We The People

In a time of political, social and economic uncertainty, in many ways society never seemed so fractured. At the same time, we know our beloved neighbourhood of Brixton, South London, to be one that is resilient, collaborative, creative, generous and unconventional.

‘We The People’ is a participatory documentary structured around 6 intergenerational conversations between younger and older Brixton residents, exploring what activism means to them on a deeply personal level. They take us on a journey down Railton Road through the legacy of Brixton’s radical history: from the well documented Brixton Uprising to the lesser known histories of queer activism and squatting. They also reflect on the changing face of Brixton. As the neighbourhood attracts a more affluent and less diverse crowd, the spaces where people could come together, dream together and change the world together are threatened. What will remain of this history in the face of gentrification?

‘We The People’ is motivated by a desire to record the unwritten stories of a neighbourhood that has resistance in its DNA.

The film was co-produced with a group of 9 young people from the Advocacy Academy – the UK’s first campus for youth activism. We have worked with Lambeth Archives, May Day Rooms and local residents to find archival material from the community rather than from official sources. The project was commissioned and funded by the Museum of London commission.

Leila Hassan Howe, Clare Truscott, Malcolm Watson, Ana Laura Lopez de la Torre, Anne E Cooper, Heather Seal, Becky Payne, Ibtisam Ahmed, Helen Carr, Ajuub Faraji, Angie Lorena Gomez, Betty Pearl Mayo, Cristian Fernandez, Davida Afriye, Jemmar Samuels, Martins Banjo, Natalia Morgan, Semi Orekoya, Shiden Tekele