazing answers in how it came together and how it was received.”
One visitor said: “I was just blown away by all of it. Humbling is the right word. What Rhys said was so profound and heartfelt – and what a talent!”
The Let’s Face It! organisers have kindly given a share of the money donated at the events to Church Action on Poverty, to support our ongoing work.
The exhibition has been designed for easy transportation and to be used in other spaces. If churches from other areas are interested in the exhibition coming to them, please contact Helen Pearce on socialjustice@swpmethodist.
- The exhibition was made possible through a seed corn grant from the South West Peninsula Methodist District and a grant from the Susanna Wesley Foundation.
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