University Campus Suffolk

I had arranged to meet Demelza at the Community Resource Centre for 10:00am Tuesday Morning to discuss the project. Upon my arrival I was greeted by a young man, tall, perhaps in his late twenties. “Hi there can I help you?” he politely asked. I replied “Oh, yes I have a meeting with Demelza Penberth at 10:00am”. He replied “Oh yes she is expecting you, come right this way” He began walking towards the canteen door, I wasn’t far behind when suddenly he paused. He turned around with the biggest grin, burst out into fits of laughter and shouted “HA! I DON’T REALLY BLOODY WORK HERE!”

I was completely fooled. I could not stop laughing! I had no idea that he was a client, which in part is what the point of my project is about. Why would I have expected him to be a client? He did not fit the stereotype. Figures released by the Citizens Advice Bureau today showed that Homelessness among the 17 – 24 age group is on the increase. The problem is spreading with more and more young people struggling to make ends meet and those that seek help do not always meet our expectations. During 2012-2013, 4,529 people in this age group who were about to become homeless got in touch with the C.A.B asking for help, an increase of 57% from 2007-08 when the service received 2,890 calls. (BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, 2014)

For more Information: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/25930493

Shortly after my encounter, I was greeted by Demelza and finally taken to the correct office. During our meeting the following points were discussed:

Voluntary Work – I will take part to begin with as an ordinary volunteer to gain a better understanding of how the centre works and also to engage with the centres clientele. This voluntary work will either take the form of:

– Working on the streets to find anyone who is rough sleeping.

– Assisting in the kitchen serving hot food and drinks.

– Serving tea and coffee during lunch and breakfast hours.

My voluntary work begins on the 7^th February.

Meaningful activities –The idea of running a weekly workshop was put forward. Every day the centre holds a meaningful activities slot between 2-3pm, open to all where people can come and participate in creative classes.

The idea was based on myself running a class over the 6 week period. The idea of the program would be to use art as another way for the participants to find a voice, to express and articulate themselves and hopefully learn some new skills along the way. This would then set the appropriate grounds for my project to take its form, giving me the opportunity to propose my project.

Exhibitions – Another possible outcome from the workshops and project would be an exhibition of their work to run alongside mine, both at the degree show and then at the Community Resource Centre. This would then provide the participants with an incentive to create work that would be admired, noticed and respected.

Let the Project Begin!

BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat, 2014. Available at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/25930493 [Accessed 30 January 2014]

Having studied portraiture over the past two years I have concentrated in portraying people in an accurate and realistic style. I feel that sometimes I have been overly concerned with technique at the expense of subject matter. I feel that now is the time to bring in the social issues I am concerned with into my work and use art as a vessel to spread awareness of homelessness and the truth of its causes.

Homelessness is about more than rooflessness. A home is not just a physical space, it also has a legal and social dimension. A home provides roots, identity, a sense of belonging and a place of emotional wellbeing. Homelessness is about the loss of all of these. It is an isolating and destructive experience and homeless people are some of the most vulnerable and socially excluded in our society. (Crises: The National Charity for Single Homeless People, 2014)

For more info: http://www.crisis.org.uk/

Even though there are genuine reasons and many forms of homelessness, negative attitudes from the public still exist towards homeless people. According to St Mungo’s

People spoke about harsh public responses to them – respondents used phrases such as “I’m alright Jack – f**k you”, “mental health rubbish”, “unseen, invisible”, ” judged”, told to “get a job”, “second class” and “vermin”. (St. Mungos, 2014)

For more info: http://www.mungos.org/

With my work I hope to dispel some of these stereotypes, not all people in a homeless situation conform to these views. There are intelligent, capable and presentable people who for various reasons find themselves isolated, rootless and without a home.

The vision is to produce a series of realist portraits for exhibition challenging the viewer’s preconceptions of a homeless person. I want the viewer to feel that they can no longer avoid the issue. There is no ‘other side of the street to walk to’.

The people, the subject matter and the issues are the driving force behind this project.

To date I have been in contact with three different agencies that support people in difficult circumstances.

The Ipswich Soup Kitchen

The Colchester Night Shelter

The Ipswich Homeless Transition Project.

I aim to collaborate with these agencies and also work independently to gain a deeper insight, greater knowledge and better understanding into the dynamics, causes and repercussions of homelessness.

References

Crises: The National Charity for Single Homeless People, 2014. Available at: http://www.crisis.org.uk/pages/-about-homelessness-61900.html. [22 January 2014]

St. Mungos: Rebuilding Lives, day by day, 2014. Available at: http://www.mungos.org/homelessness/street_stories/… . [22 January 2014]