SE1 Stories Exhibition Design

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After a trove of 1970’s community action photographs were discovered in 2019 in the council archives of Southwark and Lambeth, the SE1 Stories Group set out to curate and recount this extraordinary period of activism in Blackfriars, Waterloo and North Southwark.

 

Jack Carter Architects' brief was to help the group curate a portable and adaptable, gallery exhibition, celebrating this community activism. The exhibition needed to be demountable and able to be moved between several different locations. Freestanding timber frames echo the architectural geometry found in the facades of key community buildings occupied during this period. JCA provided the graphic design for the exhibition panels, which were inspired by the cut and paste approach of the original SE1 community newspaper.

 

For SE1 residents during the 1970s and 1980s, this period was a time of survival as businesses were forced to move out and the land was earmarked for office development, leaving communities isolated. Many of the photos discovered in these archives were taken by those involved in the SE1 Community Newspaper and the Blackfriars Photography project. Images portray how campaigns, protests and direct action were pivotal in engaging with local authorities and developers to recognise the needs and demands of local communities.

 

Initially displayed at Blackfriars Settlement, the exhibition is touring around the London Borough of Southwark. The exhibition’s pragmatic and adaptable framework, allow the exhibition to uniquely adapt to each location. Despite the limited budget, the project has achieved a significant public impact and has sparked renewed community interest in questioning our build environment.

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Link to exhibition website:

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Client:        SE1 Stories / Southwark Council
Location:   SE1, London
Status:       Completed
Team:        Designer: JCA

                  Printing: OMNI

                  Exhibition Fabrication: Unit 22

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