Northbank Walking Tours - Clean Air Routes

I was commissioned to create a number of bespoke wanderings in the Northbank area that connected hidden gems and shared stories on themes including Theatreland, River, Green Spaces and Heritage. The aim of the walks were to encourage those who worked and lived in the area to reduce their exposure to poor air quality by using cleaner air routes, to provide networking opportunities and to enable people to get to know the area better. Each walker was given a free cleaner air route map of the area. These tours were commissioned by Groundwork London, who are working in conjunction with the Northbank bid & the City of Westminster, and alongside local businesses to broadly improve air quality.

Town Hall Hotel Photo Competition

I devised and organised a photo-competition for the Town Hall Hotel alongside the London Only instagram collective. The aim of the competition was to open up the hotel to the public, to share the building’s rich history and aesthetic beauty and to engage with the photography communities of Instagram in order to increase publicity of the hotel that was formerly a Town Hall and an iconic location for a variety of films and TV series’. The competition was listed in the Londonist and attracted much interest.

Settling In - Film

During the Spring of 2014, Groundwork London created an Oral History Project called 'Women in Migration', working with women who have migrated to the UK within the last 10 years. The project focused on the importance of song and traditional craft skills for women in the work place or at home. 13 women from Greenwich & Bexley, generously gave up their time to tell us their stories of song and craft from their home countries. The women then gathered together to share their knowledge with each other through song and craft workshops. I filmed and co-edited Settling In which chronicles the project Click here to watch.

Kings College - Stories and Spaces Wandering

I was commissioned by King College English Language Centre to create bespoke wandering that would connect the Guys Campus to the Strand Campus sharing stories of Alumni and offering new students the opportunity to get to know the local area and to make new friends.

Cricklewood Memory Tours

I was commissioned by Ashford Place to create and lead memory tours exploring the stories and shared heritage of Irish and Pakistani elders who lived and worked in Cricklewood. As part of the project, I conducted independent research, interviewed members of the two communities, attended events celebrating St Patrick’s Day and Pakistan Independence Day, connected with local leaders and carried out in depth recces of the various hidden gems in the area. The tours included visits to many spaces which are usually closed to the public included Cricklewood Bus Garage, the Pakistan Community Centre and the Central Mosque of Brent. Click here to listen to the audio tour.

Ace Hotel, Wandering Tours and Workshops

I was commissioned by Ace Hotel to create bespoke Hoxton and Shoreditch Wanderings sharing hidden East London gems and wondrous stories of people and place with the tourists, travellers and locals. The wanderings ended back at Ace Hotel where people were given an opportunity to create their own unique walking tour of an area they felt a connection with through interactive and fun workshops. The wanderings and workshops enabled individuals to connect with each other, to share stories and insights.

River Wandle: Flowing through Time - Book

I was commissioned to design and edit a book chronicling an Oral History project about the River Wandle by Groundwork London in partnership with the Living Wandle Partnership Scheme, supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund. Over the course of a year, stories were shared by different people across the community who shared a connection with the river; school children, elders, artists, writers, wanderers and the curious. This book is a collection of some of the most interesting stories we came by. Click here to have a read of the book and to find out more about the project.

Writing

I love writing about London communities and places. In the past, I’ve written for Huck Magazine, the Newstatesman, Time Out, Ace and Untapped Cities. Click here to have a read of an article I wrote about my journey towards becoming a renegade guide.

Wanderings for English Language Students

I’ve devised and delivered bespoke walks for Wimbledon School of English including an enchanted Chelsea photo-walk and hidden London wanderings for English language students sharing the iconic sights of London as well as lesser known hidden gems. I have a wealth of experience in engaging with students from a wide variety of backgrounds. I have led group visits and excursions to cities outside of London including Cambridge, Oxford and Brighton. I was responsible for delivering a two week long programme of excursions, events and activities tailored specifically towards the interests of 3 extraordinary young individuals living in the Georgian mountains (sponsored by the National Bank of Georgia).

Citizens of London

I have partnered with citizenM Hotels to organise and host a series of ‘Citizens of London’ talks whereby inspiring Londoners are offered a platform to talk about the incredible work they’re involved in and to share stories of the communities and places that make London what it is. The talks also give people an opportunity to visit a citizenM Hotel and increase local exposure to the brand. Past speakers include community organisers, photographers, magazine editors and broadcasters.

Photography

I’m a very versatile photographer - over the years I have photographed hundreds of community events, hidden London gems and people. I’ve also been commissioned to undertake specific photography projects by clients including Huck Magazine, Untapped Cities and University of the Arts London. I’ve also completed photo diaries in cities including Sydney, Lahore, Hanoi and Busan. I love capturing spaces and moments that are often overlooked or go unnoticed. To have a look at my personal collection of photographs click here. To have a look at examples of the community events I have photographed, click here.

Dawn Walk & Creative Writing with Write and Shine

I’ve collaborated with Gemma Seltzer of Write and Shine to deliver unique dawn wanderings connecting hidden gems in areas including Chelsea and Waterloo. The walks have given writers an opportunity to explore, seek inspiration, discover new gems and scribe stories with writing prompts provided by Gemma.