Everyone a homeless person in Croydon: the 4,000 ceramic discs are a poignant reminder of the scale of the issue. Photos by Chris O’Donovan
An art exhibition featuring unique pieces created by people impacted by homelessness in Croydon has opened in the Whitgift Centre this week.
This first-of-its-kind exhibition aims to share the stories of people in the borough with nowhere safe to live, and to celebrate the local community’s efforts to end homelessness for good.
Organised by the charity Crisis, The Big Make exhibition runs until Friday October 30 at the Croydon Urban Room in the Whitgift Centre.
Its opening hours are 10am – 4pm, Tuesdays to Saturdays. The exhibition is free to visit.
Safe space: the free exhibition has been created by the Crisis centre on Surrey Street
The Big Make showcases work created by residents across Croydon, including people with experience of homelessness, as well as local schools, businesses and volunteers.
One of the exhibition’s centrepieces is a display of 4,000 handmade porcelain discs, representing the estimated number of families and individuals who have faced homelessness in Croydon over the past year.
The exhibition also features a sound installation featuring people with experience of homelessness talking about what having a home means to them, alongside a display of 3D characters celebrating Croydon’s diversity and strength.
Crisis is also running free arts workshops for adults and children aged 14 and over. The workshops will take place from Tuesday October 20 to Thursday October 22.
Much of the art on display was created at Crisis Skylight on Surrey Street, where people facing homelessness can access support, including help finding somewhere safe to live and access to healthcare, benefits and employment opportunities.
Scenes from life: the models have been made by people who have experienced homelessness
Christine Eyers, the director of Crisis Skylight Croydon, said: “We’re incredibly proud of all the people who came together to shed light on homelessness in Croydon and the local action being taken to help people in the area rebuild their lives.
“From the people who have experienced, or are experiencing, homelessness who bravely shared their personal stories, to the local schools, businesses, and volunteers who generously donated their time, it’s been a privilege to witness what can happen when a community comes together through creativity.
“The Big Make is a powerful statement that homelessness should never be accepted as inevitable in our society. We would like to thank everyone involved in The Big Make for playing their part in shining a light on this issue and working towards ending homelessness in Croydon for good.”
PAID ADS: To advertise your services or products to our 10,000 weekday visitors to the site, as featured on Google News Showcase, email us inside.croydon@btinternet.com for our unbeatable ad rates
- If you have a news story about life in or around Croydon, or want to publicise your residents’ association or business, or if you have a local event to promote, please email us with full details at inside.croydon@btinternet.com
As featured on Google News Showcase
- Our comments section on every report provides all readers with an immediate “right of reply” on all our content. Our comments policy can be read by clicking here
Inside Croydon is a member of the Independent Community News Network
Croydon’s failed mayor, Piss-Poor Perry, is like an ostrich, who buries his head in sand to avoid seeing problems, so he doesn’t recognise/embrace/do anything to reduce homelessness. He won’t like this art exhibition at all, especially if children see it at half-term, while they might be seeing if there is anything left in the Whitgift Centre apart from boarded-up shop units and tumbleweed.
I initially thought all the buckets (“more buckets than businesses” ibid) dotted around the Whitgift Centre were some form of art installation, but the LBC and URW lack even that little imagination…