Also Journal

Toni Caroline, Stylist

“A community is an area or collection of people who give you a feeling of safety, happiness and calm. It is a place where you feel welcome, wanted and at home, and Belfast Road feels like home.”

Dijana Krnjajic, Yoga Teacher

“Belfast Road is a bit of a hidden gem with still affordable warehouses. It’s not a lot of unicorn and glitter business going on here. We’re just some people living our lives in what happens to be old warehouses. We’re a community where everyones included. We share what can be shared, keeping conversations open and just really care for each other. We’re pretty low key and are trying to keep it that way. Belfast Road for me, is my home, with a creative twist.”

Francesca Kletz

‘I run a weaving and textile craft studio in Hackney called The London Loom where I teach workshops with my business partner on different looms and all sorts of textile and needle crafts, we’ve also just written a book about weaving called Weave This which we’re very excited about! I used to be a teacher and my background is in creative writing.

Community is really important to me, I come from a big Jewish family and that has instilled in me the importance of supporting and being supported by the people around you. I used to live in Tel Aviv in Israel where you constantly feel as if you’re part of a big family-like community and it totally changed the way I now live in London, I’m all about big dinners and feeding anyone who comes to visit, food is family to me and I think all big gatherings should revolve solely around food, food, food. I thrive off being around people who are open and love to eat. I live in a warehouse on Belfast Road with 9 flatmates and have been there for over 2 years, it was the perfect reintroduction for me back into the UK after living abroad, feeling like I could still have a big community around me.’

“My name is Natalia Álvarez, I work as a linguist and I’m also doing an MSc, part- time. I’ve been a resident of this street for 6 years and I would not move anywhere else. I’m Chilean and I don’t have any family in the UK, so having a supportive community, kind neighbours who know you and are willing to help when needed is incredibly important to me. Also, it’s such a fun community, we have a summer party every year and there’s always something going on. The combination between the safety that the sense of community provides and the diversity and participative nature of the people who live it make it a great place to live.”

Jeanne Buchi, Film & photographic post production + Penelope Buchi Romero, Creative wild child

“Having moved to London from Switzerland I have lived here now for 7 years. My life in this community has evolved from being a student, a young creative and now as a parent. It does mean a lot to me. Being a single mother is tough and even more when you are alone in a big city. This amazing community gives me so much support, love and help. It truly makes my Journey as a parent and creative a far more happy and positive experience than I could’ve ever excepted. Belfast road is a little piece of paradise in this bustling dog eat dog city. I am happy that my daughter can grow up in this environment. Let’s hope it will survive the gentrification.”

“For me, ‘community’ is more like a verb – constructive, happy communities require participation and action, it’s not a static thing. The people included either geographically or emotionally need to feel a positive part of something bigger than themselves – I feel the essence of the word describes the way we humans arrange ourselves like atoms in a compound, we just feel more comfortable connected to each other rather than floating around solo.

Kiko, (the cat who lives at 27 Belfast Road), is very bright. She can open doors, see your thoughts and is very kind. She is also very interested in art and introduces herself to all exhibiting artists in the gallery – so much so that we called our 10th anniversary exhibition ‘Kiko presents’. When we hung the show she sat in the centre of the gallery and would meow when we moved the work around – it was uncanny as if she was in control. At the opening she welcomed every visitor to her show.”

Scarlett Yang, artist and design student.

“Community to me is an abstraction that generates warmth through subtle contacts between individuals.”

Victoria Webb, Senior Policy Advisor and Mum

‘Community is an extension of kindness I am teaching my children by example. I want them to know that by working together as a community we can make a place that is welcoming for all.’

Leeza Sullivan (left), Personal Trainer

‘Community means feeling like you belong to a group or a local area. That provides support, motivation and friendship within the group. People you can count on and feel safe with. My local community look out for each other. Get involved in fundraising and help each other out.’