South

South London is home to an incredible mix of demographics, with a large South American and British-African presence [primarily Nigerian]. You can see the influences of multiculturalism most so in Brixton Village, where every shop and restaurant is from a different community and culture. Brixton was our base, and we explored the various boroughs in South London such as Elephant and Castle which has a 10% Latin American population.

• Brixton Village Market

• Peckham

• Southwark

• Elephant & Castle

Below you can find an overview of the various activities and people we met across South London.

Consumer Chats, Copeland Social

We heard a lot about the idea of being ‘new gen’ for this group, with 22-year-old Hasznat, a local South-Asian queer advocate explaining: “My family is the one I choose, but there will always be elements of heritage in me, in my own way. It's not 'crossover culture'... it’s new-gen.” For them, they want to reinvent, remix, repurpose their cultures to make something new...not just blend existing cultures… In this way, it’s less ‘crossover’, more creation and cultivation.

Alexandra Azua Tour of Lambeth & Southwark

During the tour, Azua spoke to us about the importance of humor when it comes to bonding, particularly across the generations. For her, when traveling through Elephant and Castle it is her love language of humor that connects, explaining "they speak my language.” In this way, it’s a reminder of the lyric ‘a smile comes in every language’, and so too does laughter. For Azur in particular, forming communities through compassion and shared laughter is critical.

The Movement Factory

Leanne goes on to explain that, as someone who has worked with Nike a lot over the years, it’s imperative that they - together - ‘never exclude.” She is insistent on using her own past and power to make a difference and tends to focus on what is truly rewarding and helpful for the new gen, rather than creating a career for them at this time. It is, first and foremost, a safe space for the dancers to come together as a community before it becomes a place for careers: “It is about dance as an art form, about team building, social skills, confidence building and really enjoyment and then it’s about achieving. We are living in a society where people don’t feel worthy, so it allows people to practice that as well as leaning into their culture and everything that comes with that. It is about community cohesion, not competition, about feeling a part of, not apart from others, and we do that through dance."

Brixton Village

One of London’s most diverse markets, Brixton Village has long been a cultural hub for both locals and visitors for many years. Situated on either side of Atlantic Road, Brixton Village and Market Row house more than 140 retailers and restaurants, including mini-chains like Franco Manca and Honest Burger which both opened their first sites here. 

More interestingly for the project, there are restaurants from every one of our diasporas! Within the two covered markets, we found dishes that spanned Europe, India, East Asia, Africa, South America and the Caribbean, plus shops that sold everything from cheddar to cheese plants. This was a perfect place for many to spend their £5 for show & tell in the afternoon debrief sessions.

Domino's Club

While playing dominoes with the members, we heard how - as a game - it is “an important and fundamental part of the heritage of this area,” having been played for many years across the world. To this, it is a sport - like others - that translates easily from culture to culture, allowing people to sit and play together at a pace of play that suits them. As they also told us, the importance now lies in the fact that dominoes, as a form of social glue, “needs to be passed on, that the wisdom and those traditions and skills are given to the next generation, who we know need mentors and help and support, and who we know face a lot of challenges at the moment.” Bringing in more of the new, younger generation is a key goal for the Domino’s Club and one that continues to foster.

Faissal El-Malak Dinner

Living in a number of melting pot cities has undoubtedly played a huge role in El-Malak’s design approach. When asked about his global background, the designer beamed: “I truly embrace my diverse upbringing as it made me familiar with very different cultures. Whether in my life or in my work, it has made me really open to absorbing influences no matter the setting. London is the perfect manifestation of that.”