VOICES FROM THE PIAZZA
Voices from the Piazza; stories of hope and possibility. An audio-visual exhibition celebrating the people who live, work and contribute to Victoria, London.
This project was commissioned by London Heritage Quarter to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Westminster Cathedral Piazza. They wanted to mark the occasion in a meaningful way by placing the community at the heart of the celebrations. So working closely with the London Heritage Quarter team we selected 10 people to have their stories displayed and shared for all to hear.
We transformed the piazza into an open-air gallery of ten ‘Living Portraits’, each sharing a true spoken story from a member of the local community. Visitors were invited to scan QR codes on each portrait to hear first-hand accounts of resilience, creativity and hope, placing listening at the centre of the experience.
Each storyteller went through a process of learning how to find and craft their own personal story, before we audio recorded them. This was accompanied by beautiful portrait photography and a filmed campaign for social media, profiling each storyteller. We created a podcast to host the stories as individual episodes, making the stories accessible beyond the exhibition and expanding it’s reach. The exhibition was designed to echo the architecture of Westminster Cathedral, resulting in a colourful, vibrant visual experience.
Listen to all the stories on the London Heritage Quarter website, or through the podcast.
The project was made possible thanks to London Heritage Quarter.
Listen to a story from Voices from the Piazza
BRIDGET
“I've learnt something about myself: when someone tells me it's too difficult or can't be done, I see it as a challenge.”
Bridget stands in a grey London backstreet surrounded by smashed plant pots, their contents strewn across the road, compost everywhere and plants uprooted… Scan the QR code to hear how hands-on determination, small victories and stubborn care transformed a neglected alley into a living garden. Through rainy afternoons, lockdown twists and quiet triumphs, plants flourished, wildlife returned, and a space once overlooked became full of life.