Frequently Asked Questions

What is so unique about Café Art?

Café Art is a social enterprise run by MYWORLD Creative Projects, a charity. We welcome anyone who has been homeless, or is currently homeless, with a goal of helping them exhibit and hopefully earn money from their art.

So which homeless organisations do you work with?

Please see our Partners page. We welcome more organisations to join us - so please feel free to contact us here if you wish to participate with other charities in celebrating your clients' talents and creativities in this unique and positive way!

How we are funded

Café Art was started by unpaid volunteers. The initial purchase of frames, website design/development & hosting etc was paid for through small, private donations from friends & families.

From November 2013 until June 2024 we were registered as a Community Interest Company (CIC). CICs are companies limited by guarantee, but they are asset-locked. From 2017 we began applying for grants to fund some of our projects. However as a social enterprise the majority of our income came from the sale of the MyLondon calendar after we have paid the main costs: the printing of the calendar, framing of the exhibition and paying the photographers and calendar vendors. Photographers and calendar vendors affected by homelessness have earned more than £300,000 since we started this project.

In 2023 we started the MYWORLD Creative Projects Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) and in July 2024 MYWORLD took over the day-to-day running of Cafe Art.

How often do you change the rental artworks?

It is up to the organisations, however the usual rental period is 12 months.

So who are the main benefactors of this project?

Everyone! The artists and photographers gain self-confidence, pride and fulfilment from having their artworks sold and exhibited and enjoyed by a wider audience. The project further helps to disseminate the problems and issues of homelessness for the charities.

FAQ about MyLondon

How are the MyLondon participants selected for this project/competition?

Anyone who has experienced sleeping rough qualifies for a free QuickSnap camera at the annual MyLondon Photo Project handout, with the exception of people who have already appeared in more then two of the annual MyLondon calendars. The criteria has had to be changed from any vulnerable person who is in danger of homelessness so that we can focus more on the issue of rough sleeping, although many of the participants have already been rehoused.

When and where will the cameras be handed out to participants?

The cameras are one-time-use ("disposable") Fujifilm Quicksnap cameras (400ASA) handed out annually to 100 participants at St Paul's Cathedral every summer. They have seven days to capture photos of London.

The camera, a Fujifilm Quicksnap, comes with a built-in flash. The range of the flash is usually up to 3 metres. There are 27 exposures on the film.

What training in the use of the camera, if any, is provided to participants?

We visit art groups run by homelessness sector organisations in the weeks leading up to the camera handout and give basic training in how to use the camera. On the day of the camera handout we also give some training to the participants.

Are participants given copies of prints of the photos taken with their camera?

Because of Covid-19, most of our activities were cancelled in 2020. Normally participants are given a set of colour and a set of black and white photos. They can pick them up from the Crypt of St Paul's Cathedral on the day we choose five photos each for the exhibition.

Will the developed negatives be returned to the participants?

The participants are offered the negatives but if they don't want them we will store them in a locked storeroom. Participants can ask for their negatives back at any time.

Who owns the copyright of the photos submitted by the participants?

Copyright of the photos and images is owned by the participants. However if an image is already published or a copy of it sold it can't be taken off that publication (for example the annual MyLondon calendar).

How is the income from the sale of the photos distributed between the photographer and Cafe Art?

When the certificates are handed out £2,000 in prize money is shared between the 20 winning photographers. If photos are sold on the website, the photographer earns 50% of the profit after the printing and postage costs are taken out (£10 per photo sold).

How is the income from the sale of the calendars distributed between the photographers and Café Art?

The calendar is sold on the same basis as The Big Issue magazine, with those selling the calendar earning money from calendars sold. If they work in the market on an official MyLondon table they can earn 50% of the price of each calendar sold. Some of the vendors who are involved with this project are the photographers, but not all photographers choose to sell. Likewise, some people who sell are not winning photographers.

Where, when and how will the selected photos be displayed ?

Everyone who participates in the project can choose three photos to be exhibited in the exhibition which will be hung in Spitalfields Arts Market or somewhere outdoors in the last half of 2021. Twenty photos will be chosen by the judges, featuring representatives from Fujifilm, The Royal Photographic Society, Homeless Link, Amateur Photographer and a formerly homeless photographer. All previous top 20 selections are on this website.

When, where and how will the calendar be sold?

The 2025 calendars, greeting cards and photographs are being be pre-sold on our website from August. The vendors will be selling in Spitalfields Market and in Elizabeth line stations from October on.

Is there a written contract between the participants and Café Art setting out the terms and conditions of the project/competition - including items like prize money, ownership of the camera, ownership of the developed film negative and prints, ownership of the photo copyright, rights to income from the sale of the photos and the calendar, etc.?

Yes, there is a detailed release form that the participants sign when they pick up the camera.

Lastly, help spread the talents of these artists and the work of Café Art by sending an email to your friend(s) here.

Lastly, if you wish to copy, replicate or reproduce any of the artworks and/or photographs shown either at the cafes, online or in any of the publicity materials, please respect the copyright of the artists by asking permission from us first and we shall pass your request to the relevant artist or photographer for permission.