MERLIN 28th-July-6th of August

BIG ISSUE photography exhibition opens Thursday 23rd July

THE BIG ISSUE EXHIBIT
23rd – 26th August 2009

The Big Issue exists to offer homeless and vulnerably housed people the opportunity to earn a legitimate income. We produce a weekly entertainment and current affairs magazine which vendors buy from us for 75p and sell to the public for £1.50. We believe in offering ‘a hand up, not a hand out’, but we also recognise that earning an income is the first step on the journey away from homelessness.

The Big Issue Foundation is a registered charity which exists to link vendors with the vital support which will help them address the issues which have led to their homelessness. The Foundation works exclusively with vendors, offering support, advice and referrals.

This exhibition of our Bristol vendors’ work was made possible by funding from the The Big Issue Foundation and volunteers dontating their time. We believe that photography as a form of art therapy is extremely beneficial for our vendor support programme and can offer respite from day to day life on the streets.

The photos that you see here are the culmination of a months work by the staff and vendors at The Big Issue. For some of our vendors it was the first time that methods of photographic self-representation had been used. The final work is expressive of both the pain and humour that goes with life on the street.

For further information about the work please contact Darren Williams on
0117 942 8538.

This exhibition was put on with thanks to:

Photographique,
Daniel Buzzo,
The Emporium crew
and The Big Issue vendors and volunteers.