Listening to the Unheard

How much do we know about the experiences of rough sleepers, and of Travellers in Brighton & Hove?

This day of presentations and discussions takes as its starting point the first-hand experiences of rough sleepers and Irish Travellers in the city as published in two collections of interviews:

Irish Travellers: The Unknown Residents of Horsdean edited by Roberta Piazza & Philip Morgan - read online >

Housed and Unhoused: Two Worlds edited by Philip Morgan & Roberta Piazza - read online >

Contributing to the conversation will be front line support workers, policy makers and researchers, including participants from Brighton & Hove City Council, Brighton Housing Trust, Friends, Family and Travellers, and the Mass Observation Archive.

This event is FREE to attend, but tickets must be booked in advance due to limited capacity at First Base Day Centre.

Programme

10am Welcome

Welcome from Roberta Piazza, Philip Morgan and Sarah Lee. Aims and objectives for the day.

10.15am Discussion: Cohesion in our city

Panel with Michelle Buck (Friends Family and Travellers) and Councillor Nancy Platts (Labour). Chair: Aidan McGarry (Loughborough University, London)

11am Coffee break

11.15am Health and social care

Anna Ferguson (Substance Use, Homeless & Travellers Specialist Midwife, Brighton & Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust)

11.45am Experience: voices of Irish Travellers

Roberta Piazza reflects on interviews with Horsdean residents since 2012. 

12.30pm The institutional view

What the Travellers Liaison Department does and can do for Horsdean. With Rachel Chasseud, Brighton & Hove City Council

1pm Lunch break

1.45pm The Homeless Library

A presentation by the artists who facilitated this unique collection of books handmade by homeless people in Greater Manchester, reflecting on their lives and connection to the previously unwritten heritage of rough sleepers

2.30pm Experience: voices of rough sleepers in Brighton

Philip Morgan in conversation with representatives of Brighton’s rough sleeping community.

3.15pm Coffee break

3.30pm Discussion: The way forward

With Councillor Alex Phillips (Green Party); Anthony McCoubrey (Beyond the Box Project, Mass Observation Archive); and Deirdre O’Halloran (BHT First Base Day Centre). Chair: Margaret Greenfields (Buckinghamshire New University)

4.30pm Summing up

Chairs: Philip Morgan and Roberta Piazza.

For information contact Roberta Piazza [javascript protected email address] or Philip Morgan [javascript protected email address]