St John’s Church at Waterloo recently showcased an exhibition of artwork, photographs and poems from former residents of Cardboard City and their friends.
Cardboard City was the name of the informal homeless settlement that existed underneath the Bullring roundabout between the 1970s and the 1990s.
Up to 200 people lived here during the 1980s and St John’s wanted to highlight the strong history the church has with the local homeless community.
Artistic Director Euchar Gravina said: “It’s our 100 year anniversary over this period and we’ve been doing several projects to commemorate the significant milestone.
“We thought that this was a very significant and important part of our history, both as the Bullring and the church.”
The homeless community was evicted in 1998 before an IMAX Cinema was constructed in 1999.
Funding for the project came from Historic England’s Everyday Heritage grant.
It was announced in February 2024 that a grant of around £25,000 would be donated to explore the history of Cardboard City.
The church plans to gather all of its material from the exhibition and put it online, making it more accessible for those not able to attend.
They are also sharing their collection with the Museum of Homelessness to further protect the heritage of those experiencing homelessness.
