About

Future Hackney is a social profit organisation, using visual arts, photography, oral history, and co-creation to document and preserve the stories of communities in Dalston and across East London. We specialise in producing inclusive visual narratives that explore local heritage, social history, nightlife, protest, and everyday street life. Our work transforms the streets into galleries and lived experience into art—through images, exhibitions, archives, events and publications that reflect the voices, stories, and spirit of local people."

We work directly with communities to co-author stories through memory clubs, photography workshops, oral history sessions, and public exhibitions. These collaborative projects provide platforms for individuals to share their histories, contribute to a growing visual archive, and shape how innercity London is represented and remembered.

Our large-format street galleries and free exhibitions bring these stories into public spaces—transforming streets, and indoor venues into places of dialogue and visibility. We support participants to gain creative skills, develop confidence, and take ownership of their neighbourhood narratives.

Street-Level Storytelling

The Strip: A Love Letter to Our Neighbourhood  A visual tribute to Dalston’s iconic Kingsland Road in Dalston  Dalston Lane Street Gallery (opposite Hackney Peace Carnival Mural)  9 October 2024 – August 2025

BSMT Space (Indoor Gallery) 529 Kingsland Rd, London E8 4AR  19 October 2024 – 29 October 2024

Featuring photography, oral histories, and stories from Kingsland Road, this multi-site exhibition shared the cultural roots of Dalston, highlighting its black history, radical spaces, and changing identity. The exhibition opened with a private view for the local community, contributors and a live takeover by The Mighty Ruler Sound System, followed by two weeks of free public access. We welcomed over 500 people to see the co-created work @BSMT and held talks and workshops over the two weeks.

Gillett Square Stories  A celebration of one of Hackney’s most iconic and radical public spaces Red Cross Building, Gillett Square, Dalston 🗓 January 2023 – June 2025

This powerful long-running exhibition explores the history, culture, and community of Gillett Square through striking portraiture, street photography, and audio stories. Created with local residents, artists, and grassroots groups, it captured the square’s spirit as a vital space for resistance, creativity, and care — from its jazz roots to its present-day role as a refuge and cultural hub.

Installed outside the Red Cross building in Dalston, over the last18 months, hundreds of visitors have experienced the work, alongside talks, screenings, and community events that have brought the square’s past and future into dialogue.

Who We Work With

We co-partner with a network of creative and heritage organisations, youth groups, and local spaces. Current, past and future collaborations include: Bootstrap, BSMT Space, Rise 365, Young Hackney, Mediorite, Hackney Circle, Sistah Space, Kaffa Coffee, Queertopia, Ridley Road Market traders, Dalston Superstore, the British Red Cross Dalston, St Jude’s food programme, Zoom Bike Project and Dalston Roundtable.

We also work with cultural and heritage partners such as Hackney Museum, the Museum of Youth Culture, Autograph Gallery, Westminster University, East London Photography Archives, The National Trust (Sutton House), Hackney Council’s Culture Team, and Hackney CVS—while continuing to grow new partnerships with organisations like the Museum of London, Black Cultural Archives, and London Metropolitan Archives across East London’s heritage and youth sectors.

We are currently researching iconic Dalston spaces that shaped the area’s legacy: The Four Aces Club (1966–1997) – a key space for London’s Caribbean community; Obalende Suya (1990s) – African restaurant and live music hub; Passion, Blushes and Visions – 80s/90s nightspots for working-class and Black communities; Passing Clouds (2006–2016) – activist-led community venue; Vogue Fabrics and Dalston Superstore – DIY queer club spaces; The Shacklewell Arms, Vortex Jazz Club, Dalston Jazz Bar – venues hosting live music, Black and queer-led nights; The Divine – a new queer performance space; The Rio Cinema – independent cinema with a focus on political and queer film.

Future Hackney www.futurehackney.com @futurehackney

Future Hackney - Visual Storytelling and Art direction by: Don Travis & Wayne Crichlow.

Invited artists - Neil Martinson, Bart Janssen and Connie Swift.

Future Hackney is produced in association with Innercity Films. We partner with other creative organisations, individual artists, freelance professionals and local volunteers.

We are funded and supported by a range of organisations including Heritage Lottery 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 and Hackney Parochial Charity City of London