London’s homeless people will make their voices heard at Museum of London on 4 December with the opening of Homeless in the Capital. Over the last 18 months, clients from The Connection at St Martin’s have recorded their experiences of being homeless in the capital. The result is a collection of 24 hour diaries, video, artwork and poetry that tells their story and portrays an honest depiction of their everyday lives.
The display looks beyond the stereotypes and statistics to show that homeless people are not a homogenous group but individuals from all walks of life. Descriptive diaries, engaging poetry and personal items such as wash bags and plastic sheets offer a glimpse into the lives of the thousands of homeless people living in London. By taking a peek into this almost invisible section of society we are reminded that they are all real people with their own stories to tell.
Celeste Braithwaite was sleeping rough when she came to The Connection at St Martin’s for help. Whilst looking for somewhere to live she attended the weekly singing workshops at The Connection, run by Streetwise Opera. Six months later she was starring in a Streetwise production at the Almeida Theatre. Celeste says ‘In many ways, becoming homeless was one of the best things that happened to me, I’ve learnt so many new skills’. Celeste still attends The Connection and continues to perform in many Streetwise productions.
Celeste’s story, alongside those of Paul Boston who sleeps rough whilst working in a bar at night, Samson Mel a former Air Force pilot, and Billy Ingram whose weekly bus pass is his lifeline, go some way to break the stereotypical view of homelessness.
Dawn Ogunbiyi, coordinator of Homeless in the Capital says ‘Homelessness is a serious issue in London. It is hard to know exactly how many people are homeless at any one time. The reasons people become homeless are extremely varied and working on this project continually reinforced to me how easily this can happen to anyone’
Curator Annette Day says ‘Museum of London is not just about London's past but also about its present and future. The Museum is committed to stimulating debate about matters of concern for London today and promoting understanding between Londoners. Homeless in the Capital - the result of a rewarding collaboration with The Connection at St Martin's - gives an important prominence to Londoners who are visible yet invisible.’
There has been a long history of homelessness in London; from the laws that made the homeless wear badges to Dickens characters sleeping under Waterloo Arches in The Pickwick Papers and the powerful TV drama Cathy Come Home. The European Parliament Written Declaration pledged this year to end street homelessness by 2015 – will this be the end of homelessness in the capital?
Homeless in the Capital runs until 22 February 2009 and is free. -- www.museumoflondon.org.uk
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