FUTURE HACKNEY

INTERVIEW

January 26, 2025

FUTURE HACKNEY

Photographic Activists and Community Advocates

Photography by Don Travis
and Wayne R Crichlow
Interview by Karen Ghostlaw Pomarico

Don Travis and Wayne R Crichlow are the visionary photographers and community advocates behind Future Hackney, a groundbreaking initiative that merges photographic activism with social engagement to amplify the voices of inner-city marginalized communities. Their collaborative approach redefines how photography can serve as both an art form and a tool for social justice, through authentic storytelling and community empowerment.

Don Travis, a London-born, self-taught photographer, brings a rich academic background in Culture and Society (BA) from Goldsmiths University and Audio-Visual Production (MA) from Guildhall University to her work. Her dedication to her community is intrinsic to her photography. It is an extended hand to the people that surround her. Don listens through the lens giving a clear voice to those she photographs.

“Through shaping our streets with art and storytelling, we enrich our neighbourhoods. I am interested in everyday people - photographs, oral histories, and reminiscences are the foundation of urban folklore. When I create a street portrait, I ask the person about their life and relay those photos and stories back to the community on the street as large scale galleries. With Future Hackney’s street exhibitions, I am reclaiming our neighbourhoods from dominant commercialism, as I believe that our own stories are more vibrant and meaningful.”

Wayne R Crichlow, an East London-born street and documentary photographer, uses his lens to craft powerful narratives that champion underrepresented communities and the right to protest. Born to West Indian parents, Wayne’s journey began with a simple bridge camera, sparking a passion for capturing everyday life and exploring photography as a tool for advocacy. His work blends honest storytelling with humanist perspectives. Through his distinct style, he amplifies voices, preserves moments, and highlights the transformative power of photography as a force for social change.

“Through my photography, I reveal the intricate connections between individuals and their environments, transforming candid street photography into a powerful medium for humanist storytelling. From chronicling the effects of social change in the impoverished townships of the Western Cape, South Africa, to amplifying the voices in the ongoing struggle for racial and social justice in the neighborhoods I live in, I passionately advocate for those whose stories deserve to be shared.”

Since 2018, Wayne and Don have collaborated creating “Future Hackney", co-authoring narratives and co-directing exhibitions that celebrate the rich cultural tapestry of Dalston’s Caribbean and diverse communities. Don and Wayne capture the intricate dynamics of neighborhoods often overlooked or misrepresented.

With an eye for street portraits and oral histories, Don transforms public spaces into platforms for storytelling. By weaving the personal and collective histories of her subjects into her photography, Don creates powerful visual archives that challenge stereotypes and highlight the strength and fortitude of these communities.

Whilst I was visiting London, I saw two exhibitions in the neighborhoods they support and represent: Hackney and Dalston. Both exhibits are on large walls that are exposed year-round and an intricate thread in the community. The photographs are there for everyone to witness, embrace and acknowledge as part of their vibrant diverse community. I had the privilege of personally meeting Don Travis, and we agreed that conducting an interview would be an insightful way to delve into and highlight the significance of their work, while amplifying the voices of these diverse communities to reach a broader audience.

Future Hackney believes that visual arts should be on the streets for everyone. They have found places to exhibit that have been donated to highlight the community they embrace.

IN CONVERSATION WITH DON TRAVIS AND WAYNE R CRICHLOW FROM FUTURE HACKNEY

The GILLETT SQUARE STORIES exhibition documents and celebrates the people of Gillett Square, one of Hackney's remaining working-class neighborhoods. Through photography and oral histories of the Caribbean and African communities Future Hackney presents a snapshot of the space. Highlighting this area as part of the fabric of East London, and its living legacy of protest and resistance.

As a participatory arts project, Future Hackney continues to support communities to share and archive their own histories. Don and Wayne combine both documentary and co-authorship to create a hybrid genre of photographic storytelling. Their exhibitions are inclusive, working at the intersections of photography and social engagement.

We ask Don and Wayne to expand on their extraordinary GILLETT SQUARE STORIES exhibition, and what it has meant to them and how it has affected the community.

THE PICTORIAL LIST: What inspired the focus on Gillett Square for this exhibition, and how does it reflect the broader cultural and historical significance of Hackney’s working-class neighborhoods?

FUTURE HACKNEY: Gillett Square was a traditionally working-class neighbourhood for the Caribbean and Irish communities in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Our exhibition includes some of those voices still present in the area, alongside some younger voices who continue to make the space innovative. It’s a creative and diverse space. All this against the background of social injustice.

TPL: How did you gather the oral histories and personal stories featured in the exhibition, and what role did community members play in shaping the narrative?

