What is Neighbourhood Stories?
This is a community development campaign led by young people using broadcast and online media.
It’s a 4 year project telling the story of the Olympics’ arrival to London’s East End and the impact it has on the lives of the people living there. The project will involve training young people, creating small documentary teams who will tell the story of the Olympics – before, during and after it leaves. From these workshops and the young peoples’ input, a larger feature length documentary film will emerge.
Who is AJ?
Key to the project is AJ. He was born in Congo and came to England when he was two years old. He got caught up in gang culture but now he has turned his back on his old lifestyle and is determined to make a better future for himself. He has a natural talent for bringing people together, and motivating others around him to make a difference.
How you can get involved.
Whoever you are, you can inspire others by sharing your own stories.
Tell your story
What do you love or hate about the changes that are taking place in your neighbourhood? Is there anything you would like to see changed?
If you just want to tell your story, it’s really simple. Just click here…
Workshops
If you want to come to a workshop and learn about film making, send an email to
Spread the word
Mailing list
Join our mailing list to stay up to date with news, progress on the film and more.
What’s New
Funding application
We’ve entered an open funding challenge with the Knight Foundation in the US. It’s ‘open’ in that it can be critiqued and enhanced ahead of the deadline, Dec 15th. If you have a few minutes and would like to support our project in East London, please have a read and comment here
The 24 Hour East London Film Challenge
Throughout the summer Germination and Marc Silver have been working with young people from Newham in an intensive media training and film-making project. The participants were tasked with making six short films that reveal their take on the London 2012 Olympics.
With the editing wrapped, we are delighted to invite you to the premier screening of 24 Hour East London Film Challenge at 12pm Sunday 27th September at the Rio Cinema, Dalston.
As a brief background, this project was inspired by stories of poverty in Newham. It was developed out a of a series of short films made by 18 year old film-maker AJ Nakasila, which were screened on Channel 4 in 2008. AJ revealed the irresistible path…
AJ's films broadcast on Channel 4
AJ asks what role revenge plays in the lives of young people growing up in the inner city and whether there is a way to break this endless cycle.
You can watch the films opposite.
