The Creative Way Prince William Is Bringing His Mission to Help the Unhoused to New Audiences

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince William visits Sheffield on June 27, 2023.Photo:Cameron Smith/Getty

Cameron Smith/Getty

Prince Williamis using art to take his fight for the unhoused to new audiences.

A year into his groundbreakingHomewards project to make homelessness “rare, brief and unrepeated,“a series of artworks have been unveiled to start a new conversation on the topic.

The Saatchi Gallery in the wealthy Chelsea neighborhood of London wouldn’t be the kind of place where audiences would usually expect to see the work of those who’ve experienced the trauma and pain of being without a home or the support and security that brings. But that’s the point ofHomelessness: Reframed, which runs from Aug. 7 to Sept. 20.

Homelessness: Reframed Art Exhibit.The Royal Foundation

The Royal Foundation

The art gallery enables Prince William, 42, to spotlight positive stories that help show “this is an issue that can be prevented and ended,” his spokesman says.

The Prince of Wales has been kept up to date about the artworks and the people behind the moving pieces, and he’s looking forward to seeing it in person in the coming weeks, a royal source says.

Robi Walters, who experienced homelessness during a harrowing childhood, is one of the artists featured. His piece depicts two circles, one large and one smaller, created from discarded or thrown-away items. The circles represent now and the future, he explains. “Are you able to see your future bright or a future that’s contracted or become more narrow?”

He adds, “The work is a reflection that accumulated small steps can make big things. Can the issue be solved? I would like to think so, yes. My past is so negative but with small accumulated steps this can be solved.”

Mick Clarke, chief executive of The Passage, a charity that helps the unhoused in London and which the royal supports, tells PEOPLE, “He has personal experience of seeing the power of art.”

Prince William attended an art class for residents of The Passage Center in London during one of his visits. “It was really moving seeing people explain to him what their piece of art was about, and one was loss of the person’s mum. And you could see the real empathy from the prince there,” Clarke says.

Prince William’s late mother, Princess Diana, would take him and his brother, Prince Harry, to The Passage on some of her visits.

Princess Diana, Prince Harry and Prince William visit The Passage in 1994.Kensington Palace/Twitter

“He understands reframing the talk about the issue is important,” Clarke says. “Homewards is shifting the narrative and that it shouldn’t be something we manage but that we prevent.”

“There are so many other areas and causes he could pick that are easier to solve or are more palatable perhaps,” he adds. “The only reason you would lead in the way that he is around the issue of homelessness is if you passionately believed and had seen it genuinely can be prevented and ended. We’re just very blessed to have him leading from the front.”

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Homewards advocate David Duke, the founder and CEO of Street Soccer Scotland, explains how Prince William’s project is harnessing different skills, expertise and experience from across the community. Duke’s charity is working alongside 54 other organizations in Aberdeen to try to find new solutions to help the unhoused.

“There is a newfound energy in the year since we began this,” he tells PEOPLE.

“No one wants to live in a world where homelessness exists. It should be treated like the crisis that it is,” he says.

source: people.com