Beg Boards in Johannesburg is my Art Academy graduation project which I conceptualized and completed in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2001. I'm responsible for the concept, design, copy and photography of the complete project. When I first came to Joburg, it struck me that there were so many beggars. You can find them on virtually every main intersection. They all have the same "beg boards" that all look the same and even the messages on them are often the same. Most of them have messages or outcries written on them such as "No food, no job, no family. Please help. God Bless".
Because there are so many of those similar looking beg boards, they just don't stand out anymore and people have become immune to them. Its like trying to point out a bike in the Netherlands. My goal with this project was to see if I could make a difference (at least a small one) by using my conceptual and design skills. I wanted to design new Beg Boards for them and hand them out for free. My 3 objectives were: 1. To let them make more money (that's what's most important to them). 2. To have the public start a conversation with them. 3. To make them visible on the streets again.
I started the project by interviewing 35 beggars and while slowly gaining their trust I asked them questions like: What's your name? What's your age?, Where were you born? What languages do you speak? Do you have family? Do you always operate on the same spot? How long do you stand on the intersection every day? How much money do you make in a day? Where do you live? etc. After collecting all the info I got to work and conceptualized and designed new beg boards for 10 of them.
Some were custom made to their specific needs or location, others were more generic. I used humor, nifty copywriting, graphic design, confronting images, quotes and other tools. Anything to attract some attention from the beggar savvy Joburg people. I also asked the beggars if they had specific wishes for their new boards. Interesting things and requests came out such as; they have to be rain proof, light, no sharp cords, colorful, etc.
I handed out their new beg boards and came back after a week and a half to interview them again to find out if the beg boards had actually made a difference. I was pleased to find out that in all cases the beggars had earned more money, started to have conversations with the public and... they were actually noticed again.
Back in the Netherlands I documented the whole project in a visual essay and a newspaper that I wanted to give away for free. I found a willing printer in Mart Spruijt printers in Amsterdam that sponsored the paper and so I was able to hand out the newspapers for free. Many thanks to them!
I completed the entire graduation project while living in Johannesburg for half a year. I graduated with honors from the Art Academy that year. After my graduation I also won the Academy's most prestigious award, the Piet Bakker Award, which gets awarded to the person who's work is most provocative, innovative, ground breaking and self initiating. After winning the award, a flood of press interest came upon me. The project and myself were published in numerous acclaimed National and International newspapers and magazines and i even made appearances in some of the most respected Radio and TV shows. I was also invited to participate in multiple other art exhibitions.
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