In January 2015, the departure of the 12 Bar Club from Denmark Street provoked very public campaign to ‘Save Denmark Street’.

A widely accepted narrative is that musical life of Denmark Street is in danger of being gentrified or Disneyfied out of existence. However, the shop keepers of the street, who are at the centre of events, appear to view the the campaign as a distraction at best; unwelcome and negative at worst.

There is a clear discord between the perceptions of a wider public and of those closest to the ground.

As a musician who has bought and sold instruments, and attended and played gigs on Denmark Street for thirty years, I was intrigued enough by the dissonance to want to investigate it further.

As a photographer with a particular interest in the process of change in urban environments, Denmark Street provides a small scale example of many similar debates across early 21st century London.

This project explores the past, present and future of Denmark Street through a combination of photographs and words, documenting the stories and lives of the people that make the place what it is.

Rob Telford

July 2015