About

Future Hackney is a social profit organisation, using photography, oral histories, and street galleries to engage, document and preserve the stories of East London’s neighbourhoods. 


Street-Level Storytelling

We specialise in co-producing visual and audio narratives that explore local heritage, social history, nightlife, protest, culture, personal stories and everyday inner-city life. Our work transforms the streets into galleries and lived experience into art. 

We work directly with neighbourhoods to co-author stories through photography workshops, oral history sessions, memory clubs and street meets. These collaborative projects provide platforms for individuals to share their histories, contribute to a growing visual archive, and shape how inner-city London is represented and remembered. We support participants to gain creative skills, develop confidence, and take ownership of their neighbourhood story. Our photographs and stories are safeguarded by larger heritage organisations for future generations. We facilitate young people and intergenerational groups in our workshops and education programmes. Please see our community page for info. 

Cultural and heritage partners include - Hackney Museum and Archives, The Museum of Youth Culture, Autograph Gallery, Westminster University, East London Photography Archives, The National Trust (Sutton House), Hackney Council’s Culture Team, The Old Fire Station and the Mayor of London’s ‘London unseen’. 

Future Hackney’s images and stories are co-created within the neighbourhoods we work with alongside visual artists and community and educational practitioners including Don Travis Wayne Crichlow Neil Martinson Connie Swift Bart Janssen

Future Hackney is produced in association with Innercity Films.

We are and have been funded and supported by a range of organisations including The National Lottery Heritage Fund The Community Fund Awards For All The Weavers Company Create London Freelands Foundation East End Community Foundation Museum of London Autograph Gallery Hackney Council Near Neighbours City Bridge Trust Uk Youth The Red Cross SYP Trust Hackney Museum Hackney Parochial Charity City of London and Foundation for Future London