Arts Exhibition Highlights Homeless Plight in Bray
November 11th, 2000
Bray in County Wicklow is the venue for an exhibition running until the end of November highlighting the growing homeless problem in the prosperous seaside town. The exhibit entitled "No Fixed Abode" is appropriately spread out over the town at a number of venues and is the brainchild of Brigid O'Brien of the Signal Arts Centre in Bray. Funding for the exhibit came from Bray Urban District Council.
Home Sweet Home
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Brigid O'Brien was prompted into doing something for the plight of the homeless after she responded to an advertisement in "The Big Issue" requesting sleeping bags for the homeless. Wanting to do more than just write another letter to one of the national newspaper she approached the Signal Arts Centre and asked the help of local artists who provided a large quantity of works for the exhibit including poems, sculptures, and paintings.
The Simon Community who has been a voice for the homeless since 1969 are also actively involved in the exhibit providing graphic photos of homeless people in our towns and cities. In the social welfare office visitors can push a button and hear recitals of poem read by singer Mary Coughlan and the actors Niall O'Brien and Eamonn Morrisey. If you are travelling on the Dart you can read a poem by Joan Jennings entitled Contradictions of Endurance.
The reaction in Bray town has been very positive and goes a long way to highlighting what is becoming an even bigger problem in our Celtic Tiger economy. The irony of the situation can be summed up with the situation of many of the participants who are themselves on Bray Urban Districts Councils housing list. A free exhibition catalogue is available at Bray Dart station and the exhibit "No Fixed Abode" runs until the end of November.
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