Roy’s People – What happened when Londoners went on a ‘Little Manhunt’!

Covent Garden was the place to find very tiny people yesterday – a charity hunt competition set up by Roy’s People and The Big Issue Foundation

This charity hunt for 30 figures measuring less than an inch in height was a test for even the most eagle-eyed seeker.

Artist Roy Tyson (aka Roy’s People), famous for creating miniature figures and a world of cheeky micro-installations, collaborated with the Big Issue Foundation on a competition to raise awareness of the untold stories from those living life on the streets.

Tyson installed 30 of his little people in secret locations across Covent Garden, challenging “kids, grown-ups, homeless people, oldies and anyone” to find them. A label attached to each little figure carried the real-life story of a Big Issue vendor, taken from the My Pitch pages.

If you spotted any of these tiny Roy’s People, send a picture to royspeople@bigissue.com before April 4 to win a unique piece of artwork signed by Roy himself.

“I was in Covent Garden about ten pm on Tuesday evening,” said Tyson. “There were quite a few people still about, and I was clambering around looking for hiding places at the side of the street, but no-one batted an eyelid. That’s London for you!”

There were some early casualties as part of the charity hunt – million-selling publishing sensation James and streetcat Bob, arrived at lunchtime to find that their doppelganger model had already been stolen, or ‘roynapped’.

But that did not stop James and Bob, or anyone else, from continuing to seek out the little people for the rest of the afternoon.

Roy’s People are opening “Street Life” at the Curious Duke gallery this evening, and proceeds from a silent auction of one of the exhibited artworks will be donated to the Big Issue Foundation, the Big Issue’s charitable arm. That money will go towards frontline services for vendors on the street.

The Big Issue costs just £2.50 and vendors buy their own copies of the magazine for £1.25 per copy.