State of the Nation - Paul Stewart

The Environmental Arts Project brought 'State of the Nation', Shelter's National Touring Exhibition to the Hospital and to Norwich. The exhibition was split into 30 different locations creating a trail around Norwich, which included public buildings, shops and cafes to reach as wide an audience as possible. Information on the exhibition was displayed in the St Stephens entrance Hall of the Hospital. The main aim of the exhibition was to focus and raise awareness of the plight of the homeless and the health issues this brings.

The exhibition 'State of the Nation' comprised of thirty photographs taken by Paul Stewart who was commissioned by Shelter to mark their 30th anniversary. Shelter commissioned Paul Stewart to highlight the plight of our homeless community and update the visual image of homelessness.

Paul Stewart, an award winning photojournalist, has worked around the world for agencies, national newspapers and magazines.

Paul worked closely with Shelter over a number of years taking photographs for its innovative campaigns and presswork. To acknowledge Shelter's 30th anniversary he put together a series of 30 striking and accessible photographs, which illustrated the extent of the nation’s housing problems and a number of innovative solutions to it over the years.

The images include photographs of children in run-down bed and breakfasts, ex-offenders in Liverpool hostels and empty homes in Moss Side in Manchester. Stewart's photographs graphically illustrate many issues surrounding homelessness. The exhibition as a whole brings the issues to life, allows the viewer to reflect and think on how the problems can be tackled.

This exhibition highlights how Environmental Arts not only offers a positive environment within our Hospitals but can also be used as a tool to work within the community.

Visit the web site for more information about the organisation Shelter.