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THE DISAPPEARING ELEPHANT: PROJECT OVERVIEWElephant and Castle is a large urban neighbourhood in the London borough of Southwark. It takes just a few minutes to travel from Elephant and Castle to The Houses of Parliament, but this part of London is plagued by poverty, crime, poor housing, high unemployment, low levels of educational achievement and teenage pregnancy, which is why Elephant and Castle, as it exists today, will soon be demolished to make way for 170 acres of redevelopment. The proposed programme of demolition and building will take years to complete, and will cost an estimated £1.5 billion, which makes it one of the largest regeneration projects in Europe. Supporters of the project believe it will massively contribute towards solving the areas many problems, but critics argue that these problems will not have been solved, but merely shifted to different lower-income neighbourhoods around the capital. Elephant and Castle is one of the most racially and culturally diverse places in Britain, and home to many dignified and hard working people. For the regeneration to be deemed a success, these people need to feel that they have a future in Elephant and Castle, and can take advantage of new opportunities arising from the regeneration. However, as the redevelopment draws nearer, many residents and local businesses feel they are caught in a web of social, economic, and political affairs in which they are powerless and vulnerable. Some are worried that the redevelopment will dramatically change the social makeup of the area and effectively erase its distinctive atmosphere and identity. My project, 'The Disappearing Elephant', is a visual study of Elephant and Castle, and its inhabitants, during this significant period of change. The images in this slideshow represent the first phase of this long-term project. ENTER GALLERY |
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