Communities in East London

We co-create with intergenerational groups through workshops, street meets, coffee mornings and memory clubs. Our training in oral history, photography, social media, community events and street gallery production gives people real skills, confidence and the tools to share their own stories.

Our projects facilitate residents in media skills, heritage knowledge and community connections, whilst referring them to our partner frontline organisations when extra support is needed. We support young people into employment and education and work with older youth (18+) one-to-one, to assist them with higher education and creative development . Our projects celebrate East London, strengthen neighbourhood pride, offer lasting relationships and safeguard inner-city images and narratives. 

Volunteers are local people. They learn digital and analogue media, community engagement and storytelling. We work with residents who know their neighbourhoods best.

At the heart of our work is deep, ongoing community engagement. Whether through structured learning or informal meet-ups in cafés, barber shops or trusted local venues, we meet people where they are. Every project reflects neighbourhood voices and lived experience.

We share real peoples stories and histories through free public exhibitions and street galleries across East London. Large-format portraits and community histories turn spaces usually reserved for ads, into platforms for local pride. These exhibitions create real visibility and long term connection.

By working with residents to document their neighbourhoods, we are building a living archives that show the depth and diversity of East London life. These archives let people decide how their city, London, is remembered, now and for future generations.

Behind this work lies a deeper context. East London has sharp inequalities and remains one of the most deprived areas in the UK. Long-standing residents, particularly from black, working-class, queer and migrant communities, continue to face rising rents, disappearing services, and underrepresentation in the arts and local decision-making. Many are left without access to creative spaces or the opportunity to shape decisions about their neighbourhoods. Through co-creation and community engagement, we shape the story of neighbourhoods with inner-city Londoners. 

We collaborate with a wide network of organisations to ensure our work is grounded in local knowledge and support such as - Rise 365, The Red Cross, Sistah Space, Young Hackney, Mediorite, Mouth That Roars, The Old Fire Station and many other groups across East London. 

The stories and images produced are preserved and safeguarded by a range of cultural and heritage partners such as Hackney Museum, The Museum of Youth Culture, The National Trust (Sutton House), Hackney Council’s Culture Team, Hackney CVS, Autograph Gallery, East London Photographers Archive and many others.