Big Issue vendor Will Payne used pieces of the magazine to craft his “art of resistance”. Image: Frankie Stone
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Artwork from Big Issue vendors has gone on show in Bristol to showcase the hidden talents of people experiencing homelessness.
The Making the Invisible Visible exhibition is running at local homelessness charity Bristol Outreach Services for the Homeless (Bosh) on Bond Street until 10 September.
The intimate art show features five Big Issue vendors’ work after they teamed up with local artist Michaela Adamcova to brush up on their art skills ahead of the show.
Big Issue vendor Will Payne’s collage work, which includes some pieces made from the pages of The Big Issue, is a central part of the exhibition.
“My art is the art of resistance,” said Payne, who also does spoken word performances and is a self-styled “performance poet novelist”.
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“Making art to me is a voice for everything I feel inside and what I want to project outside from inside myself. That’s why I do environmental protest art because I’ve lived in lots of protest camps. I love what Bosh does, there’s no other place I’d like my art to be in than somewhere that ties in all my philosophies on everything.
Payne’s pieces were inspired by his history of environmental activism and Extinction Rebellion. Image: Frankie Stone
“It’s wonderful to have my work on show because Bosh is right in the heart of town and Bosh is something I very much believe in. So does everyone from The Big Issue office, who are all fantastic by the way.”
Big Issue vendors worked with local artist Michaela Adamcova to develop their art skills ahead of the exhibition.
The 30-year-old, who is originally from the Czech Republic, helped vendors over two sessions, working around their time spent selling the magazine.
“It’s been an absolute pleasure, people are so lovely,” said Adamcova.
“The people who work selling The Big Issue are incredible because obviously it’s not the easiest job.
All of the artists involved in the exhibition had experienced homelessness with the show set to challenge the stigma and marginalisation people face as a result of being homeless. Image: Frankie Stone
“The chance to talk about art was great because people experiencing homelessness have so much to say. They’re so interesting and I can see art differently now as well.”
The exhibition also marked the first anniversary of Bosh’s hub after the charity added a permanent base to existing on-the-street outreach services.
Julie Dempster, Bosh’s founding director, said there are already plans for more exhibitions in future.
“We hear so much negative press about homelessness, about being homeless and we wanted to do something positive in the hub,” said Dempster.
“Everyone we approached actually said they’d never had the opportunity to display their artwork before and it has been absolutely amazing just to see the joy on people’s faces when they see their artwork on the walls.
Big Issue vendors attended workshops and created varied pieces of artwork in their own time to contribute to the Bosh exhibition. Image: Frankie Stone
“Self-esteem is really important but art, as we know, is very good for people’s mental ill health and it gives people a sense of worth and makes them feel part of the community.”
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This Christmas, 3.8 million people across the UK will be facing extreme poverty. Thousands of those struggling will turn to selling the Big Issue as a vital source of income - they need your support to earn and lift themselves out of poverty.
