Knowle West is a neighbourhood in south Bristol, home to 12,000 residents. Since its creation in the 1930s following slum clearance in the city centre, the area has been plagued by long-term social and economic issues and scores high on multiple measures of deprivation.
Perceptions of Knowle West in the media and among other outsiders tend to focus on stereotyped understandings of ‘issues’ and ‘problems’ and have often been formed without a dialogue with the people who live in the community.
However, below misplaced media representations lies richness in Knowle West and places like it. Familial and social networks built over the years offer its community a strong sense of identity, and often practical solutions and everyday support.
Through this photo essay I intended to engage and interact with the community of Knowle West with a silent mind and without preconceptions to create an authentic record of my interactions and experiences.”
Support the journalism Bristol needs.
Thanks to the 2,000+ members who support the Cable, our in-depth journalism is free for everyone. Together, we empower readers with independent and investigative local reporting. Join us and be a part of Bristol’s reader-owned media cooperative.
Join the Cable
Features Coronavirus In Bristol
New emergency fund to support people facing fuel poverty because of Covid-19
The Emergency Covid Winter Fund has been set up as fuel poverty charities deal with ‘unprecedented’ numbers of referrals.
Coronavirus In Bristol Behind Closed Doors Banner Home Page Features
Helping people from Bristol’s Somali community deal with lockdown 2
For members of Bristol’s Somali community already living in difficult circumstances, the second lockdown has made life even harder. But the Bristol Somali Resource Centre has stepped in.
Black History Month Edition 23 Banner Home Page Film
Watch: Vulnerability, escapism and creativity, my experiences of lockdown as a young Bristolian
Lockdown left young people in the city feeling stranded, dislocated from their usual connections. Here, a young aspiring writer reflects on school, writing and the new sense of self-confidence that grew over those months
City Banner Home Page Film
Watch: The struggle for the future of Britain’s best street
A furore has kicked off over proposals to pedestrianise one of Bristol's most iconic streets, St Marks Road, with famous shop Sweetmart threatening to leave! Easton native Neil Maggs investigates whats going on behind the headlines.
Banner Home Page Film
Watch: Resilience – An uplifting story of young mums on one of the UK’s oldest council estates
A short documentary of young mums overcoming stigma through friendship on one of the UK's oldest council estates, Hillfields in Bristol.
Comments
Report a commentComments are moderated according to our Comment Policy
Good, very insightful and thought provoking.