Hackney Urban Survey

A photographic survey of urban typologies and narratives that create a collective archive of what Hackney is today.

Hackney Urban Survey is a series of photographic workshops and pop-up exhibitions created by Mass Collective to explore Hackney's rich and diverse urban fabric and communities.

In each iteration of the workshop, the collective identifies a typology or concept within the borough of Hackney. During a day of talks, shooting, and editing, amateur and professional photographers alike collaborate to explore this narrative and bring the concept to life through a series of photographs.

Guided by guest photographers who have made long-term photographic projects on Hackney, the participants gain a further in-depth understanding of the place they make images of. To date, Chris Dorley-Brown, Freya Najade, and Tom Hunter have been invited as guest tutors, sharing stories behind their projects and providing critical feedback on the work produced in the workshop.

Socially, the workshops provide an opportunity to meet like-minded photographers in the industry and break bread over common experiences at a communal lunch.

As a final result, the workshop provides the opportunity to show the pictures to the public at a pop-up exhibition in our Mare Street studio. There, the photographers can celebrate their photographs with friends, peers, and Hackney locals.