Stu’s blog: my work with Feeling at Home

Stuart Leaney co-led the Brighton photovoice group, together with Tony Levitan, supporting our participants with learning disabilities to explore how they feel about their homes. Stu’s role as co-leader was really varied. He and Tony introduced the topic of homeliness through creative activities, supported people to talk about and describe images, and helped people to use the cameras. Finally, they visited each participant in their home to support them to take photos of things that helped them feel at home, and things that got in the way of it. Below, Stu tells Katy about how he got involved in the project…

I got involved in the Feeling at Home project through the Aldingbourne Trust. It’s a support service that helps people with learning disabilities get into work. I saw the Feeling at Home website and found Tony’s details – I spoke to Tony to chat about the role. A few days later I had the interview, I really enjoyed it. Tony called me and offered the job. I felt delighted and a bit overwhelmed at first. But then I spoke to my family about the job, and they helped me feel less overwhelmed. Tony and I met up at a café Nero and he signed me as a King’s College London staff member.

I really enjoyed teaching the participants to use the cameras, and to work as a team. And, seeing the finished article, the photos! I made new friends through the group too, and we still meet up now. I’ve had a brilliant time working with everybody. It was sometimes hard when everyone spoke at once, so we asked people to put their hands up and be respectful of each other. We said ‘one at a time’. Sometimes we’d have a one-to-one chat with participants to help them manage how to work together. I really enjoyed the sessions working with the artists, Quiet Down There. We worked in small groups and then came back together to share ideas about how the exhibition would look. We had different ideas so had to compromise and find something we all liked.

The exhibition looks great and has a really chilled out atmosphere. I have really enjoyed invigilating the exhibition. I just want to say thank you very much the opportunity.