Vancouver Hope in Shadows homeless initiative inspires UK project
For more than a decade, the Hope in Shadows calendar has given people in the Downtown Eastside not just employment, but also a voice.
Now, one of the people who spearheaded the project in Vancouver has brought the idea to the UK, where it is attracting international interest.
The Hope in Shadows initiative distributes disposable cameras to homeless individuals and encourages them to take photos that capture their own unique perspectives and experiences.
The photos are compiled into a calendar that is sold, and profits go to photo contributors and support the continuation of the program.
Paul Ryan helped manage the project from 2005 to 2012 and watched as the community calendar inspired confidence, a sense of purpose and greater empathy among participants and the community at large.
"I knew that it made a difference," said Ryan, which is why when he moved to London, he drew from his experience with Hope in Shadows to co-found the Cafe Art calendar project with Michael Wong.
Cafe Art Project
Unlike the Vancouver project, The Cafe Art calendar initiative offers basic photography training to participants through a partnership with London's Royal Photographic Society.
But the end goal is the same, said Ryan: to provide an opportunity for people to discover new skills, overcome the isolation and trauma of being homeless, build confidence and engage with other people in the community.
"It's a great way of getting their story out and empowering people. That's what it's all about," said Ryan.
A Kickstarter campaign was launched to cover the initial printing costs, and he says so far the response has been overwhelming.
"It's gone crazy, and it's just great, because we've been able to tell people about what we're doing, but also put a focus on the issue of people who have been homeless."
The campaign has more than doubled its initial goal of about $9,000, and it still has roughly three weeks left to go.
Garnering international attention
Ryan says he has been invited along with representatives from other homeless organizations to travel to Brazil in November in advance of the 2016 Summer Olympics.
"The mayor of São Paulo and the mayor of Rio want to talk to me about the project," he said.
"The last week's been incredible. I don't know where it's going to lead. "I've seen changes in people who just blow me away, when I see how they've changed. It was the same in Vancouver and it's the same here."
The 2016 Cafe Art Calendar will launch on Oct. 12.
To hear the full interview with Paul Ryan, listen to the audio labelled: Cafe Art My London Calendar.
