INSP exhibition celebrates street papers and their vendors

An exhibition celebrating street papers and their vendors throughout the world has been hailed as "beautiful", "inspiring" and "powerful".

Uncovered: still homeless, still an issue is the first time that audiences have had the opportunity to explore the outstanding design of street papers and the story behind the global street paper movement.

It was put together by the International Network of Street Papers (INSP) and can be seen for free at Glasgow’s Lighthouse until 9 April.

The city is at the heart of the global movement as it is the home of INSP – the organisation that brings street papers together, offering support, advice and resources.

Uncovered was launched during the recent #VendorWeek, INSP’s annual, global celebration of the world’s 10,000 vendors.

While The Big Issue is well known throughout the UK, many people are unaware that there are 110 papers in 35 countries that use the same model to offer “a hand-up, not a hand out” to people facing homelessness and social exclusion.

Maree Aldam, chief executive of INSP, said: “Since the first street paper launched in 1989, our movement has lifted almost 300,000 vendors across the world out of poverty.

“This exhibition showcases our vendors – telling their stories, and hearing from them about the life changing impact of street papers.

“The exhibition also showcases the high quality design, passion and hard work involved in the production of street papers.

“We hope that the exhibition gives Glaswegians a sense of the scale and impact of street papers and pride that Glasgow is at the heart of the movement.”

James Jefferson, chief creative officer and co-founder of Equator, which helped stage the exhibition, added: “Our creative team put tonnes of hard work and dedication into bringing this exhibition together. The idea has been in the pipeline for a long time so it’s heartening to see it finally come to fruition, displaying some of the amazing stories, creativity and people behind the world’s street paper movement.

“We’re proud to have been involved in directly making a difference in people’s lives. We hope that visitors to the exhibition will leave with a new found respect for the hard work that goes into producing these amazing publications.”

The exhibition was opened by Angela Constance, cabinet secretary for equalities. She said: “I was delighted to be at The Lighthouse for the launch of this exhibition. It is a great pleasure to see the variety of street paper covers that are displayed here tonight.

“I know the exhibition celebrates not just the fantastic artwork but also, it celebrates the creativity and professionalism of the people behind street papers.”