We are very very excited to announce that MyBrighton & Hove is happening this year, with the camera handout set for Friday 29 June!
One hundred one-time-use Fujifilm cameras will be given to local people affected by homelessness, just like in London, Budapest, Sydney, Sao Paulo and Toronto. As with all the other projects, the goal is to empower local people with lived experience of homelessness.
The goal is to engage people in a creative project that gives skills and connects people. Coming just eight days after the London camera handout (which will be again at St Paul's Cathedral), the Brighton & Hove project will initially be funded by a Kickstarter which we will launch on the same day as the MyLondon Kickstarter, with a goal of funding the printing of the 2019 MyBrighton & Hove calendar.
We will print 1,000 calendars this year and all profits will go back to the local homeless calendar vendors and also into making the project an annual event.
MyBrighton & Hove is being managed by volunteer Lucy Groenewoud who is working with local homeless services and charities in Brighton and Hove including Passage, Justlife, YMCA, BHA and St John Ambulance.
Like the London project, it will provide employment and training opportunities, aiming to improve their confidence and social skills as it includes the artists in all aspects of the project.
Lucy said: "According to the latest figures, one in 69 people in Brighton and Hove are either in temporary accommodation or sleeping on the streets." She added that researchers in a recent survey in Brighton spoke to 170 rough sleepers over the course of a week, and found that only 31.4% of people reported having a planned activity in their lives that made them feel happy or fulfilled.
"MyBrighton & Hove will address these very topical issues, highlighting homelessness in the city, whilst providing an activity with potential for future development and opportunities."
After cameras are handed back, the photographs are developed and judged by a panel of photography experts and those with experience of homelessness. The top 20 photos are picked and opened to a public vote, after which crowdfunding with Kickstarter will begin in August for the calendar to be printed and launched in October.
The photographs will be on display during October 2018 at SEAS (Socially Engaged Art Salon) BMECP Centre, Brighton.
From October to December the 2019 MyBrighton & Hove calendar will be sold with the support of the photographers and local businesses.
"We are grateful for the support of the Royal Photographic Society, Fujifilm UK, One Church Brighton, YHA Brighton, and SEAS Salon," said Lucy.
Paul Ryan from Cafe Art said that when Lucy Groenewoud approached Cafe Art they decided to back the new project with profits from the MyLondon project. "We are very appreciative of the support from Fujifilm UK who are giving the 100 cameras and helping with developing and printing too, like in London. Local Royal Photographic Society volunteers are donating their time alongside a team of other locals."
"We have decided to run our annual MyLondon Kickstarter fundraiser at the same time as the MyBrighton & Hove one, to pay for the printing of the calendars. Of course the targets will be different as we will print fewer calendars in Brighton, but we hope a lot of our supporters will by both calendars. We will run the Kickstarters from 15 August for 30 days." Further information can be found on www.mybrightonphotoproject.com or contact lucy@mybrightonphotoproject.com