Deptford High Street
This little book is the outcome of a 18-month project (2009-2011), which aimed at utilising photographic research to meet local people, gain local knowledge and create my sense of belonging to the area I had just moved to. I photographed and spoke to shopkeepers, customers and residents on the High Street, asking them to share their experiences of this street and Deptford in general. Lived experience is deeply embedded in history; even if interpretations are subjective, as psychological truths these accounts are just as important as factually reliable accounts. Story-telling reduces the gulf between the researcher and participants, which is necessary in building relationships with the people whose history is being talked about. In the pursuit of more uninhibited responses, participants were assured that comments would remain anonymous and that images would not correspond to the comments. Through these stories of lived experiences I gained a better understanding of the social and political history of Deptford and how different people perceive the changes taking place in the area. This project formed the basis of lasting friendships and relationships and led to other projects in the local area which can be viewed on my website (anitastrasser.com). The project was also a precursor to Deptford is Changing: a creative exploration of the impact of gentrification, a book I published in 2020. The book is available for reading in Deptford Lounge, West Greenwich Library, Goldsmiths Library and Special Collections.
This little book is the outcome of a 18-month project (2009-2011), which aimed at utilising photographic research to meet local people, gain local knowledge and create my sense of belonging to the area I had just moved to. I photographed and spoke to shopkeepers, customers and residents on the High Street, asking them to share their experiences of this street and Deptford in general. Lived experience is deeply embedded in history; even if interpretations are subjective, as psychological truths these accounts are just as important as factually reliable accounts. Story-telling reduces the gulf between the researcher and participants, which is necessary in building relationships with the people whose history is being talked about. In the pursuit of more uninhibited responses, participants were assured that comments would remain anonymous and that images would not correspond to the comments. Through these stories of lived experiences I gained a better understanding of the social and political history of Deptford and how different people perceive the changes taking place in the area. This project formed the basis of lasting friendships and relationships and led to other projects in the local area which can be viewed on my website (anitastrasser.com). The project was also a precursor to Deptford is Changing: a creative exploration of the impact of gentrification, a book I published in 2020. The book is available for reading in Deptford Lounge, West Greenwich Library, Goldsmiths Library and Special Collections.
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The poverty of Deptford is the poverty of relationships. Decisions about Deptford
are made by non-locals; changes come from outside influences. Who wanted
the monstrous new school? Deptford people need to get organised, change has to
come from below. They have to work more closely and focus on things that unite
and not separate them. There are too many isolated voices!
There've been hundreds of years full of fierceness, as one guy once said to me: "The
thing about Deptford is you can't tame it." But the organised fierceness, anarchy
and radicalism has got lost, now people are just angry, and local 'politics' are at a
low ebb. People need to rediscover collective action that talks about things in a
community we all want to be in.
I'm a realist - I don't see things better or make them worse than they are. What I
want to say is that Deptford is an amazing place - there is not one perspective to
sum it up. It attracts people but when they say "I love it, it's great" I ask "What do
you really think?" and they admit it's a shithole. But there is truth in both. I always
look for the good, but we have to be truthful. We need more honesty, truth and
democracy, and to listen to each other would be a good start.
I get trouble every day from the youth and I have to resist them otherwise they'll
just rob the whole place. I have to be rude and on my guard all the time, it's not
like me at all. Sometimes when there's a fight outside, a couple of youths come in
to protect themselves because they know I've got police cameras here. But the
police can't do much - they try to do their best but there should be heavier police
presence here. They just seem to look after the other end of the High Street, but
here, they just drive past.
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