We believe in the
hyper-local

and in staying long enough in places to ensure relationships can be meaningful. Parachuting artists in and out of communities doesn’t always have a community’s interests at heart. So how do we listen, and build relationships in the same neighbourhood over time…

Under the pandemic, our Doorstep Revolution project began to speak to this slow form of listening, asking local residents a series of questions around the future of community. We visited streets, door-knocked and met people across our neighbourhood, building a resource of diverse stories and experiences around the first – and ongoing – Covid lockdowns. The result was the beginning of a Riverside audio archive, that gathers the perspectives of residents in our local area. Homing in on the reflections and challenges of Riverside in 2020 and 2021, and the dreams of different futures the pandemic gave rise to, these audio recordings are insights into the lives and experiences of those living on our doorstep.

The project has been supported by a grant from the National Lottery Community Fund. The audio archive continues to evolve, get in touch at hello@gentleradical.org if you’d like to get involved.