PHOTOGRAPHER SYLVIE BELBOUAB VISITS

Portrait Photograph of a volunteer at the Renewal Programme, by Sylvie Belbouab

Sylvie Belbouab is a photographer, social documentary maker and community artist who has lived in Newham for 20 years.

In early December 2024, Sylvie visited the Renewal Programme initiative in Eastham to engage with the volunteers and staff at the Renewal Programme initiative in Eastham to hear more about their stories and capture their portrait as they worked.

The Renewal Programme supports those in Newham who face a variety of challenges by providing services such as our Food Bank, Warm Meals and a Community Hub. It was great for to hear more from those involved and take the opportunity to capture 10 portraits to honour their fantastic contributions.

Sylvie said:

“It’s great to shed light on on all the wonderful work that the people at the Renewal programmes do”.

The portraits will be included in the digital archive (launching later in January 2025) with two of the portraits also being featured on Grow Hackney’s Mezz Gallery from Monday 28th January to Sun 23rd February, with an opening event on Tuesday 28th January called Speculative Re Memory.

The archive project is led by artist and programme facilitator, Sandra Falase, part of an engagement programme run by Grow Studios at Alice Billing House in Stratford, supported by the Creative Land Trust and Heritage Lottery Fund.