Culture And Memory

Every Salon tells a Story

Every Salon Tells a Story is a community-led heritage project based in Woolwich and South East London. It focuses on engaging underrepresented audience; migrant women, hair and beauty workers, and communities who don't typically see their experiences reflected in heritage. The project takes stories from the high street salons into academic and cultural spaces, ensuring this heritage is recognised, valued and shared more widely. It captures and preserves the largely undocumented histories of migrant women working in hair and beauty, recognising these as a vital form of intangible cultural heritage. Local hairdressers will be trained as Oral History Story Collectors to record stories across generations, including those linked to the Windrush generation through to the present day. An immersive VR experience recreates the intimacy of the salon chair, a space of trust, stories and secrets. Through a digital archive, exhibition and partnerships, the project makes this heritage accessible and meaningful.