In this short clip from our Over representation of African Caribbeans in the criminal justice system, the speakers reflect on money, youth culture, gangs, loyalty and the reality of young people being pulled into dangerous lifestyles from a young age. The conversation challenges the simple idea that gangs are always highly organised structures. Sometimes, they are groups of friends, shaped by poverty, loyalty, pressure and the desire to earn money. The clip also explores how policing and institutions can misunderstand the issue by focusing only on drugs or crime, rather than the wider lifestyle, background and social conditions surrounding young people. Part of the storyline exploring the over-representation of African Caribbeans in the criminal justice system, this clip asks us to look beyond labels and understand what young people are being offered — and what they are missing.

Two years of work. A bedroom built in five days. A whole era brought back to life. In this reflection from Red Light Busking Presents Kanda Vol.1: Bedroom Shut, Music Up, David Anglin speaks about the journey behind the exhibition — from early ideas and oral history interviews to rebuilding the world of the early 2000s through music, memory, bedroom culture and immersive storytelling. David reflects on why this period mattered: the years when young people were finding themselves, shaping their identity, and making sense of the people, pressures and sounds around them. He also shares what the team learned through the project, including Waltham Forest’s role in pirate radio culture, the impact of education and learning difficulties, and the way policing shaped young people’s lives. Built through two years of work, powerful community stories, and a huge team effort, Bedroom Shut, Music Up became more than an exhibition. It became a way of asking whether we could do justice to the era that shaped us.

In this short clip from Red Light Busking Presents Kanda Vol.1: Bedroom Shut, Music Up, the speaker reflects on a warning passed down from his uncle about police, racism and the treatment of Black people. Part of the storyline Over-Representation of African Caribbeans in the Criminal Justice System, this moment explores how personal experiences of policing can shape fear, mistrust and the way young people learn to move through the world. This is not just a story about one person’s experience. It is about memory, family, race, policing and the wider questions surrounding justice.

Clip from Resilience Against Adversity Storyline This storyline explores resilience, identity and survival through real oral histories connected to Waltham Forest. Contributors reflect on African knowledge systems, maroons, structural racism, pirate radio, postcode conflict, prison, street life and the turning points that helped people seek a different path. At its heart, this story is about recognising greatness, breaking cycles and finding purpose even after adversity. Part of a Red Light Busking oral history project Kanda Vol.1 Bedroom Shut Music Up exploring Waltham Forest, African Caribbean experiences, youth culture, music and the criminal justice system.