Community / Youth

Community / Youth

Working at the intersections of community engagement and photography we co-author with the people we document, creating opportunities for those involved. 

Through education, workshops and street engagement, we facilitate youth, and intergenerational groups to document and archive their own stories. Participants are given hands on training in heritage, oral histories and documentary photography. The activities foster community cohesion, teach hands on skills in media and technology and create neighbourhood pride and connections. 

We have links with frontline, arts and youth organisations across London. We are known for ‘creating dialogues’ between organisations and creating positive alliances. 

In 2024 we are collaborated with Hackney Museum, Museum of Youth Culture, The National Trust and Sutton House to create skills, workshops and exhibitions with young people. If you would like to access any of these workshops, contact  donnatravis@futurehackney.com.

In 2024 we ran a youth events with Sutton House and Museum of Youth Culture called ‘Generation Hackney’. A series of activities collecting and sharing stories and photographs about growing up in Hackney. The night included our photography exhibition and stories alongside, workshops, DJ’s pop-up studios and heritage discussions and workshops. Young people learnt about photography, local history and heritage and shared their own histories. 

In 2024 we collaborated with Hackney Museum as part of their exhibition ‘At Home in Hackney’ showcasing a range of local photographers. We held workshops and facilitated young people around storytelling, heritage and photography. We guide young people to develop their talents and careers through industry advice and opportunities. Connie Swift @connieswift featured is a talented photographer “I photograph young women in intimate spaces like nightclubs and bedrooms. My main body of personal work aims to photograph women in a true, authentic way that battles the world of ‘perfection’ pushed by social media and influencers. Connie will also be employed and paid to work with us as part of our up-and-coming exhibitions in 2024 with her focus on women and nightlife on the ‘Dalston strip’. We felt that Connie would bring something unique to the project as a young storyteller documenting the nightlife of Dalston in Hackney. 

We work with academic organisations, Universities and colleges to highlight and expand new audiences for heritage and documentary work we produce. We produced an online chat and discussion about the project and its importance to London’s heritage with London Unseen as part of The Mayor of London’s diversity in the Public Realm.  

We have worked with The Bronx Documentary Centre in New York to learn how they set up their centre and educational and documentary programmes. In 2024 we will be visiting New York and working with Abron Arts Centre and Henry Street Settlement looking at community engagement and the visual arts.