New artwork in Temple Bar aims to spotlight the unseen issue of family homelessness

A mural to shine a light on the issue of family homelessness in Ireland was unveiled today in Dublin’s Temple Bar.

It was created by street artist Sarah Bracken Soper ahead of tonight’s Shine A Light nationwide sleepout event to raise funds to work towards ending homelessness.

Known for creating artwork reflecting social, cultural and climate justice issues, Sarah’s work is designed to be thought provoking and start a conversation.

Taking inspiration from the fact that family homelessness can often be an unseen issue, her latest work features two women locked in an embrace with one clearly visible while the other appears as a shadow.

The figure that is ‘seen’ represents the empathy and generosity of the Irish public while the ‘unseen’ shadow figure embodies the mothers of the thousands of families trapped in hidden homelessness.

Now in its 12th year, Shine A Light which is proudly supported by Bord Gáis Energy, sees thousands of people from across the country take part in a national sleep out each year to raise much needed funds for Focus Ireland.

This year’s campaign aims to raise €1.4 with all funds going towards vital services supporting the thousands of families, children and individuals experiencing homelessness, or at risk of losing their home.

At present there are 2,099 families experiencing homelessness in Ireland of which 4,419 are children.

Many of these families are based in unsuitable emergency accommodation, where living spaces can be confined to one room.

The effects of this crisis are deeply felt all year round, and every day spent without a place to call home takes away a child’s sense of security and belonging.

Speaking about why she was drawn to the issue of family homelessness Sarah Bracken Soper said, “I believe that the creation of art is an essential process in our understanding of the world and a crucial tool for change and recovery.

“I hope anyone experiencing homelessness today in our society is able to draw some comfort from knowing there are many of us who care and are willing to take action.”

Jesse Wiesblatt of Focus Ireland explained why the scale and location of the mural in the centre of Dublin is significant.  “We all hear the reports of rising homelessness figures and there are certain aspects of homelessness that are visible, but what most people don’t realise is that the numbers reported on a monthly basis only reflect the number of people accessing emergency accommodation.

“There are a lot of contradictory statements and misunderstandings in our current conversation about homelessness but at the centre of it all are people living alongside us, often unseen, in our society and communities who urgently need us to take action and support them.

“This mural, and the commitment of the thousands of people sleeping out against homelessness tonight, shows that we stand in solidarity with those affected.

“It is an issue that shouldn’t exist in our society today, and we should be doing everything in our power to bring homelessness to an end.”

This is the first issue related mural to be installed in Temple Bar since artist Maser’s ‘Repeal’ heart.

It is located on Curved Street, near the iconic Focus Ireland coffee shop on Eustace Street.

Open 365 days, this service provides food, support and advice in a safe and warm environment and is often the first point of call for those finding themselves in or at risk of homelessness.

The Coffee Shop was the first Focus Ireland service opened by Focus Ireland founder and President, Sister Stan, in 1986.

Originally called Focus Point, the service was created for women who needed shelter and support services.

Continuing, Wiesblatt added, “The work that we at Focus Ireland are doing to support families experiencing, or at risk of homelessness is essential, but we can’t do it alone and the support of people across the country is crucial to create real change.”

There is still time to sign up or donate to this year’s Shine A Light.

Simply visit shinealight.focusireland.ie for more information.