Homewards Aberdeen and St Andrews Cathedral unite to reframe the narrative on homelessness through photography

In partnership with Homewards Aberdeen, and as part of their commitment to community engagement, St Andrews Cathedral hosted a photography exhibition aimed at shifting the narrative on homelessness.

The photographs on display depicted Dr Rev Isaac Poobalan’s Platinum Jubilee Walk for Peace in 2022, from Aberdeen to London, including those he met along the way. Accompanying this, were posters sharing the work of the Homewards Aberdeen Coalition on preventing and ending homelessness in the city. Showcasing his journey visually through photography, alongside information on data-driven interventions across the city, Dr Rev Isaac Poobalan brought the discussion of homelessness into the community. This exhibition sought to raise awareness and spark conversation about homelessness locally by offering a space for contemplation, education, and action.

This project came about through the collaboration of the faith sector and the continued work of the Homewards Aberdeen Reframing the Narrative Group – a collective of local Coalition members working to reframe perceptions and understandings of homelessness locally through their own organisations’ communications, imagery, and media practices.

We spoke to one of our local Coalition members who has played an instrumental role in delivering this exciting project. Murray Dawson, Chief Executive of Station House Media Unit (shmu) and Project Lead of the Homewards Aberdeen Reframing the Narrative Group, spoke to the Homewards team about his experience and the importance of the exhibtion.

Can you tell us about the Homewards Aberdeen Reframing the Narrative work you’re doing, and what you’re hoping to achieve?

“In Aberdeen, our Reframing the Narrative work is about building a shared understanding of homelessness that focuses on people, not labels. As a partnership, we want to bring forward voices and stories that show the importance of everyone having a safe place to call home, somewhere they feel secure, valued and part of the community. By working together with local organisations, communities and people with lived experience, we aim to replace outdated stereotypes with a more accurate, compassionate picture. Our hope is that this will not only change perceptions, but also inspire more people to see that ending homelessness is possible, and that they can play an active role in making it happen.”

Why do you think reframing the narrative is needed in Aberdeen?

“Homelessness is often spoken about in terms of what we see on the streets, but that’s only part of the picture. In Aberdeen, most people experiencing homelessness are in temporary accommodation, staying with friends, or moving from place to place without the safety of a stable home. When the focus stays only on the most visible situations, we risk missing the bigger issues, and the many people who need support. By reframing the narrative, we can help our community see the full scope of the challenge and strengthen the shared belief that everyone has the right to feel safe in a place they can call home.”

What do you think is the most common misconception about homelessness?

“One of the biggest misconceptions is that homelessness is the result of personal failings rather than circumstances. In reality, anyone can find themselves without a safe place to live – it’s much more often the result of factors beyond a person’s control. This could be a lack of affordable housing, job loss, health issues, or the breakdown of relationships. If we can shift the conversation to focus on the right to a secure and stable home, rather than the absence of one, we can start to remove stigma and encourage greater understanding, empathy and action.”

The exhibition at St Andrews Cathedral invited the community to reflect, learn, and act on homelessness through art – can you tell us how this fits into your work on reframing the narrative?

“Art, creativity and cultural engagement have a unique way of opening hearts and minds. Isaac’s exhibition took something that can feel distant and abstract and made it deeply personal and human. It invited people to step into his journey, and to see the resilience, dignity and humanity of those affected by homelessness.

At shmu, culture and creative engagement are at the heart of everything we do. Over many years we’ve seen how this kind of approach can lead to real and lasting change, sparking new understanding, breaking down barriers and inspiring action. Through our involvement in the Homewards partnership, we’re keen to bring this experience to the table, using creativity not just to tell stories but to help shift perceptions and build a stronger, more compassionate Aberdeen. Exhibitions like this are a powerful example of how that can happen.”

In addition to delivering on the ground impact in Aberdeen and across the other five Homewards locations, a further aim of the programme is to shift the narrative on homelessness across the UK – bettering the understanding of homelessness itself and boosting optimism that it can be ended. This exhibition hosted in partnership through Homewards Aberdeen demonstrates a great example of how art can help us to move one step closer to this common goal.