FUTURE HACKNEY: We co-create in the storytelling, writing the oral histories and reminisces with the locals and let them shape the direction of their history. What should be included and given emphasis. We work together to create an overall narrative and then more individual and personal stories. We met participants in the square itself and work on portable laptops and phones to document their lives. We have local community leaders who make intros with the more vulnerable and harder to reach.

TPL: Can you share more about the collaborative process between Future Hackney and the Gillett Square community? How did co-authorship influence the final presentation?

FUTURE HACKNEY: The participants in the exhibition are shown the exhibition as a whole and their part in that wider story. This creates cohesion and a sense of belonging with the area. They are aware of all the creative decision making and play a part in that. We give back to the participants using photographic prints and typed up stories, so that they are able to share those with their family and friends.

Tony: “My story goes from care home, to street, to prison. People get paid to foster and sadly many of them do it for the money. I never got hugs or much love, so I wasn’t ever sure what that kind of love actually was. I would like to raise awareness of the care system and how much neglect there is. Sometimes in life you don’t get to choose what you do, how you make a living or how you survive. If I had a choice I would have been a posh kid and lived the good life and gone to university and got something out of life, the right guidance, the right support and the right mentors. I’ve worked with JME, Boy Better Know, Skepta and Wiley. But in this right now, I’m just trying to do it by myself.” © Don Travis

A place for kids and those who like to shine. © Don Travis

Abigail Asante: “I blew up in music when I was 21 years old, with my music partner at the time. We were the first two females to pass three million views in drill music, so we made history and trended. Drill music originated in southside Chicago depicting the area’s challenging environment. I like to talk about issues that affect women including colourism and abuse.” © Don Travis

Back in the 1980s, Dalston was like a magnet for black and working-class communities with weekly shebeens and parties. Many of these people found refuge in the area at venues such as the Four Aces, Centerprise and Cubies. © Wayne R Crichlow

Clapper Priest: “I’m dead against stop and search: it’s counterproductive to the community. I’ve been stopped and searched around 60 times in my life. Certain ideologies that were created during colonialism were used to negate black people, who are still struggling with those labels.” © Wayne R Crichlow

Dillon: “I became addicted to heroin about two years ago and I am trying to get out of it. Addiction is about pain not drugs. People in Dalston look out for me and understand why I am going through this.” © Don Travis

Future Hackney aims to make art and photography inclusive, removing it from the traditional white box and on to the streets where it becomes part of the fabric of the city. © Wayne R Crichlow

Future Hackney are reinventing documentaries through continuous engagement and street workshops with young people and intergenerational groups. People are encouraged to share their stories and images in their own way. © Don Travis

Half Pint: “At the age of 11 I carried a handgun. A magnum, which my bredrins gave me to protect mum and the cousins. I never used it and never wanted to, but I was the one who had that responsibility, as Dad had left. Growing up in Waterhouse ghetto (in Kingston, Jamaica) was tough love, so at the age of 19 I arrived in a bitterly cold London and got my first job on Ridley Road (a market, near Gillett Square).” © Don Travis

Joshua: “I came to the UK a year ago from Montserrat, a small island in the Caribbean. I walk my friend’s dog Cabanna and get to chat to people in the square. I used to look after dogs back home so this gives me a sense of belonging.” © Don Travis

Keyo: “The first time I experienced racism was at Notting Hill carnival. It was 1977 and there was a lot of tension in the air. Something kicked off and the police grabbed me and pushed me up against a van. I could hear people shouting, “Let him go, he’s just a kid.” First one or two, then it sounded like 50 people. They backed off and I went my own way. This was my first understanding of the power of community.” © Wayne R Crichlow

Nicole Morgan: “Gillett Square has a complex past of black and working-class history, police brutality and structural racism. However, in recent years it has become a vibrant space with regular events and young voices.” © Don Travis

SBK: “I’m a local music artist who produces and writes all my own work. My music is a range of genres and I spit my own lyrics. Really it was grime music to begin with. Grime resonated with me because it embodied a lot of the anger and confusion that I was going through.” © Don Travis

Wayne: “Growing up locally we understood the relevance of Gillett Square as a place where stories can be told, shared, documented and preserved as part of London’s history.” © Wayne R Crichlow

These intergenerational stories include histories of personal struggle, such as mental health, the foster care system, gender norms, structural and institutional racism and sexism. © Wayne R. Crichlow

TPL: What steps were taken to ensure inclusivity and accessibility in the exhibition, and how does the project bring visual arts to the streets for everyone to engage with?

