Sheffielders asked to leave a message of kindness for a complete stranger
What happens if people are asked to leave a message of kindness for a complete stranger?
The response has overwhelmed Sheffield-born artist Si Homfray since he returned to the city after years over the border in the Peak District.
His ‘It All Begins With Kindness…’ project has seen visitors to his new Park Designs gallery on Brown Street in the city centre covering feather-shaped postcards with words of encouragement, friendship, tolerance and simple human decency.
The messages are gradually being brought together to create one giant collaborative artwork – a snapshot of what people really think when they are given the chance to say something positive to someone they may never meet.
Some only need three words: “You are enough.”
Others read: “Go easy on yourself, life is hard!”, “There’s a friend for everyone” and “Remember to assume the best in others and smile.”
For Si, the response to ‘It All Begins With Kindness…” has also provided an unexpectedly emotional welcome home.
“I think we are constantly bombarded with reasons to believe people are divided or angry with each other. This was about turning that on its head and asking what happens when you simply give somebody a blank piece of card and an opportunity to say something kind,” he said.
Visitors are given a free feather-shaped postcard and invited to write down a kind thought, acknowledge an act of generosity, thank somebody or simply leave a few encouraging words behind.
Each feather is then added to the evolving installation, turning hundreds of individual thoughts into a collective piece of art.
The participatory project is free and open to everyone, with the finished collection intended to become an ever-growing visual celebration of the city’s generosity and sense of community.
It is also raising money for Roundabout, the Sheffield charity supporting young people experiencing homelessness.
Original artworks are available to buy during the exhibition, with proceeds helping the charity.
‘It All Begins With Kindness…’ runs until November 30, 2026.
More information: www.parkdesigns.co.uk