Mencap Presents Homes Not Hospitals: The Fight for Freedom Fri 13 – Thu 19 Mar

Thousands of people remain locked away, -not because they are ill, but because the right support is not available in the community. Many have been detained for years, separated from their families, overmedicated, restrained, and denied ordinary lives.

This is happening now.

Whose stories are told here?

This exhibition is co-produced with families and campaigners who are doing everything they can to bring their loved ones home. Behind every detention is a family missing birthdays, celebrations, and everyday moments — families whose lives have been put on hold.

Through personal testimony, photography, sound, and immersive installations, Homes Not Hospitals moves beyond statistics to centre the human impact of detention.

What will visitors experience?

As you move through the exhibition, you will encounter:

• First-hand stories from families and people directly affected
• Powerful visual and audio installations
• The realities of detention — and the hope of life in the community

Visitors are invited not just to observe, but to reflect, listen, and engage.

The question at the heart of the exhibition

Co-produced with families and campaigners, Homes Not Hospitals invites you to step inside these stories and ask a simple question:  What does it take to bring people home?

This exhibition challenges us to rethink care, freedom, human rights, and to imagine a system where people are supported to live full lives in their communities, not confined behind locked doors.

Why it matters

With the right support, people with a learning disability and autism thrive at home and in their community. Change is possible, but only if these stories are heard and acted upon.

Homes Not Hospitals calls for care in the community, not confinement.