Switchback x D*Face: Change, it’s in your hands

30/09/2019

You may have spotted the new art installation on the Allen & Overy windows here at Spitalfields… it’s an artistic campaign collaboration between local charity Switchback and contemporary artist, D*Face representing the charity’s unending strive for change, possibility and second chances for young prison-leavers returning to the capital.

The slogan for Switchback’s latest campaign declares: ‘Change. It’s in your hands.’, a double play on monetary and societal change. Visitors are able to donate to Switchback using contactless payment technology within the poster.

Switchback is a charity that operates a highly successful, intensive rehabilitation programme, helping young adult prison-leavers, known as ‘Trainees’, to make real, long-lasting changes after their release from prison. Switchback’s vision is for everyone to have the opportunity to live a stable and fulfilling life as an active member of the community. They make it their mission to change the way offenders think about and participate in society, enabling them to lead stable, rewarding lives after serving a prison sentence.

Known by his alias, D*Face, contemporary artist and Londoner Dean Stockton found fame through his graphic, urban street-art and posters, and their satirical subjects. In support of the campaign, D*Face donated his image for this work and has pledged to offer a placement within his own studio to a Switchback Trainee.

Many local restaurants in the Spitalfields area, including Som Saa, Lyle’s and Oklava, have chosen to support Switchback’s campaign through an optional £1 addition to diners’ bills initiative, to continue the small but powerful chain of fundraising. Switchback are asking other local businesses to get in touch to do the same.

“It’s real for me, and it’s real for the community I grew up in. Change only happens if we make it.” – D*Face

“We’re a small charity with a big ambition to fundamentally change how we, as a society, help prison-leavers who often return to London with nothing and face multiple barriers to success. Change truly is in all our hands.” – Alice Dawnay, Founder & CEO of Switchback

Head to Bishops Square to see the installation and donate until late October.

Photo Credit: Keko London