Documentary, Co-Authorship and Visual Storytelling in the Public Realm

This talk by Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow will focus on the history, projects and collaborations of Future Hackney and will be of great interest to all those working in the fields of community engagement, visual storytelling, documentary and the shifting nature of London's community spaces. 

Future Hackney's Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow have been documenting the Caribbean and African communities in Dalston for the last three years. Future Hackney’s primary focus is on social issues and change within the London Borough of Hackney. Working alongside residents we are currently documenting Ridley Road and Gillett Square in Dalston. These spaces encapsulate East London’s rich diversity, activism and post-colonial history, now a rapidly changing demographic as creeping real estate moves in.

Join us to learn more about the work of Don and Wayne and to learn more about this pocket of East London's community. 

This talk has been made free to the public thanks to funding from the Mayor of London's Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm. 

About Future Hackney

Future Hackney documents social change in East London. Working at the intersections of social engagement and photography we co-author with communities, creating living archives. 

We are a grass roots led initiative who use digital mediums to tell stories through street and documentary photography, oral histories and current issues. We create community dialogues, street exhibitions, living archives, online platforms, social media, print and press.

Our projects are co-authored and inclusive, working with and alongside the community, creating local opportunities. We facilitate intergenerational groups in communication skills and digital media, giving bursaries to those who co-author with us. We facilitate young people and residents in our skill-based workshops and creative engagement, whilst promoting 'young talent' through @futurehackney

Ridley Road Stories is a public archive of Hackney’s African and Caribbean communities on Ridley Road E8. An ongoing photographic Story of the Dalston street, now exhibited as two exterior exhibitions. One at The Red Cross Building Dalston Lane E8 1NG the second one at Hackney Central Bridge Mare Street E8 1HY.

Hackney Archives

“There is currently little in the archives that documents Ridley Road from the perspective of people of African and African Caribbean heritage, and we recognise the importance of documenting these images and narratives, especially during this time of significant change. The portraits and oral histories created in the course of this project will be valuable additions to our collections, supporting our strategic aim of ensuring that everyone is able to share and explore Hackney’s rich past. Their value is enhanced by Future Hackney's commitment to working closely with participants in Ridley Road, building equitable relationships with them, and sharing their stories in their own words”.

Future Hackney is produced by Don Travis and Wayne Crichlow in association with Innercity Films. We work with the communities we document alongside freelance professionals and local volunteers.

This event has been made possible by funding from the Mayor of London's Commission for Diversity in the Public Realm.