FEATURE
A NEW IDENTITY FOR THE HOMELESS
Time and time again, art has proven its benefits towards better mental health, self-esteem, and overall sense of identity. Charities like Arts & Homelessness International have used art as a form of therapy for people suffering from homelessness.
Art can be a tool for self-expression, a medium to express opinions, a way to exorcise emotions, and a form of therapy.
In many cases, it can be all of the above. Arts have often been used to help people living with various issues and difficult situations. Homelessness is no exception.
Arts & Homelessness International
Arts & Homelessness International( AHI) is a global charity which supports homeless people by providing them with opportunities for self-expression through art and creativity.
Founded in 2019 by Matt Peacock in London, the organisation has supported many homeless people and given them the tools to reclaim their identity.
AHI is a global network of arts-centred projects working with homeless people. They work on policy making and organise projects and programmes all around the world, supporting people and their ideas. The goal? Founder Matt Peacock explains:“ We are keen to circulate this notion that homelessness isn’ t just about housing. Homelessness services aren’ t necessarily enough to help people move on and move out of homelessness. Art is a small intervention, but it’ s effective at building people up and giving people permission to believe in themselves.”
Art as a tool
In this understanding of creativity as a tool, art can be a way to bring back characteristics that were lost, such as motivation, selfconfidence, and agency.
“ People are able to have a different identity, for that time, which is really important,” Peacock says. During those short moments of creation and artistic delivery, homeless people get to view themselves as creative and social individuals.“ We’ re trying to show them that they have a lot to bring as well.”
Studies have shown that art has beneficial
Photography workshop during Covid, Haringey.
impacts on self-esteem, mental health, and assertiveness. An article published in the 2018 Canadian Children and Youth Service Review revealed that among the 20 youth participants, the main benefits were better mental health management, improved coping with stress and trauma recovery, selfexploration, and positive self-esteem.
Many of those struggles surround people dealing with homelessness, and trauma is a common denominator. Bringing art into their lives can be a step towards improving their situation by positively impacting their mental health and self-perception.
Art is a small way for them to regain identity and view themselves as more than a societal problem and a burden. As Peacock puts it:“ Everyone [ is ] being asked their ideas, not their problems. And when you are going through homelessness, you’ re really regarded as a set of issues to be solved, but not what you’ re really good at.”
Success stories
Although this kind of support is hard to measure, there are many“ success stories” coming out of the work that AHI does.
In their three areas of focus – policy change, supporting projects and supporting people – many have reaped the benefits of this specific structure. Having worked with local governments, they managed to make councils, such as Coventry, include arts in their homelessness strategies.
And as an international charity, the benefits have been shown on a global scale:“ We’ ve helped set up some choirs in Rio, as part of the Cultural Olympiad of 2016, and in the first year, something like 30 % of the choir were into housing and jobs.”
Peacock adds:“ It’ s because of that structure that they were in, the way that they were accepted, and the purpose they had. These choirs are sort of like homes for people who have to live on the streets of Rio.”
Behind the success
At the very centre of the charity, there have been two success stories already: Peacock himself, and his recently promoted co-director David Tovey. They have both experienced homelessness first-hand and are all the more qualified to speak on it now.
“ I think it’ s really important that charities working with homelessness are run by people who have had experience of these issues. Having had that experience, there are strengths you bring, in terms of resilience, empathy, emotional intelligence, and networking abilities.”
Yaelle Raccaud
ISSUE 5 SLEUTH 13