FUTURE HACKNEY: Our projects are inclusive and engage the communities we document. We include everyone. Our exhibitions are on the street and accessible to everyone, especially those members of the community who would not normally be seen in a traditional gallery. We engage with all people in the community including those with differences including those who are neuro divergent, non-binary, substance users and those with physical disabilities.

TPL: How does this exhibition highlight Gillett Square's living legacy of protest and resistance, particularly through the lens of Caribbean and African communities?

FUTURE HACKNEY: The area is historically a space of protest and resistance, going back to the riots and civil unrest. These communities have fought to keep the space their own. They challenge authority on a daily basis through their presence on the square. They use the space to socialise, play music, protect each other and eat and drink. This is sometimes viewed as anti-social behaviour, and they face heavy police presence and discrimination. However, these locals are considered the fabric of the community by other groups who also feel ostracised. There are events where these disparate groups then come together to fight for space.

TPL: What are some of the standout memories or reflections from participants, such as Clapper Priest, Marcia, or Leroy, that you feel capture the essence of Gillett Square’s cultural heritage?

FUTURE HACKNEY: Clapper Priest reflects on the freedom of the space and how the actual community has control of their own social events and history. Leroy reflects on the police abuse of the 1980s and the institutional racism of the time. Leroy talks about the buses not stopping for groups of young black men. This captures the racism of the time.

We co-create in the storytelling, writing the oral histories and reminisces with the locals and let them shape the direction of their history.

Don and Wayne expand on the diverse and inclusive THE STRIP exhibition, and how people have found a true sense of home and extended family here. They state it is “A visual love letter to our community.”

Future Hackney is celebrating Kingsland Road, known locally as ‘The Strip’. A magnet for music and movement, with anti-fascist roots, protests, marches and radical venues, Dalston has always been a lively counterculture. ‘The Strip’ creates a space for people who are often marginalized, to be seen and celebrated. Wayne and Don hope to inspire this incredible place they call home and welcome visitors to learn about Dalston and the beautiful everyday people that make up the community there. Future Hackney believes that storytelling is an essential component of community building. It asks that we value our own histories and the histories of our neighbors.

As a participatory arts initiative, Future Hackney remains dedicated to empowering communities to preserve and share their own stories. Don and Wayne blend documentary techniques with collaborative storytelling, forging a unique fusion of photographic narrative. Their exhibitions prioritize inclusivity, seamlessly merging photography with social engagement to create meaningful and accessible art.

TPL: What inspired the concept of ‘The Strip’ as a visual love letter to Kingsland Road, and how does it reflect the cultural and historical identity of Dalston?

FUTURE HACKNEY: Kingsland Road is locally known as ‘The Strip’. It is the epicentre of East London and has become a place for marginalised groups, young people, artists, The Queer community and everyone else. It reflects the neighbourhood from the older generation right through to those who have just moved in. It’s all about acceptance of difference. The demographic has changed, in that, it is now much more expensive to exist there. Urban regeneration has caused a disparity in the area.

TPL: How did the legacy of venues like The Four Aces and their fight for freedom influence the narrative and themes of this exhibition?

FUTURE HACKNEY: The Four Aces was the catalyst of the exhibition and project which was brought to life by the words of Newton Dunbar. Newton’s club welcomed everybody and started off as a place for the Windrush generation. It then opened up to welcome all and “break down barriers”.

TPL: In what ways does the exhibition address the anti-fascist roots, protest movements, and countercultural history of Kingsland Road?

FUTURE HACKNEY: The exhibition, through its flamboyant and diverse photographs, carries the torch of anti-fascist protest from the past. The Strip reflects the area as it is now, which is accepting and celebratory of difference.

Andy: “I'm originally from New York, I live with my pal Mr. Moustache cat just off ‘The Strip’. I am very grateful to call Dalston my new home.” © Wayne R Crichlow

Bad News: “In 1989 Hurricane Hugo mashed up the country. I never forget that. It was September 13th, and it came at one o’clock in the morning and stayed until midnight the next night. We got lashed from this hurricane. It flattened the island from one side to the other and there were no trees, no bush, no houses, just dust everywhere. Everyone thought Montserrat was finished. After the hurricane the animals, sheep, birds, people – everybody in the one house, everybody come back together. People had to bathe in the rivers, and it was like god brought everyone together. People left the country after that and went all over the world.” © by Wayne R Crichlow

Bobby: “Dalston Superstore is everything. It’s like our mecca. Superstore is the home and the anchor for anyone and especially me. Superstore is a place for people that don’t have a place in London.” © Don Travis

