University psychologist’s initiative using art to help homeless regain voice …

They are working at Emmaus Brighton Hove, the homelessness charity in Portslade, and University of Brighton art students have volunteered to help them. Some students have already been passing on their skills to the homeless at Emmaus workshops.

Third year student Lilly White told what was important to her about engaging with the homeless: “Having the respect for each other as humans on this earth, disregarding labels, stereotypes, social class, ethnicity, age, gender… the experience made it essential that working with people, communicating as humans, not as homeless, lesbian, single, married, working class, student, adult, child, black, Asian, white etc is key.”

Bruno said: “The idea is not just to have a better understanding of homelessness but to bring social change and emancipation with the people I am working with.”

Two Emmaus residents who are taking part in the Fringe exhibition are Matt and Lee. Matt said: “The exhibition and Bruno’s talk to us has definitely had an impact.

“I came to Emmaus because I’d split up with a girlfriend … I had no money to move somewhere else because I was volunteering for a charity at the time. I chose the work path, rather than signing on and being in a hostel which you can never get out of. Not everyone at Emmaus has slept on the streets.

“I’ve always been an artist. I’ve done all sorts of art and graphic design. I’m into textile design, lots of things really, painting, anything creative. My main passion is letter work but I am apprenticing as a tattooist now. Making furniture and tattooing are what I want to be doing when I leave here.”

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