Trepidation

  • Jacob Courtney

'Trepidation', 04:30 mins, 2022. A short, animated film made up from pencil drawings, pen drawings and photographs, which were then edited and coloured digitally. Commissioned by London Transport Museum for the 'Contemporary Collecting: The Elizabeth Line' project. The film can be seen in its entirety at: https://www.ltmuseum.co.uk/collections/projects/contemporary-collecting-elizabeth-line Featured here are a series of selected stills from the short film. The work is a creative response to the redevelopment in Abbey Wood and Thamesmead, areas affected by the construction and delivery of the Elizabeth Line, the newest London Underground line which opened in 2022. Regenerating an area can bring several benefits, however it can also raise significant concerns associated with gentrification, including current residents being priced out of the area, a greater wealth divide and local people feeling a loss of a sense of home or identity. As a response to the changes in these areas and people’s feelings towards them, the short film acts as a way to creatively document the significant moment in time in Abbey Wood and Thamesmead before the Elizabeth Line opened, responding to the uncertainty amid the changing landscape.