Inviting others into our space

Gallery 101 at The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters is more than simply an exhibition space. It provides a place where art, faith, history and human experience can meet, creating opportunities for new conversations and relationships.

The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters (IHQ) in central London is the centre for the movement’s global administration and mission. However, it was never intended to be solely a place of offices, meetings and decision-making. When the current building at 101 Queen Victoria Street opened in 2004, its glass walls, public café and prominent position in the heart of the city helped to fulfil the vision of General John Gowans, international leader of The Salvation Army from 1999 to 2002, that it should be a ‘building that speaks for itself’. 

The open glass frontage of The Salvation Army International Headquarters provides an inviting view into the public café and gallery space.

One of the clearest expressions of that vision is Gallery 101. Sharing its space with Café 101, the gallery can be seen from the busy pedestrian bridge (formerly the ‘wobbly bridge’ before it was stabilised) connecting St Paul’s Cathedral with the Tate Modern. It hosts free exhibitions throughout the year and is open to members of the public, as well as staff and visitors to IHQ. 

The exhibitions welcomed into Gallery 101 have varied widely in subject, style and scale, but many have created connections between external artists and issues closely aligned with The Salvation Army’s mission. 

Sharing stories from around the world 

Many Gallery 101 exhibitions explore the international work of The Salvation Army. Through photographs, personal stories and creative displays, they introduce visitors to communities, programmes and people from across the movement’s global ministry. 

However, Gallery 101 is not only a place in which The Salvation Army tells its own stories. 

Poster designs for some in-house exhibitions

Different voices, shared concerns 

The exhibitions welcomed into Gallery 101 have varied widely in subject, style and scale, but many have created connections between external artists and issues closely aligned with The Salvation Army’s mission. 

In 2016, artist and Royal Academy lecturer Güler Ates created Sea of Colour at IHQ as part of a London-wide Stations of the Cross project. Made from unwanted children’s and baby clothes, the installation connected the stripping of Jesus’ garments with the suffering of people forced to flee their homes. Having experienced displacement from eastern Turkey herself, Ates worked with women from local refugee groups, some of whom donated clothing or wrote messages of hope, peace and loss upon the fabric. The finished artwork was displayed as one of 14 stations across central London, alongside works hosted by venues including St Paul’s Cathedral, the Tower of London and the National Gallery. 

Artist Güler Ates (pictured top left with her son) drew inspiration for her artwork ‘Sea of colour’ from donated and discarded children’s clothes. These cast-off clothes offer a haunting reminder of children who have died – sometimes in their mothers’ arms – in journeys to escape conflict. This 9-metre-long piece was later used in an ‘art performance’ in public, along the Millennium bridge in London

The project showed how opening IHQ to an external artist could lead to something more than a conventional exhibition. Refugees, volunteers and Salvation Army staff participated in creating the work, while an associated interfaith gathering brought Christians, Muslims and Jews together to consider how their sacred texts approach the experience of refugees. 

Gallery 101 has also developed a longstanding relationship with the South London Lettering Association, which regularly holds its annual calligraphy exhibition at IHQ. Its 2025 exhibition, Between the Lines marked The Salvation Army’s 160th anniversary. Composed of dozens of individually lettered squares, the work brought together historic dates, familiar symbols, quotations and reflections on faith and service. Each contribution had its own style and character, but together they formed a colourful celebration of 160 years of Salvation Army ministry. 

Above: a collaborative work of art created by members of the South London Lettering Association, created in celebration of 160 years of Salvation Army ministry. 

Gallery 101 hosted a launch night for the South London Lettering Association’s (SLLA) exhibition. The SLLA has estbablished a long-standing relationship with The Salvation Army through their exhibitions and events at the gallery.

This continuing partnership demonstrates that hospitality does not always need to be built around a single social issue. By providing a prominent, freely accessible setting for artists and craftspeople, The Salvation Army can celebrate creativity, preserve traditional skills and build lasting relationships with groups from the surrounding community. 

Together, these exhibitions show what can happen when an organisation does not simply invite people to visit its building but gives them room to contribute to it. 

