Case studies

In 2015, we began working in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to support the development of the local arts and homelessness community. Within a year, we had helped to create five new choirs of homeless people who performed at the lighting of the Olympic torch. In the first year of the choir’s foundation, 30% of the members had moved into accommodation or employment and, since then, the choirs have worked with over 500 homeless people. Meanwhile, the strong legislative links between the choirs and the Preifetura (city council) inspired homelessness officials and activists from Manchester, UK, to embed the values into their city, giving rise to the Manchester Homelessness Charter with co-creation and arts embedded into the homelessness strategy. This is now being replicated in Coventry and London.