Celebrating the success of the 'City Lens on Brisbane Streets' exhibition

A side of Brisbane that most of us would never see has been captured through the photos of a group of homeless and disadvantaged teenagers.

The City Lens on Brisbane Streets exhibition, which ran from May to June at the Brisbane Powerhouse, provided a visual journey of life in Brisbane through these young people's eyes.

For two months prior to the exhibition, the participants - under the guidance of internationally renowned photographers Antoine Matarasso and Henri van Noordenburg - hit the streets with cameras to document their perspective of the city.

The project was a joint initiative between Mission Australia and Brisbane City Council, to commemorate Mission Australia's 150th Birthday and 150 years since the city of Brisbane was established.

Mission Australia’s MaryAnne Morgan said the purpose of City Lens was not just to give a different view of Brisbane, it was also about engaging young people who had become disconnected from the community.

“We will continue to support these teens after the exhibition through our various community, employment and training services,” Morgan said.

“But the biggest thing has been the boost to their confidence. We want them to realise how incredible it is that they’ve actually created an amazing exhibition”.