Image credit: Joyce Edwards, c. 1970s

A Story of Squatters explores the people who saved their homes from demolition to create the Grand Union Housing Cooperative. The project is inspired by photographs taken by Joyce Edwards in the 1970s and 1980s.

FREE WORKSHOPS NOW RUNNING! 

Local residents can take part in the following free workshops, walks and events:  

• Print your pinhole photos (pinhole workshop participants only) Saturday 4 October
• Local history walk, Saturday 11 October
• Visit to Joyce Edwards' Photography Studio, Sunday 12 October
• Darkroom printing from your negatives, Saturday 15 November
• Oral history workshop, taught by oral historian Rib Davis. November, date tbc
• Archive research at Tower Hamlets Archives, date tbc
• Digitise your old photos, dates tbc
• Create a 1-3 minute short film, using Premiere Pro editing taught by film writer/director Riffy Ahmed. Six places. Films will be shown as part of a final exhibition in 2026 and at a special screening. Eight sessions in October, dates tbc

To get involved, please complete this form here 

You can also email any questions to: helena@fourcornersfilm.co.uk

The project is a partnership between Grand Union Housing Co-operative and Four Corners, supported by Tower Hamlets Local History Library & Archives. Project staff are Pete Bishop at Grand Union Housing Co-operative, filmmaker Derek Smith, and Helena Goundry and Carla Mitchell at Four Corners. It runs until Spring 2026, with a final exhibition at Four Corners Gallery. The project is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.