Video workshop with users of 'The House of the Homeless'

Workshop and TV-production by artists Peter Callesen and Kenneth A. Balfelt with Mia S. Mortensen, Steen Flemming Hansen and Michael J. Christensen
2002-2003

Homeless and drug addicts are often portraited as victims in the media. Through their contact with society, the media and the social system it is often easy also to inscribe themselves into that role. The idea with the project is to "turn the camera around" so that the homeless actively form the preception of reality. By being the one that asks the questions and by organizing a TV program a posibility for participating in society and the media as an active subject arises. Through generating ideas and making a TV-production the victimised can act as subjects and active political operators, and point at problems they find relevant.

Through an invitation from the public art project 'NB - Lad os mødes (Lets meet)', Danish artist Peter R. Callesen (www.petercallesen.com) and I decided to visit De Hjemløses Hus (The House of the Homeless) at Nørrebro in Copenhagen. The house is a place for homeless to come and socialise, eat, get a haircut or shower, talk to someone or participate in activities. Most of the users are homeless, former or potential homeless, drug or alcohol addicts, or have other social or mental problems.

Here we went through a very open process to find a project that could be relevant for the users of the house. First, through talk with the users, we heard that an activity of some kind could be interesting. Then we thought of a video workshop. Then we brainstormed about a subject for a video production.

The Brainstorming Mindmap

Some ideas were the kids of the homeless, the pets of the homeless and, the one we chose in common, about that so many offices are empty at the same time as there are homeless! This became the theme for the production, that was decided to try to get broadcasted on TV.

There are about 700,000 sqm empty offices in Copenhagen and 1,250 homeless

We found three people who were committed to participate, Mia S. Mortensen, Steen Flemming Hansen and Michael J. Christensen, and we all worked on equal terms in the project.

Kenneth, Peter, Mia, Michael and Steen

We worked together for 9 month to finish the TV-programme. We got a very close relationship but never really talked about problems. The "normal" realationship between a social worker and a homeless is through dealing with problems. We did not want to do that. We did not want to be social workers and teachers. Rather, we wanted to work together on a project where we all had an equal say and all could contribute.We as artists and Mia, Steen and Michael as themselves with individual skills. Afterall, we needed each other to make the project! A good example is when we needed to film a break-in only Mia, Steen and Michael knew how that look like for real!

We have squatted an attractive empty office building in the harbour of Copenhagen and have interviewed responsible politicians. The focus is on the way our society prioritise and and how choises that are benificial in one context increses homelessness.