Social Justice Through Arts and Education
Equalities Work was established as a charity in 2016 to engage the local community through arts and education focused activities at The Foundry - a centre for social justice and human rights organisations in Vauxhall, south London.
Exhibitions
We curate art exhibitions throughout the year at The Foundry often in partnership with arts partners who have a commitment to social justice
Projects
Equalities Work develops projects that link in local schools and elsewhere so that people can learn more about social justice issues
Events
Equalities Work organises a range of events from talks to music and theatre on human rights issues
Films
We are planning on a film programme that will showcase cinema with human rights themes
About Equalities Work
Equalities Work’s activities ensure that The Foundry is a place where people interested in human rights and social justice issues are welcome to visit, use the resources and find out more about the issues. Our vision is to ensure that the Centre is a nerve centre for events and projects.
The grant making trusts and others that have come together to create this new centre for social justice were committed from the outset to ensuring that there should be a strong programme of public engagement activities around education and the arts. Equalities Work is a fully independent charity responsible for generating its own funds to take forward its work. The Foundry however contributes to the running costs including hiring meeting room space and equipment for the events at the centre.
Learn more about The Foundry
The grant making trusts and others that have come together to create this new centre for social justice were committed from the outset to ensuring that there should be a strong programme of public engagement activities around education and the arts. Equalities Work is a fully independent charity responsible for generating its own funds to take forward its work. The Foundry however contributes to the running costs including hiring meeting room space and equipment for the events at the centre.
Projects
Rights Camera Action! is a project for local young people in Lambeth, engaging young residents in film making, developing skills in creative arts and awareness around Human Rights issues.
Since 2021 it has provided training sessions where young people produce short films or images about human rights issues, including mentoring by a professional film makers + an exhibition at The Foundry in Vauxhall, creating routes into the creative sector.
Through 2025-2027 we are running a two year Rights, Camera, Action! project for local young people in Lambeth, in association with Neon Performing Arts, engaging young residents in workshop sessions, where they can make short films around human rights issues they most care about.
In the Mix
is a collaborative project that Equalities Work runs with Block 336 – an art gallery based in Vauxhall. In the Mix promotes access and participation in the visual arts for disabled people living in Lambeth and surrounding boroughs. We work with a number of leading disability organisations in London, offering a mentoring scheme to improve the prospects of artists with disabilities. Our latest project involved a process of in-depth mentoring of local disabled artists, supporting production and making of new artwork, followed by an exhibition at The Foundry, Vauxhall.
The Radical Film School is a project supported by Equalities Work presenting regular film screenings on the issue of Human Rights and Social Justice at The Foundry in Vauxhall.
Film Makers and Directors are invited to present their films, inviting conversation around related issues.
'Our House Is Your House' - featuring films and discussions around the housing crisis.
'The Stimming Pool' - featuring discussions exploring a world shaped by neurodiverse perspectives.
Film Makers and Directors are invited to present their films, inviting conversation around related issues.
'Our House Is Your House' - featuring films and discussions around the housing crisis.
'The Stimming Pool' - featuring discussions exploring a world shaped by neurodiverse perspectives.
Learning Rights is funded by Awards for All and is providing courses for unemployed local residents, work experience placements and a range of projects with local schools focused on social justice issues.
Gardening Project
is a collaboration between Equalities Work and The Foundry to create a community garden. We also worked with young people from Roots & Shoots, a local horticulture initiative, who helped to create a number of raised beds that have now been planted up with flowers as well as fruit.
Creative Workshops are part of our community engaged programme that Equalities works runs at The Foundry, Vauxhall. We have held a range of artistic and participative-making workshops, from working with clay to participative making workshops on different themes, with different sectors of the community and vulnerable groups.
Exhibitions
'Light The People'
The Marylin Stafford FotoReportage Award 2025 - for women photographers
'Light The People' is a photographic exhibition highlighting the work of winning photographer Jodi Windvogel and their photographic series ‘Life Under Occupation - Inside Cissie Gool House & Cape Town’s Housing Crisis’, alongside work by four photographers achieving Honourable Mention.
In association with FotoDocument, Equalities Work, Radical Film School. Supported by Nikon.
