Nikita Simpson | Elizabeth Storer | Suad Duale
Location: Birmingham, UK 
Timeline: 2023-2024

PROJECT DETAILS

Borne out of this group’s research on housing disrepair and dispossession amongst Birmingham’s Somali community, this project focused on the mental and emotional impacts of precarious housing. Conducted in partnership with 45 participants, Somali women aged 20-60, the project aimed to explore how the home influences mental health and wellbeing and develop a participatory, creative methodology for understanding housing distress.

Birmingham’s Somali community has faced significant housing challenges, including eviction, disrepair, and instability, all of which are closely linked to physical and mental health concerns. These experiences are exacerbated by broader socio-economic factors, including inadequate state provisioning, structural racism and the wider context of a UK-wide housing crisis.

The research was conducted primarily in Somali through a creative workshop at a community centre in Birmingham, offering a safe space where participants could reflect on their needs, emotions, and mental health in relation to their housing situations.

Participants engaged in three creative exercises to reflect on their sense of safety, emotional well-being, and the ways that the home affects their bodies and minds. Through artistic expression, they shared deeply personal experiences and collectively explored the psychological toll of their living conditions.  

APPROACH

The workshop was structured in three parts, each designed to help participants articulate their feelings and experiences through creative activities.

Drawing a Safe Place: Participants were asked to draw a place where they feel safe, whether physical or emotional. This exercise allowed participants to explore their personal definitions of safety and provided insight into their emotional landscapes. It also promoted self-expression, helping women to connect with shared experiences and reduce feelings of isolation.

Mapping Emotions in the Body: In the second activity, participants illustrated where they felt stress or emotions in their bodies. Common themes emerged, including physical manifestations of anxiety, such as headaches, chest pain, and neck tension.

Reflecting on the Impact of Social Context: The final part of the workshop encouraged participants to reflect on how social factors such as culture, employment, religion, and location influenced their emotions and wellbeing.

RESOURCES

Artwork 
Embodiments of housing distress: Drawings from the workshop