Journey Home
In 2021, Focus Ireland launched LEAP (Lived experienced Ambassador Programme), which aims to empower people who have experienced homelessness to share their stories, dispel stereotypes and give authentic insights. This helps inform the work Focus undertakes, the general public and policymakers.
Focus Ireland has five ambassadors: Catherine Keenan, Paul Geoghegan, Kelly Ann Byrne, Scott Buckley, and Stephanie Clarke. Since the launch, they have featured in print and broadcast media and spoken to policymakers locally, in the Oireachtas and to EU research groups.
For this project, the ambassadors worked with Dr Maria Quinlan, who guided them through a research methodology called Photovoice—a therapeutic process using photography to help people who have experienced trauma. Through this process, the ambassadors accessed their subconscious thoughts and emotions while experiencing homelessness. They shared found imagery and personal photographs in a group setting and spoke about the feelings they provoked. The book ‘Journey Home’ is a record of this process.
Client: Focus Ireland
Sector: Charitable
Project Type: Book Design
Printing: Plus Print
Photography: Malcolm McGettigan
Completed: 2022