Marc Davenant ‘Outsiders’

‘Outsiders’ is a striking photography project that amplifies the voices of people experiencing homelessness. Combining portraits from Glasgow, Manchester, London, Newcastle, Brighton, Kent, Hertfordshire and Norwich, the exhibition is a searing indictment of the policy of successive governments on street homelessness, substandard housing conditions and the individual impact of the hostile environment. This is the result of a six year project capturing images and testimony from people across the full spectrum of homelessness, from those who are sleeping rough, through sofa surfers to those who are living in temporary accommodation which is unfit for human habitation. The exhibition has been on tour across the UK since 2023, was shown inside the Houses of Parliament in January 2024, with Street Level being its final public appearance.

Davenant is an award-winning documentary photographer who works with marginalised communities to highlight social inequality. Davenant has recently been selected by readers of The Big Issue as one of the top 100 UK changemakers for 2026. The project was undertaken with Shelter and Crisis and supported by Arts Council England.

Image 1; photo credit: ‘Uche in bedroom’, © Marc Davenant