Avenue Road Moving Stories
Working with the residents of the Avenue Road Estate in Leytonstone E11, this project aims to involve the community of the housing estate in a range of workshops and filming sessions.
2023
Supported by Ward Funding from Cann Hall Ward, over the past few months (January to March 2023) Liza, Reese and Sena have been working with the community of the Avenue Road Estate interviewing them about the regeneration underway.
In these interviews, we hear the voices of Brenda, Ron, Ahmed, Errol, Gary, Shabana and Polly reflecting on how the community will change with the rebuilding of the Estate.
Thanks to:
PARTICIPANTS
Brenda, Ron, Ahmed, Gary, Shabana, Errol and Polly
PRODUCTION TEAM
Liza Fletcher, Reese Campbell and Sena Cetin
WITH THE SUPPORT OF
Paul Reilly & Redcopters Drone Footage and Kirsty Mcneil, Consultant
WITH THANKS TO:
Cann Hall Ward Councillors
COMMUNITY ORGANISATIONS
Vicar Polly and Congregation, Holy Trinity and St Augustine of Hippo (Harrow Green, Leytonstone), Langthorne Park Toy Library, X7eaven Performing Arts Centre, Downsell School and Residents of the Cann Hall Ward and the community of the Avenue Road Estate
2021
The final film captured the essence of the community in a series of archive photos, stories and memories, in a time when the tenants are about to see great changes on a regeneration project based at the estate. The documentary film project was screened in September 2021 as part of Leytonstone Loves Film, the third year of the Barbican-curated film festival.
“The Avenue Road Estate has had few creative projects in the past and I am thrilled that the residents can now engage in this exciting film project to capture the history of the planned regeneration” says Cllr Jonathan O Dea, councillor for the Cathall Ward and a keen supporter of the film project from the start.
With funding from the London Borough of Waltham Forest, the project aims to capture the voices and opinions of residents through this stage of the regeneration process.
“The other part of the vision,” adds Liza Fletcher, Community Engagement Manager from E17 Films, “Is to give the community a flavour of what it is like to work on a creative project and give some informal work experience and training to young people on the estate who may then go on to further study, training or employment in the creative industries.”
For the younger residents, E17 Films worked alongside animator Esther Neslen in schools project in Leytonstone to learn basic animation skills and giving younger residents a chance to talk about their hopes and ideas that they would like to see in the future.
With seed funding from University College London, Liza Fletcher will also worked with students Bo, Yan, Danyang and Moyang from the MA in Immersive Storytelling and Ethnographic Film Unit to add a Virtual Reality strand to the project and giving the residents a taste of using 3D film technology to add to the photos, film and archive, as seen below.
“Just because the London Borough of Waltham Forest skyline is changing,” sums up Liza Fletcher “It doesn’t mean that the strong community spirit and links that the neighbours have forged over the years has to alter”. The neighbours are in support of the rebuilding of the Estate which they see as tired and needing improvements.
“I hope that this is the beginning of a long film documentary which will capture the lives of the people now and as they anticipate the future of their home. I see this as the beginning of a long beautiful film relationship.”
Avenue Road in the Media
‘Moving Stories from a Leytonstone Estate,’
by Liza Fletcher
Waltham Forest Echo, 2022