Image Source: The Alt Entertainer
An art and storytelling project has helped a group of homeless and disadvantaged people give something back to a soup kitchen which they rely on for food, support and company.
A Three Course Meal brought together interviews and portraits of 10 people who regularly attend the North London Action for the Homeless shelter (NLAH) in Stoke Newington, which were then sold to raise money for the charity.
The works, printed for free by Print Club in Dalston, raised £1,200 at an exhibition hosted by nearby café Oui Madame earlier this month. Five of the subjects attended the event, chatting with local residents and answering questions about their stories.
Rosie Spinks, a journalist who conducted the interviews, said: “They were happy they were raising money for the shelter. They were like mini celebrities.
“The shelter normally receives donations of food, so they can use this money for whatever they need, like new appliances in the kitchen.”
Arthur Ryser, who has been going to the soup kitchen for nine years, said: “It was worthwhile as a way of repaying my turning up and the free grub one gets out of this place. That’s basically why I did it.
“I may not realise, but I must have been quite interesting. People came up for a chat. I would have liked to have spent an extra hour there.”
A Three Course Story began when Ms Spinks started volunteering at the NLAH while she was living in Dalston. After meeting the many different people who attend the soup kitchen every week she wanted to tell their stories.
“The reasons why people are [at a shelter] are often not discussed. It was about giving a little bit of a voice to people that don’t have one.
“They feel like people ignore them. If someone is taking the time to talk to you it feels like someone’s listening.”
Read their stories here
Stoke Newington reporter for The Hackney Post!