Homeless residents from York Arc Light challenge stereotypes on You Tube

20 July 2009

York Arc Light service user group Arc Light Feat Decibel have won the prestigious 2009 Michael Whippman Award for their rap video entry, Life on the Streets (ain't easy). The video, a snappy and infectious entry created entirely by Arc Light residents in memory of an iconic York character and friend who died this year, won the hearts of voting delegates at the Homeless Link annual conference in Warwick.

The Michael Whippman Award, run by Homeless Link, focuses on the contributions of people who are homeless. It was set up to challenge stereotypes about who is homeless and to demonstrate what is possible if individuals are given the right opportunity. This year the focus was on activities that promoted inclusion, collaboration and expression through the use of multi media.

York Arc Light's project was promoted as an opportunity for residents to see themselves on You Tube while demystifying the use of digital technology through film and music. At the end of the 6 month project, residents had gained a working knowledge of digital film making equipment and an understanding of computers in relation to the shooting and editing of film and music production. You can see the short video on You Tube.

Sean, one of the service users involved in the film, had this to say, "Being told we had won, going on stage and collecting the prize was a fantastic, new and surreal experience for me. The project has been great and I'm so happy I have been involved. I glad that we are using the prize money to give something back to Arc Light and also to make the project go on for longer."

Fellow service user, Brian, also starring in the film, commented, "I'm speechless at winning. Arc Light has been electric since we won. We feel special to have won the prize and it is important to all of us that we won. I hope that more people can be a part of the project in the future and feel special too."

Jeremy Jones, Chief Executive of York Arc Light, said, "This project has been fantastically successful in engaging our now ‘award-winning' service users! They are inspired to create more and involve more of their peers. We'll be back next year."

The winning team has decided to split the prize money between buying a table tennis table for their peers following consultation with them and some digital cameras. They are also looking at a digital photography project which can involves everyone at Arc Light!

Jenny Edwards, Chief Executive of Homeless Link was involved in the short listing for the award. She said, “I've been blown away by the high quality of the entries for this year's Michael Whippman award. This great creative showcase has brought to light a wealth of hidden talent.”

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