In summer of 2023 Seen the Stories connected with Frenford Clubs, a thoroughly unique place with a long standing history of always putting young people first. This project, Frenford Stories, has been created to showcase just some of the incredible staff, volunteers and of course, the young people who together, form part of this community.
I wish to thank Irfan Shah and Neal Akhtar for their support and belief in my work. We wish to thank Colours of Redbridge for their support and continuing to ensure such projects become a reality.
Photography & accompanying text by Meg Khan © 2024
As an area filled with such entrepreneurial spirit, friendship, dedication and a commitment to serving the same community, a common thread ties each of the twenty businesses and organisations featured in this commission, together.
This body of work also forms part of the Leytonstone Arts Trail, a celebrated community-led festival that transforms Leytonstone and the surrounding area into a vibrant art festival.
Illuminating this pair of billboards are the portraits of the incredible individuals who have sat with me, to share their stories.
The words to their stories and portraits also hang in the windows of all the featured businesses. Highlighting the connectivity and community of this special area.
To celebrate the magic of being seen, collage artist Andreea Dima from @afirstpiece created this work titled, SEEN, for the third billboard.
Featuring just some of the hundreds of individuals, this piece highlights the essence of Seen the Stories.
The Leytonstone Arts Trail is an annual event celebrating local artists. Over two weeks, artists showcase their work in various locations, from their homes to public spaces. Their mission is to make art accessible to everyone and to celebrate the creative spirit of our community.
See more: Leytonstone Arts Trail
A collection of stories from the second century of I Am Seen were showcased at the annual Women in Engineering event in collaboration with Bouygues UK.
Held at Clifford Chance HQ in London, stories of incredible women from within our partners Bouygues UK, Equans, Colas Ltd and Colas Rail were displayed.
Fabienne Viala, CEO & Chair, Bouygues UK.
As the key supporter of Seen the Stories, Fabienne has championed the partnership with Bouygues UK, Equans, Colas Ltd and Colas Rail, for the I Am Seen project.
In a room filled with the immense talent across all partner businesses and beyond, I was given the incredible opportunity to share the story of both Seen the Stories and I Am Seen.
In collaboration with Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and Plashet School, the 2024 International Women’s Day was celebrated through spoken word performances on the theme of being seen.
Held at BCLP’s HQ, Governor’s House became the backdrop for the first century of stories from the I Am Seen project. Which includes the stories of incredible from within the law firm itself.
As a former Plashet School student and current school governor, I Am Seen explores the thoughts and experiences of women in the twenty-first century. To mark International Women’s Day, Plashet alumni shared speeches prepared with the help of their BCLP mentors, reflecting on what it means to be seen as a woman.
They were joined by Rebecca Campbell, BCLP Partner, Rachel McGowan, Plashet Head Teacher and Meg Khan, who shared the developments of the second phase of I Am Seen through sponsorship from Bouygues UK, Equans, Colas Ltd and Colas Rail.
A daughter, the magic of being seen and my father’s presence, all working towards making more happen.
Rebecca Campbell, BCLP Partner and supporter of Seen the Stories opens the evening of talks by sharing her own incredible experiences and insights with all.
Rachel McGowan, head teacher at Plashet shares the beginning of her own journey at this immensely unique school. She also, as always, highlights the importance of both celebrating and shining a light on the achievements of women.
Her leadership continually propels the opportunities and lives of the young women of Plashet School.
Zhara Gaffoor shares her thoughts and powerful insight on what it means to her to be seen as a young woman in 2024.
Zhara went on to secure a place on the highly competitive and lucrative BCLP Career Kick Start Work Experience Programme. During the summer, she spent two weeks gaining valuable detailed insight into an international law firm.
Khadijah Sayeed shares a moving and considered speech on her experiences of being seen.
As an aspirational and committed individual, Khadijah is currently studying her A levels with sights set on a Russell group university.
Zainab Naqvi delivers an eloquent, thought-provoking talk on what it means to be seen as a woman. Her experiences, questioning and mature wit, engaged the audience.
Currently studying a medical degree, Zainab is set to achieve great success and continue to question the stereotypes.
Samihah Kausar, Plashet alumni, General Manager at Equans and a key supporter of Seen the Stories, helped shape the partnerships for the second century of I Am Seen.
She reminisces on her time at the very school that helped pave those early steps, through to the support she receives within Equans and Bouygues UK, to achieve her goals.
As the photographer and story-seeker, I have been immensely fortunate to sit opposite so many different storytellers. As Seen the Stories continues to grow, my desire to elevate the experiences and the achievements of women, does so at the same pace.