At other times, the gallery provides a platform for issues at the heart of The Salvation Army’s own international work. An exhibition first shown at Gallery 101 in July 2023 explored responses to modern slavery and human trafficking around the world. The 2026 programme will again mark World Day Against Trafficking, with a new exhibition opening on 29 July. 

Such exhibitions help visitors understand the realities of exploitation while recognising the courage and resilience of survivors and the importance of prevention, protection and long-term support. They also show how the gallery can move between internally created displays and externally produced work without losing its central purpose: to create a space in which important stories can be seen, heard and discussed. 

Gallery 101 hosted the exhibition: My Lens – a photo series exploring the lives and perspectives of survivors of human trafficking for sexual exploitation and modern slavery by Newsha Tavakolian, a member of Magnum Photos. The display included artwork and photography by the survivors themselves.

Another example was Immortalised by Art, created to mark the 90th birthday of Greek Orthodox Archbishop Gregorios. The exhibition brought more than 100 members of the Greek Orthodox community into IHQ and presented work by eight artists using glass, photography, printmaking, charcoal, ink, watercolour and other media. At its launch, General Brian Peddle spoke of the pleasure of welcoming ‘new friends into this place’. 

Together, these exhibitions show what can happen when an organisation does not simply invite people to visit its building but gives them room to contribute to it. Each brings a different community, tradition or experience through the doors of IHQ, allowing the building to become a place of encounter as well as administration. 

General Brian Peddle (pictured top left) meets Greek Orthodox Archbishop Gregorios at the public exhibition ‘Immortalised by art’ marking the Archbishop’s 90th Birthday.

Creating connections 

The current Circle of Life exhibition is one example of what can happen when IHQ opens its doors to another organisation. Created by the Worshipful Company of Upholders to mark the 400th anniversary of its Royal Charter, the exhibition centres on a huge embroidered circular artwork celebrating craftsmanship, faith, history and remembrance. It brings together contributions from the Royal School of Needlework, Fine Cell Work and embroidery teams from 12 English cathedrals. 

The installation of the Circle of Life exhibition. The photo above shows Michael Tang, the Junior Warden of the Worshipful Company of Upholders, standing beside the huge, rotating artwork. The installation will later be toured and displayed at 12 cathedrals around England.

Its time at IHQ also reveals an unexpected historical connection. The headquarters building stands close to the former site of Wingfield House, which the Upholders purchased in 1646 for use as its livery hall before it was destroyed in the Great Fire of London. 

The exhibition therefore brings an external story into IHQ while also helping The Salvation Army to understand and share more of the history of its own location. It connects the craftsmanship and civic service of the past with a building now supporting the mission of a global Christian movement. 

This is the value of inviting others into our space. It becomes a place where people can meet, stories can be shared and meaningful connections can begin. 

A space for encounter 

Every exhibition impacts the Gallery 101 space for a time. New images appear on the exhibition panels and the TV screens, different stories are told and people enter the building who may never have visited before. Some arrive specifically to see an exhibition while others might discover it while stopping for coffee or walking past the building. Staff members may pause in the middle of an ordinary working day and encounter a perspective, culture or experience that makes them think differently. 

Events at Gallery 101 provide invaluable opportunities for creativity and personal interaction between the general public and Salvation Army personnel. The first image shows a fashion show event in the gallery space, complete with DJ, sound system and lighting. The models taking part were residents of The Salvation Army Housing Association (SAHA) raising awareness of economic hardship and homelessness among young people.

This is the value of inviting others into our space. It becomes a place where people can meet, stories can be shared and meaningful connections can begin. As a movement, The Salvation Army is bigger than just us; it’s our connection with others, the willingness to reach out to anyone in need regardless of faith, circumstances or background that makes us special. The exhibition space reflects this outward facing behaviour that is at the heart of what we do.  

Editorial Note: The exhibition space would not exist without the work by members of the Communications Team at International Headquarters who have created, curated, designed and delivered the amazing array of exhibitions that can be enjoyed in Gallery 101.

Gallery 101 is free to visit and is open from 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, at The Salvation Army International Headquarters, 101 Queen Victoria Street, London.

Click on the link below to find out about the latest exhibitions at Gallery 101