Meeting London

The city is a place we come to for growth - it is celebrated as a place for hopes and dreams to manifest. Often, the everyday workers of London are unnoticed, invisible, and left uncelebrated. The workers are the people making this city run. In this project, I wanted to converse with strangers in my local area (Southwark) about their jobs. I wanted to understand who they are behind their job, exploring assumptions, hopes, and dreams. The project became more about forming connections with individuals than it was about their jobs. Each person was a stranger to me prior to my approaching them. I came away from each conversation, having gained new insight and understanding. Each opened up to me about their stories. Many of which I spent several hours discussing the idea of assumptions and the value of talking to people in a city that so many find isolating to exist in. 700,000 Londoners say they are lonely ‘most’ or ‘all of the time’ - a staggering number. The project celebrates the value of connection and chatting to your Barista!