Women with lived experience of homelessness from across the Homewards Newport Coalition have come together with other local organisations supporting women to create a striking mural, inspiring hope and solidarity. On display at Kingsway Centre Newport, the painting was developed through a series of collaborative workshops with local artist, Beth Wilks. The design of the mural was inspired and led by the women themselves, ensuring their voices, creativity, and lived experience were truly at the heart of the project. The final design of the mural features meaningful quotes and powerful symbols that reflect the women’s own strength, resilience, and journeys of recovery. The mural offers a message of hope to others currently experiencing or at risk of homelessness in Newport and hopes to showcase the power of community, creativity, and the importance of uplifting the voices of those with lived experience of homelessness.
“I hope that people will feel represented. It feels that it will change the narrative for women’s homelessness in Wales, and it will cause people to have a look, reflect, and be hopeful for change for the future, and be a positive, impactful message.” – Beth Wilks, Newport Artist
Joining the group of women who came together to paint this mural were some familiar faces featured as part of the Women of Newport photography exhibition, launched last year at an engagement with Prince William. Women of Newport is a community-based group who launched their exhibition with the aim to educate and change the narratives around female homelessness in Newport. The mural utilises the power of art to improve the understanding of homelessness and inspire optimism that it can be ended.
The mural is currently on display at Kingsway Centre in Newport and is available for public viewing.
Women of Newport mural. Image credit: Homewards
