Blue Mountains hip hop artist Julz Larsen and videographer/photographer Pat Bowden have teamed up to raise funds for StreetSmart Australia, a charity that tackles homelessness.
Better known as El’ Jistos, Larsen – who grew up in Wentworth Falls but is now based in Marrickville – has recorded a song called Everyday People for the charity project. The song’s music video by Katoomba resident Bowden features the faces and stories of people living on the streets of Sydney.
“This song is not so much about homeless people or homelessness as it is about addressing people's attitudes towards homelessness and the way it is viewed in our culture,” said Larsen.
“As someone who in his teenage years used to make an effort to talk to strangers, I have experienced that there is a lack of empathy for homeless people and believe that attitudes can change. That is my reason for writing this song.”
There are 105,237 people homeless in Australia, according to a 2016 study by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. This means that, on any night, around one in 200 Australians are homeless.
The people featured in the music video were filmed with their permission.
Larsen and Bowden plan to release the video for Everyday People when they reach the campaign’s target of $2500. People interested in donating can find visit the Facebook page or the fundraising page.