?UESTIONS: Girls About Peckham

cultureisfree
Jul 12, 2020
2 min read

Updated: Jun 17, 2022

Celebrating power, style and culture - gIRLS aBOUT pECKHAM.

The platform showcases the increasing changes of Peckham and its girls, through imagery, celebrating its original culture. Fashion facilitator and founder Natalie Worgs has lived in Peckham since 2001 and has witnessed the many changes brought by gentrification. gIRLSaBOUTpECKHAM highlights the authentic and provides a voice for the community.

What is the inspiration behind Girls about Peckham, what message do you aim to give?

gIRLS aBOUT pECKHAM (g.a.p) is located in South East London, PECKHAM. The movement symbolises girls, culture and community. The photos I take are not just images, they are a individual moments captured. I show the increasing changes of Peckham and the girls through still and moving images, whilst celebrating its organic ORIGINAL CULTURE.

g.a.p is dedicated to widening the scope of opportunities for girls from my community, through our MagaZINE, events and our organic digital content. Our printed Zine sold out 50 copies at £8.00.

The organic content has created a voice speaking up for issues surrounding females within my community, whilst pushing for changes, involvement and investment initiatives that assist in the restructuring of my community. gIRLS aBOUT pECKHAM continues to make a strong impact digitally and socially, while cultivating meaningful connections and effective relationships within and outside of our community.

From your experience, what impact has gentrification had on Peckham?

Some parts of Peckham are left out, I feel as if people don’t see it as Peckham, I don’t understand why. More people are arriving to open up businesses, for families the price of houses increase, the price of food goes through the roof, immense changes are made but mainly for the newcomers of the area.

People that you know start to move out of the area, or I could say forced to do so due to new changes that simply don’t see them in the new picture of PECKHAM. Buildings pop up that look totally different, more rubbish is being dumped, girls being drugged in local clubs on Rye Lane. I have never in all my time in Peckham ever heard such stories.

What is your approach to photographing people in your community?

It’s always about what I’m feeling inside, sometimes the smallest thing like wind blowing through hair catches my eye.

Your photos document’s the vibrancy of women’s street fashion, what would you like the legacy to be?

My images do that and more, they also document the architectural changing structure of Peckham as things speedily change. I would like to leave a footprint in SE15 that tells of what I did for my community and how I stood for SUBSTANCE not HYPE, its more like a book of reference.