Life on the Breadline Exhibition

PowerPoint Presentation PowerPoint slides (PDF)

Life on the Breadline

9 February to 22 March 2024

We are delighted to be bringing the Life on the Breadline Photographic Exhibition to Sheffield and Barnsley this Lent. This collaboration reflects our conviction that the Church is called to 'transform structural injustice' and a commitment to applied research intended to support such social action.

Our aim is to start conversations, to hear and amplify voices of people with lived experience of poverty, to create space for people to tell their own stories, and to reflect on how we should personally and collectively respond to what we are hearing.

The exhibition is open to the public from 10th – 22nd February at Highfield Trinity Methodist Church, Sheffield and members of the public are invited to visit between 11am – 7pm Monday to Saturday.

New dates added

We are delighted that the Church of Christ in Darnall have offered to host the exhibition as follows:
26th February – 8th March

• Monday 10am-3pm
• Tuesday 10am-3pm
• Wednesday 10am-3pm
• Thursday CLOSED
• Friday 10am-3pm
• Saturday 10am-3pm
• Sunday 12pm-2pm

Barnsley

It will then be at Staincross Methodist Church, Barnsley from 11th – 22nd March.
Opening times are as follows:

• 11th March 10am – 12pm and 2 – 4pm
• 12th & 13th March 2 – 4pm and 6 – 8pm
• 14th & 15th March 2 – 4pm
• 16th March 10am – 12pm
• 17th March 2 – 4pm
• 18th March 10am – 12pm and 2 – 4pm
• 19th & 20th March 10am – 12pm, 2 – 4pm and 6 – 8pm
• 21st & 22nd March 10am – 12pm and 2 – 4pm

There will also be a programme of free ticketed events including:

Opening Night
Friday 9th February 6-8pm
Highfield Trinity Methodist Church, Sheffield, S2 4UR
You can download the presentation given by Chris Shannahan and Stephanie Denning (Life on the Breadline researchers) from this page (see right). This is as a PDF and also as a PowerPoint. The videos that were shown can also be accessed from this page.

Ask the Panel – Responding to the Breadline: what needs to & what can change?
Friday 16th February 7-9pm
Highfield Trinity Methodist Church, Sheffield, S2 4UR
https://buytickets.at/sheffieldmethodistdistrict/1132116

Inter Faith Forum -Faith Responses to Poverty: learning and listening in our multicultural city Thursday 22nd February 7-9pm
Highfield Trinity Methdodist Church, Sheffield, S2 4UR
https://buytickets.at/sheffieldmethodistdistrict/1132170

Closing Night
Thursday 22nd March 6-8pm
Staincross Methodist Church, Barnsley, S75 6BP

Many of our Methodist congregations are practically responding to UK poverty through hosting food banks and partnerships with other charities, and many who worship in our churches have direct personal experience of poverty. But as a justice seeking church we firmly believe we must look beyond ourselves and work in partnership with people of all faiths and none who seek to end poverty in the UK and in our region.

We also recommend the six week Life on the Breadline lent course as a resource for small groups – during lent or at any time https://breadlineresearch.coventry.ac.uk/churches/lent-course/

Life on the Breadline was a three-year (2018-2021) research project based at the Centre for Trust, Peace and Social Relations at Coventry University, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council. Led by Dr Chris Shannahan, Dr Stephanie Denning, Robert Beckford and Peter Scott, the project analysed the nature, scope, and impact of Christian engagement with urban poverty in the UK since the 2008 financial crisis. It is the first academic theological analysis of Christian responses to UK poverty in the age of austerity that draws on detailed in-depth fieldwork across the UK in the form of interviews with national Church leaders, an online survey with regional Church leaders, and six case studies.
https://breadlineresearch.coventry.ac.uk/

Venues

Highfield Trinity Methodist Church (2 Highfield Place, Sheffield S2 4UR) is close to the 20, 43, 44, 75 and 76 bus routes, and is one mile from Sheffield rail station. There is no parking onsite, but are a short walk from city centre car parks.
The church has step free access.

Staincross Methodist Church (Blacker Road, Mapplewell, Barnsley S75 6BP) is on Barnsley bus routes 1 and 97. The church has a large car park and step free access.