Duchess of Cornwall visits 'moving' Manchester photo exhibition

The exhibition was commissioned by SICK! Festival in partnership with domestic abuse charity SafeLives

The Duchess of Cornwall was in Manchester for the launch of a photography exhibition featuring portraits of domestic abuse survivors.

Camilla is patron of charity SafeLives, which campaigns to help fight domestic abuse.

The photos, taken by local photographer Allie Crewe, can be seen at St Peter's Square and at 150 Metrolink tram stops throughout May.

The duchess said the images were "both incredibly moving and inspiring."

Ms Crewe, who experienced domestic abuse in her childhood, began the project entitled I Am in December 2019.

She used social media to find people who were willing to be photographed and said she was "humbled" by the response.

The portraits can be seen at St Peter's Square and Metrolink tram stops across the city

Ms Crewe said she was surprised at the range of people who came forward, including some women who worked in high-profile and powerful roles.

"There were a lot of professional people who were well-educated and quite powerful at work, but when they went home behind closed doors there was a really different story," she said.

She started capturing the portraits in the summer of 2020 and described the process as "incredibly moving."

Manchester photographer Allie Crewe created the project, drawing on personal experiences

The photographs will be displayed during the city's Sick! Festival, which commissioned the exhibition in partnership with SafeLives.

The festivals showcases a series of events exploring mental and physical health through the arts.

Danny Vaughan, head of Metrolink at Transport for Greater Manchester, said the tram network would be "a great platform" for displaying the photographs, which would help "engage and educate" people.

He added: "We have worked with the festival over a number of years and this year's installation is particularly thought-provoking."

Later, the Duchess of Cornwall visited Emmaus UK in Mossley, Ashton-under-Lyne - a social enterprise community which supports homeless people through education, training and personal development.

During the visit, she confessed to collecting royal memorabilia as she treated herself to a Silver Jubilee mug, which celebrated the Queen's 1977 milestone, for £1.50.

The duchess was attending a pre-Platinum Jubilee Big Lunch with supporters of the annual community get-together, which this year forms part of the official celebrations in June for the monarch's seven decades on the throne.

Camilla, who is patron of both Emmaus UK and The Big Lunch, was joined by Platinum Champion nominees at Emmaus Mossley.

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