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Homeless charity Crisis has commissioned a giant statue that was unveiled outside King’s Cross Station, London by The Crown star Imelda Staunton.
The homeless charity is hoping to raise awareness for the 300,000 families who could be pushed into homelessness and temporary housing in the coming year. This is due to the cost of living crisis currently affecting thousands of people.
The important issue has been personified by the statue named ‘Alex’ was created by special effects prosthetics expert, Sophie de Oliveira Barata. Sophie used the features of 17 homeless people to create the figure using face mapping technology. The giant statue reaches a height of 4.3 metres, imposing in its nature to ensure it can’t be ignored.
The hyper-real sculpture is surrounded by QR codes allowing passersby to find out more via the Crisis website. The hope is that this will also encourage donations to the homeless charity. The statue will be situated in King’s Cross before being transported to Birmingham.
Matt Downie, chief executive of Crisis, said: “We can’t ignore the mounting pressure that is building on low-income households as they struggle under the weight of price rises they cannot afford. I am proud today to stand shoulder to shoulder with Imelda Staunton and fellow Crisis clients as we unveil this beautifully lifelike giant sculpture.”
Crisis has also created this video as part of the campaign:
Staunton who is an ambassador for the homeless charity said: “The intention of this incredibly lifelike sculpture is simple: homelessness cannot be ignored any longer. The cost of living crisis and rising rents are exacerbating an incredibly difficult situation and Crisis’ research highlights as many as 300,000 households could be homeless next year, a shocking scenario. As a nation we need to do better and this Christmas, we can all be part of that change. This installation stands as a rallying cry, we cannot sit idly by and watch the situation worsen.”