I Am Seen aims to demonstrate the brilliance of women from across the ages, backgrounds, experiences, careers and countries, one century at a time.
And so, an extension of this work, has been to take these very stories, together with some of the very individuals, to various spaces, amongst such diversity, where their experiences can be heard.
I am deeply thankful to both Alison Klarfled and Emmi Makiharju at BCLP for the continual support and advocacy.
Find out more about I Am Seen and how to get involved:
My Notes gives voice to the hundreds of stories I have seen, heard and felt, and then recreated as original word art prints.
This collaboration with the reputable, Manifest Salon, showcased a selection of my artwork, also forming part of the Leytonstone Arts Trail.
This print, Believe Me, I Will, forms part of SEEN:Two Hundred which was inspired by the story of the hairstylist Andrei Chisinau, from Manifest Salon.
To purchase this exclusive print or see others:
A selection of local stories, together with a range of My Notes were exhibited at Stow Brothers’ Wanstead.
A huge thank you to the incredibly supportive team at Stow Brothers.
Collage artist Andreea Dima, Visual Artist Bhavin Bhadresa and hairstylist, Andrei Chisinau, all feature and amplify the talent across Waltham Forest. All of whom have featured on Seen the Stories.
Raw Canvas Fine Art Printing and Back to Ours have collaborated to bring the walls of the cafe to life through a monthly gallery space for artists.
For the month of February both Meg Khan from Seen the Stories and Andreea Dima, from A First Piece, were featured.
The words from the very stories I have gathered, recreated as original artwork, My Notes, and here, amplified on the walls for this exhibition.
Featuring the stories of local people, together with a selection of My Notes artwork exhibited at the South Woodford branch.
Many thanks to the team at Stow Brothers for the support and offering local artists such opportunities.
Pop-up exhibition and guest speaker at Wild Women, a celebration of creativity and community.
The start of something powerful.
Using the Seen the Stories blueprint, a variety of current students and alumni representatives were interviewed, together with the extraordinary legacy of female head teachers and key members of the school's community. And so, the first century was created.
Plashet One Hundred was exhibited in the school's iconic South Hall in September 2023, sponsored by Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner and individual donor, Lauren Gupta.
New prints and celebrating two hundred stories.
Solo exhibition at Patchworks, Leyton - second billboard, first mural and new prints.
The billboard on the facade of Patchworks, Leyton.
The Story So Far offers a window into the search to date and now with a list exceeding 500, this exhibition places a pin in this incredible moment.
In collaboration with Hackney Downs Studios, stories taken from both SEEN:One and Two Hundred series, together with Behind the Seen, fill the walls of this creative space. Together with the story of the first ever billboard in Shoreditch, East London, at the centre of where many of the stories were first heard.
Exhibition on until early November 2022.
A selection of stories taken from the first hundred that propelled this entire idea into existence.
Thursday 8th September 6-9:00pm
Individual stories, the creation of Behind the Seen and faces printed onto the same paste-up paper taken from the first billboard, fill the walls of Hackney Downs Studios.
In collaboration with Outside the Zone, the first one hundred stories will feature on the billboard at Dereham Place, Shoreditch. This collection of one hundred portraits will be the first half of a two-part exhibition. During the day on Wednesday 3rd August, Seen the Stories will take over this large canvas and share the paste up live on Instagram.
In partnership with our second collaborator, Space 108, located on the ever thriving Brick Lane, a selection of work from the first two hundred and the Behind the Seen series will be exhibited during the month of August. The Private Viewing event on Wednesday 3rd August from 6-9:00pm will give attendees not only an opportunity to view the work but also experience Chef Domenico’s incredible Italian Street food.
Dereham Place, EC2 03/08/2022
In collaboration with Outside the Zone and M @officeearth
Dereham Place, EC2
You are number 1, 500, 5000, and everything in between.
Space 108 Brick Lane
Private View 6:00-9:00pm 03/08/2022 & exhibition closes early September.
Seen the Stories is presented at Loop Tottenham as part of Thinking Local, the third event by Tonbu. Tonbu brings together food, art and music, giving space to emerging artists, eclectics of the food scene, and unique vinyl collections.
Through this collaboration a selection from the portraits and stories so far feature on the walls of Loop Tottenham. Launching with opening event on Thursday 14th July, Seen the Stories will be the resident artist at the Loop until mid-August.
101/200 Zeenat Jeelani
031/100 Frank Horn
By Tonbu and in collaboration with the Loop Tottenham and Seen the Stories.
149/200 Ant Carver
125/200 Maheni K Arthur