South Bank Stories: The Way We Worked 1980 to Now

About

In recent years the South Bank area has undergone extensive regeneration due to its close proximity to the City of London. As an area that is becoming increasingly popular with professional workers and commuters, the South Bank is a rapidly evolving environment. This exciting project will celebrate the industrious and cultural heritage of Southwark through the telling of stories from local artists, artisans and traders who are still working in the area today.

Cafe owner Maria Moruzzi spent most her life growing up in the Borough Market and has witnessed many changes over the years. “This used to be a working man’s area, full of warehouses. Now the City has moved over to this side of the river. You would never see a suit growing up.”

The South Bank is the culturally diverse area that it is today thanks to its rich history of theatre, literature and trade. Many locales are featured in Charles Dickens’s novels. Borough Market still stands in its original site since the 11th Century and is the workplace of traders and artisans alike. This is a heritage deserving of recognition and celebration in the midst of the modern-day challenges that these traditional trades now face.

This unique project culminates with an exhibition at the Unicorn Theatre in Southwark, London – situated at the very heart of the project’s focus. To coincide with the South Bank Stories exhibition, the Unicorn Theatre will also be celebrating its 10 year anniversary on Tooley Street. South Bank Stories opens on 29 August and visitors to the Unicorn Theatre during this Bank Holiday weekend can enjoy two fantastic days of celebratory family friendly activities from plate spinning in a circus class to Unicorn’s brand new interactive show for 2-5 year olds, Breaking the Ice.