'Light The People' is a photographic exhibition highlighting the work of winning photographer Jodi Windvogel and their photographic series ‘Life Under Occupation - Inside Cissie Gool House & Cape Town’s Housing Crisis’, alongside work by four photographers achieving Honourable Mention.
In association with FotoDocument, Equalities Work, Radical Film School. Supported by Nikon.
Project Year: Autumn/Winter 2025
The Foundry 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
'Accelerate Action'
An exhibition presenting stories of women coming together to initiate action and change within their communities, making their voices heard, both loudly and quietly.
Women In Change
An exhibition presenting stories of women coming together to initiate action and change within their communities, making their voices heard, both loudly and quietly.
Presenting artworks by artists Katy Beinart, Helen Dewhurst, Molly Grad, Arabel Lebrusan, Nasreen Shaikh Jamal al-lail, Sally Sutherland, All Change Arts & Procreate Project, the exhibition presents narratives of women responding to issues of inequality, injustice and transformation.
Pushing for and propelling action, creative gestures demand transformations both individually and collectiv ely, calling for deeper understanding and value of the intersectional complexities and issues women, girls and marginalised individuals and groups face.
Project Year: Spring 2025
The Foundry 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
'One Percent'
Agata Nowak
‘One Percent’ is an exhibition that draws attention to human rights and homelessness.
Human and physical warmth are key to survival for everyone, particularly the homeless. Those that disappear stay invisible until they are seen, heard, counted, given shelter, supported back into social contact.
In its small acts of resistance, this exhibition calls for a strengthening of a culture of empathy, of connection and kindness in the context of the very real day-to-day hardships, with increasing costs and precarious living conditions, many are now facing.
Project Year: Winter 2024
Project Year: Winter 2024
The Foundry 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
'Selfhood'
What You Don’t See and What I Don’t Say
What shapes our sense of self and understanding of others?
What do you not see behind what I don’t say?
A series of photographic works, collaboratively created with local young people, probe the interplay between individuals’ internal and external worlds, exploring through movement and bodily interventions the tensions between how we are seen and perceived, and the labels we give ourselves. Fleeting and visceral, the images offer glimpses into the internal worlds of local young individuals, their discovery of and journey towards an authentic sense of self or ‘selfhood’.
In association with NEON Performing Arts + NeonELEVATE
NEON is an integral part of South London’s creative arts offering, providing dance, singing, songwriting and Drama classes to young people aged 5-18 and creative career pathways and opportunities to young people aged 13-30, through their acclaimed Youth Company, NeonELEVATE.
NEON is an integral part of South London’s creative arts offering, providing dance, singing, songwriting and Drama classes to young people aged 5-18 and creative career pathways and opportunities to young people aged 13-30, through their acclaimed Youth Company, NeonELEVATE.
Project Year: Summer 2024
The Foundry 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
'How Do I Make You Feel?'
Michelle Baharier
Maya Angelou said: “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will
never forget how you made them feel.”
Michelle Baharier’s exhibition explores this narrative. In her body of work entitled
‘How do I make you feel?’ she invites the viewer to gaze at brilliantly coloured faces, encouraging reflection on their own emotional state. Her art addresses the many barriers that she and others face, some due to disability discrimination and prejudice.
Her powerful paintings are vibrant, creating emotionally charged pieces,
encouraging the viewer to have a dialogue with the images.
Project Year: Spring 2023
The Foundry 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
'Pitch'
PhotoVoice
PhotoVoice is a charity that uses ethical photography to promote positive social change.
For the last two years PhotoVoice has delivered photography workshops in Uganda, Myanmar and Nigeria with participants sharing perspectives on HIV, sexual and reproductive health and rights. PITCH aims to strengthen local organisations’ capacity to advocate, generate evidence and develop robust policy solutions for upholding individuals and communities’ rights.
The project was taken forward with Frontline Aids and Aidsfonds.
The work – all generated by staff and young advocates have played a major role in addressing the challenges experienced by sex workers, transgender people, people who use drugs and others.
https://photovoice.org
Project Year: 2019
The Foundry 17 Oval Way, London SE11 5RR