Claudette: “Dalston was the frontline in the 1980’s and what I mean by that is that it was the place you went to. It was where you found out what was going on. The frontline was a community together.” © Don Travis

Cynthia: “My story begins in the 1960’s with my dad Clive Gilbert, who would take us to Ridley Road in Dalston every Saturday, and it was an event. He was a tall man, who would walk very fast, and me and my three sisters, Jenifer, Audrey, and Thelma would march behind with our trolley.” © Wayne R Crichlow

Nadia: “It was such an honour to be asked to dance at the 15th birthday rave in Gillett Square in Dalston this summer. The sun was bursting out of the sky for most of the day. I felt an amazing sense of well-being, surrounded by friends and happy strangers, dancing to the stella dj line. Opening a queer space in Dalston 15 years ago is real trailblazer behaviour and I’m so proud Dalston Superstore is still going strong. It’s a space where you can be who you want to be.” © Don Travis

Newton Dunbar: “I ran my club, The Four Aces, opposite where you are standing. It was the centre of music and culture, and it made Dalston unique. We had to fight for those freedoms, to dance together, to never forget.” © Don Travis

Nino: “I’m from Turin, Italy, but I left thirteen years ago to break free. Turin…I knew everyone there - it felt too small, too predictable. I was chasing something bigger, a place where you can truly be yourself.” © Don Travis

NTS revellers: “The parties in Dalston by NTS Radio and Dalston Superstore are testament to Dalston’s continued notoriety as a place to dance and come together. Living in Dalston is a vibe, fam.” © Wayne R Crichlow

Shaun: “I am a Ridley Road local and I have seen the changes in Dalston over the last few years. The rich people do not always see us and we feel invisible sometimes. We still have a strong history in the area and this project by Future Hackney shares that heritage with everyone directly on the street.” © Wayne R Crichlow

The Mighty Ruler: “The Mighty Ruler sound system crafted by the late “Count Rob” was an integral part of Dalston’s history and breaking down barriers in the 1960’s and 70’s. We are a group of around ten friends, primarily, we come from a few different sound systems, but we’ve been working together for a long time.” © Wayne R Crichlow

Tom: “Dalston is an inspiring place with energy and rawness and is a massive part of my life. It’s a place that makes me feel excited. I first started coming here in 2008 to go to underground basement clubs along the Strip, Kingsland Height Road.” © Don Travis

TPL: How did Future Hackney engage with local residents and communities to co-author and document the stories featured in ‘The Strip’?

FUTURE HACKNEY: We use the same method with all our projects including and co-creating with Londoners.

TPL: What role does the concept of inclusivity play in this project, and how does the exhibition create a space for marginalized voices to be celebrated?

FUTURE HACKNEY: Through showing these communities on our streets, we are expressing a quote we hear from many young people: “You can’t be what you don't see”. So, by visualising these newly identifying young people we empower them through our art and advocacy.

TPL: How do you hope this exhibition will impact both residents and visitors, and what message do you want them to take away about Dalston's unique character and history?

FUTURE HACKNEY: With the changing demographics and new people arriving in Dalston, we were conscious of showing the history of the space. All the people who made Dalston cool and fought for the right to socialise and be political - the right to be who you want to be. This legacy has now been embraced and adopted by the next generation of Dalstonites.

For over eight years, Don and Wayne have collaborated through Future Hackney, using their photographic activism to bring marginalized stories to the forefront. Supported by prestigious organizations such as The National Heritage Lottery Fund, Autograph Gallery, and The Museum of London, Future Hackney’s projects have revitalized urban spaces and fostered social cohesion. Through workshops, galleries, and street exhibitions, they’ve transformed photography into a communal activity, empowering residents to see their lives reflected in art that celebrates their humanity.

At the heart of Future Hackney’s mission is a commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of inner-city neighborhoods while addressing the challenges posed by gentrification and commercialization. Don and Wayne’s work captures the essence of these communities, creating visual narratives that honor their histories, struggles, and aspirations. Their photography serves as a dynamic form of activism, ensuring that the stories of urban life remain rooted in the voices of the people who live them.

The Pictorial List thanks Don and Wayne, Future Hackney, for enlightening our readers with their candid and informative interview. We also would like to thank them for their activism and advocacy helping to make this world a better place to live in. Loving thy neighbor could not be better expressed.

Exhibition Locations:

Gillette Square Stories - British Red Cross donated wall, Dalston Lane, Hackney E8 1NG
The Strip - The Strip runs from 9 October 2024 until August 2025 at the entrance to the Curve Garden on Dalston Lane, Hackney E8 3DF

These projects have been funded and supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Hackney Council

Follow their links to learn more about them and their incredible work!

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