I LIVE TEMPORARY is a digital installation created by homeless people from the Booth Centre, in collaboration with experimental arts organisation, arthur+martha. 

Customised postcards, sound recordings and an epic tweet poem carry tiny stories, little snatches of homeless people’s lives. These voices are often unheard, but they have insight to offer everyone. Combining text, sound and image, I LIVE TEMPORARY is a report from life outside the borders of comfort and acceptance. Funny, sad, angry, resigned - here are all the human colours.  

arthur+martha works with people who are pushed to the margins of society – older people in hospital, excluded school pupils, holocaust survivors and many others.
 
Launch event
Date and time: Friday 11th May, 2 – 4pm
Venue: The Egg, University of Salford, MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, Salford, M50 2HE

Exhibition general opening times:
Open: Friday 11th May - Friday 1st June. Times will vary. 
Admisson: Free
Venue: The Egg, University of Salford, MediaCityUK, Salford Quays, Salford, M50 2HE

Full details about the event are available on the University of Salford Arts Events website. 
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We recently took part in the Peripheral Vision project in conjunction with the Workers' Educational Association, which used digital media and visits to cultural venues in Manchester to help people improve their creative film, art and photography skills. Culminating in a film festival and a book launch, this project encouraged those on the periphery to challenge others’ vision of society today.

Here are some of the films created by the people that took part in the project: 

And this video gives some more information about the project and how people responded to it: 

We had great fun taking part in this initiative and got a lot out of it! For more information about the project please visit the Peripheral Vision website. 
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On Friday 25th November 35 people decided to brave the cold weather and sleep outside Manchester Cathedral to raise money for the Booth Centre.

The event raised over £5,000, which will make an immediate difference to the work the centre can do. Amanda Croome, manager of the Booth Centre said "The number of homeless people in Manchester has increased recently and the Booth Centre is doing everything it can to ensure that as few people as possible end up rough sleeping, and those that do are able to get off the streets as quickly as possible.  This boost to our funds will make a real difference to our work."

Although the event only gave a glimpse of what life on the streets is like, we wanted to make sure that those participating understood the reality of sleeping rough. "We asked two people who have slept rough in the past to give everyone taking part a true picture of what it is really like to sleep out, how dangerous and demoralising it is and also to explain how they have rebuilt their lives with help from the Booth Centre."  

Among those taking part in the event was Jill Southern, who works at St Thomas Primary School in Leigh. "It was a great experience. I did get a couple of hours sleep, but I'm lucky enough to be able to come home to a warm house and a cosy bed afterwards. The evening really made me appreciate what I've got."

A huge thank you to everyone that took part and made this event such a success! For photos of the event please see our facebook page. 
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On 30th June our Streetwise Opera singing group put on a performance of Fables: A Film Opera at the Zion Arts Centre in Hulme, as part of the Not Part Of Festival.  It was a fantastic event and a huge success.  

This is a photo of the group, just before they went on stage (photo by Ciara Leeming)

To find out more about our collaboration with Streetwise Opera and our programme of musical activities for homeless people, please see our Music page. 

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Here are a few photos we took from our entry in the 2011 Manchester Day parade. We had a great time walking the parade route with our giant explorer and jungle creature, and the atmosphere was fantastic. Almost 70,000 people lined the streets to watch the parade, and we were even lucky enough to have some sunshine to brighten up the day!
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The Booth Centre and The Royal Exchange Theatre recently worked together to produce a play entitled LOVE. This is a short trailer that was made with the guys from the Booth Centre to promote the play and the work going on within the Booth Centre and The Royal Exchange Theatre.

Film shot and editied by Ali McElhoney / ASBO Productions.
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On Sunday 17th April we will be taking part in the St. George's Day parade along with the 12 foot tall St. George and dragon giants we've created! 

If you'd like to come and see us, you can find us at any part of the parade route, including between 12:10 and 12:50pm when the parade passes through Piccadilly Gardens.

For more information about the St. George's Day parade, please visit www.stgeorgesparade.org.uk
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Our 2011 calendar is now available, which features art work and photos by our art group. It would make the perfect Christmas gift!

It is a beautifully printed, full colour A4 calendar that has been designed by a volunteer from Marks & Spencer.
 
It costs just £6 (includes postage and packaging within the UK) and all profits will go directly to our art group, allowing them to purchase vital supplies for the coming year.
 
To place an order please visit our 2011 calendar page.
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We are currently building a giant St. George and Dragon to take around various parades next summer, inspired by the alterpiece picture in the Cathedral.
 
Work has started on the heads, which we will eventually cover in papier mache. Here are some pictures of the results so far!
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