Last weekend to visit YMCA Open House, Brighton’s largest housing provider

This is the last weekend that you can visit Brighton YMCA’s Open House on the Artists’ Open House trail.

The exhibition features outstanding work by artists residing at Brighton YMCA, Brighton and Hove’s largest housing provider.

Here is what Alex, one of the clients who was involved in putting together the exhibition, said:

‘Over sixty artworks will be on display, from more than a dozen residents across the projects in the city.’

Brighton YMCA offers a holistic range of services, including housing, life skills, work and learning and counselling. Their mission is to enable over 300 people to reach their full potential, achieve their aspirations and turn their dreams into reality.

Will Vaughan, Work and Learning Co-ordinator at George Williams Centre, said: “In people’s journey to independence it is important we offer them the opportunity to develop the skills they want to.”

These feelings are echoed by people living at the project:

Julie Maye, who has a background in graphic design, said of the art group: “I really enjoy it, I’m in my element!”
Julie hopes to use the experience of participating in therapeutic classes professionally in the future: “I want to be a social worker, I like helping people”. Describing herself as a “texture freak”, her piece Messy Room welcomes the visitors to a very diverse art space.

Nick Tenshon’s text heavy piece Respect Due pays tribute to a friend who “was showing me the strength I needed to walk through the gate” as a single parent.

Other works on display include conceptual art, landscapes, photography and many other mediums and themes which as a whole are testament to the power, agency, confidence and expression people moving through adversity can find through art.

The Brighton YMCA Artists’ Open House runs every Saturday and Sunday for the month of May at George William Mews, Portslade, BN41 2AF from 12 noon to 5pm. All are welcome, admission is free. For more information please call reception on 01273 420 808.

This is definitely a journey you will not forget!

Many thanks to Alex Turner, for the time he took interviewing our artists and putting together this news release.

https://aoh.org.uk/house/may2019/george-williams-centre/