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Nicola Baird

Julio CĂ©sartist: visual artist

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Julio CĂ©sartist: visual artist with his rescue dog, Bumble. (c) JC
Everyone has a story. Social photographer and artist Julio CĂ©sar Osorio can take six months to produce his highly coloured canvases. Here he talks about how he got into art mid-career. Interview by Nicola Baird If it wasn’t raining so much in early summer 2024 I’d have met Julio CĂ©sar…

Claudia Janke: artist

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Claudia Janke during the making of the community portrait at Packington (c) Claudia Janke
Everyone has a story. Super skilled with a camera and creatively playful Claudia Janke finds inspiration in her Angel neighbourhood for pan-European harmony. Here she talks about how photography, games with string phones and even a little wave helped everyone on the rebuilt Packington in N1 to connect. Interview by…

Anjna Khurana: Mayor of Islington 2024-25

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Arriving at islington Faces 365 celebration. Anjna Khurana: Mayor of Islington: “When I put on the robes it’s like a superpower and I can talk and tell you all sorts of things. Here I am: Brown. Disabled. Woman. Quite Short. Petite. And I am your Mayor.” © Claudia Janke for Islington Faces
Everyone has a story. In this on-stage interview at Islington Faces’ 365 celebration Islington Mayor, Anjna Khurana, talks about being a role model. She also revealed to a roomful of Islington fans that she loves cake, raspberry is her favourite fruit and she adores fried ravioli. Interview by Nicola Baird.…

Georgia Dodsworth: Whitecross Street Party

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Georgia Dodsworth, Creative Producer of the Whitecross Street Party, is giving it a radical refresh (c) GD
Everyone has a story. Meet Georgia Dodsworth the Creative Producer of Whitecross Street Party. This year’s community takeover festival runs from 13-14 July. Interview by Nicola Baird. Photos by Kash Bashir & Whitecross Street Party. If you want something done, then assign a busy person. That’s a life rule most…

Ernestas Jegorovas-Armstrong: catalyst & science teacher

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Ernestas Jegorovas-Armstrong, Green councillor for Highbury, and chair of Islington Faces. Ernestas Jegorovas-Armstrong, Green councillor for Highbury and Islington Faces chair: “It’s incredibly challenging to bring up a young family in London and be a community campaigner and councillor trying to make positive social and environmental change. Some say it would have been more impactful just sticking to the classroom, but from a personal point of view the journey to becoming the first elected Lithuanian councillor in UK (as far as I know) was worthwhile and a good decision.” (c) Islington Faces

Everyone has a story. Introducing Islington Faces’ chair, Ernestas Jegorovas-Armstrong (Ernie). He’s a modern polymath – Green councillor, space physics advocate, secondary school physics teacher, dad, volunteer and lovely bloke (although he might dispute this order). Ernie’s so busy this interview has taken a few years to organise. Here he…

Prepping for the Restore Nature Now rally at Islington Climate Centre

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Marcus Duran and his five-year-old son, Emmanuel, get to creative work ready for the Restore Nature march on 22 June (c) Islington Faces
Everyone has a story. Behind the scenes at Islington Climate Centre during a busy half term getting ready for the Restore Nature Now rally with Bridget, Anna, Marcus and Emmanuel. Interview by Nicola Baird Bridget Turgoose, the Creative Coordinator for XR UK is surrounded by half-completed worms but still fretting…

Let’s read about Islington

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3 book jackets with novels that have come out in spring 2024 and feature Islington, London.

New books set in Islington. (c) Islington Faces
Every bit of Islington has a story. Three new books published in spring 2024 use Islington as the backdrop for the action including Caledonian Road, Old Street (Hoxton) and Regent’s Canal. Reviews by Nicola Baird (in a shameless plug for her own funny novel, Not That Deep, which is centred…

Daisy: pawthress (paw+author)

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Clever Daisy has written a book about her canine friends who meet up regularly on Highbuy Fields.. (c) Debbie Dunning
Everyone has a story. The Dogs of Highbury Fields is narrated by Daisy a huge Bernese Mountain Dog who often visits this fabulous green space. After meeting Daisy at a book signing in Highbury bookshop Ink@84, we couldn’t resist a Q&A with Daisy, and this is the result. Interview by…

Anna Stishova: Instagram’s hijabi kayaker

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Anna Stishova: “I don’t care about cold water, or cold weather as long as I dress warm.” © AS for KayakingHijabi
  Everyone has a story. Meet Anna Stishova whose teenage love of kayaking in Siberia helped her seek out paddle opportunities in the UK. Now she’s a kayaking instructor and a paddlesports leader taking out trips with kayakers and paddleboarders, despite being based first in Islington, then Bolton. Interview by…

Anna Hyde: climate activist

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Climate activist Anna Hyde helped open the Islington Climate Centre pop-up at Angel Central Shopping Centre with her friend Bel Jacobs. © Kimi Gill for Islington Faces
Everyone has a story. Meet Anna Hyde, the climate activist who’s inspired by her young son and her Islington life to put huge amounts of time and skill into turning the Islington Climate Centre pop-up into a proper community hub where people can ask questions about the climate crisis, learn…