When photographer Anthony Dawton realised how dramatically homelessness had increased in London, he took to the streets with his  camera…

For years Anthony Dawton has taken photographs in areas of need worldwide, but after spending some time in his home city, he noticed how many people were living on its streets. He embarked on a new project to raise awareness: NOTLondon.

Anthony Dawton photographs his subjects with a beauty and dignity that many of them are often denied. His portraits capture the strength and power of humanity as well as its vulnerability.  By accompanying the image with the person’s name and their story, Anthony gives voice to the voiceless and attempts to offer the homeless a place, a home on the page. We learn how helpless the realities of many are. Governmental institutions turn a blind eye to the homeless, leaving the work up to charities. Homeless shelters are rife with substance abuse, making them a dangerous place for those trying to overcome addiction. Homelessness becomes a vicious cycle and many find it difficult to break free. Since the start of the pandemic, over 130,000 households in the UK have been made homeless.

Dawton’s photographs are mesmerising and haunting, and as we stare into the eyes of their subjects, we’re faced with reality:  this is a problem that’s getting worse and needs urgent attention. NOTLondon is a riling campaign to help the city’s most vulnerable and to address the fact that, despite its wealth, the city is not providing for those most in need. NOTLondon represents the substrata of the city of London; the city below the unoccupied skyscraper offices and luxury lifestyle apartments. Anthony Dawton asks us to open our eyes and change our attitudes.
 
NOTLondon includes an introduction by Leilani Fahra, former UN special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing and  the Global Director of The Shift. Having dedicated her life’s work to changing attitudes to homelessness and attacking the governmental systems and structures which perpetrate homelessness, she shares her thoughts in NOTLondon, highlighting the importance of Dawton’s project.