Project Overview

Archiving the Estate is a workshop-based participatory project initiated in Spring 2026 on the Alton Estate in Roehampton, London. Developed in partnership between the University of Roehampton and local charity Estate Art, the project brought together an intergenerational, multi-ethnic group of residents to document personal stories using "evocative objects."

The project culminated in a community-curated screening, an online multimedia archive, and a toolkit designed to empower local organisations to run similar community-led storytelling activities in the future.

Aims & Objectives

Council estates have historically been framed through narratives of deprivation, marginalisation, and decay, with residents frequently facing stigma and surveillance (Hanley, 2007/2012). Estates often house transient, racialised, or displaced communities, which can strain traditional social ties. However, estates are also vibrant sites of cultural production and resilience. For instance, Joy White (2020) highlighted how grime music emerged from Forest Gate as a hyper-local, convivial effort among young Black and British youth, evolving into a global cultural phenomenon. Expressive everyday practices like these enable residents to reflect on identity, emotion, and place.

While ongoing regeneration efforts aim to address structural issues, challenges such as the cost-of-living crisis, food poverty, and mental health pressures persist. Community-based art offers a vital lens through which to counter "estate stigma" (Hanley, 2012). Set against the iconic modernist architecture of the Alton Estate—an area rich in history yet listed among the 10% most income- and housing-deprived areas in the UK (Estate Art, 2023)—this project uses creative co-production to foster social cohesion and wellbeing (Romyn, 2023).

Key objectives of the project included:

  • Facilitating Dialogue: Creating inclusive workshops where residents shared autobiographical narratives.

  • Exploring Evocative Objects: Using personal items as bridges for intercultural and intergenerational communication.

  • Digital Upskilling: Collaboratively documenting stories using visual, audio, textual, and digital media chosen by participants.

  • Fostering Belonging: Sharing the resulting creative work with the wider public through a screening and digital archive to strengthen local connections.

Storytelling Through "Evocative Objects"

Central to the workshops is the concept of "evocative objects" (Turkle, 2007)—physical items that hold personal memories and emotional resonance. These range from traditional garments brought from a speaker's country of origin to travel keepsakes, family photographs, or inherited jewellery.

As Turkle notes, evocative objects exert a strong holding power because of the moments and circumstances in which they enter our lives, making them natural catalysts for storytelling. According to narrative theories of personal identity, our autobiographical memories are integrated into a "self-narrative" (Kind, 2015), which provides personal coherence and helps us establish "emplacement"—a meaningful connection to geographical place and community.

In the workshops, participants shared objects reflecting diverse life paths. Long-term residents brought objects connected to early events in their life and even former features of the estate, highlighting how memory shapes local history. Newer residents and migrants shared objects connecting their origins to their present life in Roehampton.

By sharing these stories over art and meals, participants uncovered shared experiences, built mutual trust, and deepened their sense of collective belonging.

Workshop Methodology & Co-Creation

The workshops were hosted during Saturday Family Activity sessions run by Estate Art at Roehampton Community Health. Facilitated by university researchers, an independent artist, and student research assistants, the sessions emphasized co-creation and skill sharing.

Every participant retained complete agency over their contribution:

  • Format: Participants selected their preferred media (audio voiceovers, photographs, or video clips).

  • Anonymity: Residents decided whether to appear on camera, use their first name, or remain anonymous.

  • Consent: Full ethical approval, consent procedures, and risk assessments were established in accordance with University of Roehampton standards.

The project culminated in a community-curated multimedia exhibition, this digital archive, and an adaptable toolkit enabling Estate Art to host future independent events.

Before launching online, the project hosted a community-curated exhibition featuring a collective 20-minute screening of all participant video works.

Project Team, Funding and Support 

  • Funder: Southlands Methodist Trust (SMT), supporting initiatives that build stronger communities and empower local residents

  • Institutional Support: Hosted by the University of Roehampton in collaboration with local charity Estate Art, advancing the university's commitment to civic engagement and social integration.

  • Community Partner: Estate Art CIC.

  • Project Lead: Dr. Federica Frabetti (Associate Professor in Digital Media, School of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Roehampton)

  • Collaborators: Zilan Imsik (Independent Artist); Lynne Capocciama (Director of Estate Art) 

  • Student Research Assistants: Klaudia Dus; Henry Harrison.

References

  • Estate Art (2023) About Estate Art. Available at: https://www.estateart.co.uk/copy-of-about

  • Hanley, L. (2012) Estates: An Intimate History. London: Granta.

  • Kind, A. (2015) Persons and Personal Identity. Cambridge: Polity Press.

  • Miller, D. (2009) The Comfort of Things. Cambridge: Polity Press.

  • Romyn, M. (2023) 'The Uses and Abuses of "Community Art" on an Inner-City Estate', Twentieth Century British History, 34(1), pp. 98–128.

  • Turkle, S. (ed.) (2007) Evocative Objects: Things People Think With. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

  • White, H. (1987) The Content of the Form: Narrative Discourse and Historical Representation. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press.

  • White, J. (2020) Terraformed: Young Black Lives in the Inner City. London: Repeater Press.