A kickstarter campaign for homeless photographers to produce a calendar has held it's annual award ceremony inside Spitalfields Art Market in Shoreditch, where the winning images are hanging on the walls.
My London Calendar by Homeless Photographers launches today http://t.co/dN6aUZBd99 pic.twitter.com/AkpJaVG8RE
— Cafe Art (@cafeartuk) October 12, 2015
"It was at the beginning of July. A really hot summer's day where 100 people affected by homelessness went around London for three days armed with a camera," Paul Ryan, Director of Café Art told the audience of award winners and sponsors.
"For some of you who don't know, we had a kickstarter campaign that went viral. The images taken by these photographers have already been seen by millions of people."
The campaign raised 350 percent more that it's target after it was picked up by media across the world.
"The idea is to get people into photography — and reward them," said Ryan who earlier explained that Café Art is a social enterprise working with artists affected by homelessness in London. Each year 100 people are given a camera and asked to take pictures of the capital.
Out of 2,500 photographs, a panel of judges shortlist just 20 images and 13 are used to produce the 'My London' calendar.
"It's a London people don't often see. The views that are shown on in this calendar are unique."
Goska Calik, winner of the people's choice award told Sputnik that she never expected to pick up a prize.
"I'm really surprised. I'm speechless. I've been taking photographs since I was five years old with my father — throughout my life. I faced troubles a few years ago and I became homeless."
"With a camera, I started to think that I could once again take photographs and after everything that has happened in my life, I just needed find something new, and do something new," Calik told Sputnik.
"Everyone can be homeless and I never thought it would happen to me."
One of this year's winners also included David Tovey, a former soldier who was forced into homelessness two years ago following a stroke.
Accepting his award Tovey said he was "speechless" and hugged Paul Ryan, director of Art Café as he left the impromptu stage set in the middle of Spitalfields Art Market.
The 'My London' calendar raises money for art materials for homeless people with the pictures hung in cafes across the city. The Photography Contest is supported by the Royal Photographic Society.
