Street Heritage celebrates the strength of people living without homes.
The “heritage” style plaque was dedicated to Andy Palfreyman, who spent his first night homeless under a stairwell beside the Southbank Skate Park. He would be homeless for the best part of 30 years.
This video is also accessible at www.streetheritage.org
The sister work to the Street Heritage, “25 towards Ilford” focused on women and girls who are often the most invisible homeless. With streets too precarious for sleep, many find night buses are a place of relative safety. The number 25 bus from Holborn to Ilford is the longest route in London, and the most popular for those who use buses for sleep. This work pays respect to the resilience of those who find safety on London’s night buses, as well as making visible in the city people who have been excluded by the violence of the city. The pillow case was stuffed with part of a duvet to provide bedding the size of the bus seat, and embroidered with the No 25 bus route.
The work was exhibited at Goldsmiths, 310 New Cross Road, March 2019.
The artist spent time on the number 25 with the bus, close to the work, striking up conversations with people who expressed curiosity. Eventually she left the work on a bus, with an explanatory note for anyone who wanted to claim it as bedding for the night.