Shot by a group of 10-15-year-olds, Grange Farm Book documents life on a disappearing London council estate

Art has long been utilised as a means of alleviation; it decreases anxiety and improves mental health. It also boosts confidence, makes people feel engaged and stronger. But a lack of funding, particularly in the midst of a pandemic, has been detrimental to the creative industry, especially the arts. And it’s the younger generation that are feeling the effects the most.

According to The Arts Index – compiled in association with the Creative Industries Federation (CIF) and King’s College London – public funding for the arts in the UK has decreased by 35 per cent since 2008. Without access, there will be grave consequences to the lives and future careers of the country’s youth, from the social and economic to the educational and personal. Young people “view the arts as an important part of their lives”, states a recent report from Arts Council. Its findings tell us that 61 per cent of 12-15-year-olds describe the arts as being “important, or very important,” compared to 85 per cent of 16-18-year-olds and 95 per cent of 19-25-year-olds. So what needs to be done, and how can we, those of the creative industry, provide better access and support for those emerging into the arts?

The idea for the book arose after the success of the charity’s community events, where the artists – Henry Gorse, Stephanie Francis Shanahan, Neesha Champaneria, Jackson Bowley, Roydon Misseldine and Rory Mullen – assisted with workshops and taught creativity to the kids. Henry, a photographer based in London, has prior experience of working with young people and many of his earlier series have lensed important topics of society, culture and politics. During the pandemic, he explains how he was inspired by the work of Paul Anderson – the owner of social justice charity Voyage Youth – who later motivated the launch Shoal, a collective founded by Thomas Bird along with a group of creatives, including Henry. “He encouraged us to keep going and made us realise the importance our work can offer to young people.”

Henry, along with the charity and visiting artists, have therefore given the children and wider community a chance to document their lives in the form of a physical memento. “First and foremost, I think this book comes across as a celebration of community and youth, with a playful nature championing everybody in the photographs,” Henry tells It’s Nice That. “I love that it is the young people photographing each other, I think it sends out a powerful message which shines throughout.”

Upon visiting Grange Farm, Henry caught a realistic glimpse of what life is like here. “It’s different for each person who lives on Grange Farm, as no two experiences are the same,” he shares. “I remember first seeing the buildings and being amazed by their structure.” To best summarise, he points us in the direction of a poem written by Dani N’Guessan, one of the young leaders of the estate who penned her experiences of living on Grange Farm. In an extract, she writes:

“Behind the court you feast your eyes on the array of artwork made by our very own hands. A ball comes out of nowhere, just missing your head and you turn round to see young ones racing past you with shopping trollies from Waitrose down the road.

“Intrigued, you walk closer to watch, only to find yourself being pushed with great force by a six-year-old. (Yes the six year-olds here are that strong!) Your dizziness from the Waitrose rollercoaster fades as you smell the BBQ in the air and the bass of music vibrates throughout your entire being.”