The Gentrification walking tour of Peckham (More-Than-Human-Mappings)

The Gentrification walking tour of Peckham prevents an overview of historical spaces which have been occupied by the Black community over a significant period between 1960-1990. The most recent walking tours (2023) supported the ‘Rights in Focus Conference’, National Youth Theatre play ‘Gone Too Far’, and UAL’s ‘Portraits of Peckham exhibition’. Each space presents the human occupants as pioneers. The skills and knowledge which they brought to the UK as immigrants from the Windrush generation, leaves the community with an impactful heritage and legacy. The walking tours are shaped by Participatory Action Research. One of the most prominent methods for data collection is the Caribbean oral history tradition. The pinnacle of the walking tour is identifying some of the educational, recreational, and cultural spaces which have shaped social and cultural capital over a defined period of Peckham’s history. These are spaces experienced by the researcher and informed by the Caribbean narratives exchanged during the research. The walking tours bring to life a phase in Peckham’s history which has not been documented or credited despite the wealth of community historians, historical societies, and experts in the field of Peckham’s history since 1086. Publications and events omit this significant phase which contributes to Peckham’s colourful history whilst continuing the narrative post 1990 around the impact of newer communities in Peckham. The walk is supported by the Gentrification and the African Presence in Peckham (GAPP) map outlining locations key to patterns of displacement of the Black community and the establishment of popular gentrification zones.