Debbie Humphry
107C Fortess Road, London NW5 2HR www.debbiehumphry.com
Current Post
2022-current Research Fellow: CHiLL Children’s Lives in Changing Places. A participatory research project with young people that seeks to understand their lives growing up in structurally disadvantaged places. Cross Univeristy/Open University. Funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
2024-current. Research Fellow. Evaluation of selective licensing schemes for private rented housing in England. London School of Hygiene & Tropic Medicine, University of London. Funded by NIHR.
Selected Research
2021-2024 Research Associate: Spaces of Hope/PeoplesPlans. AHRC-funded research on histories of community-led planning. Cross University/Oxford Brookes University. https://www.peoplesplans.org/
2021-22 Research advisor: Impact of inadequate housing on pupils’ educational experiences. TELCO (The East London Citizens Organisation).
2020 Research lead: Community Voices for Holloway. Local views on the Holloway Prison redevelopment: Community Plan for Holloway. Participative research with campaigners.
2017 Researcher: Evaluating Carpenters Road Lock Heritage Lottery Project. Canal & Rivers Trust. Participative visual methods. CELS University of East London.
2016-2017 Research Assistant: Process Evaluation of Online Maths Pedagogy. Education Endowment Foundation, University of Sussex. Qualitative research in primary schools.
2014 –2016 Lead Fieldwork Researcher: Speaking out of Place. Collaborative visual research with Olympic Park residents. LivingMaps Network.
2015-2020. Research for Various Campaigns: Homes for All; Disabled People Against Cuts (DPAC): Kentish Town Futures; Radical Housing Network.
2006-2008. Newtown Neighbourhood Project: Participatory action research with children, young people, residents. Training resident researchers. West Kent Extra, Real Strategies.
- Hyde Sports Inquiry: Participatory visual and walking research with young people; art, photography, video, exhibition. Goldsmiths University of London.
Selected Community Projects
- Workshop lead: Participatory Art exhibition project with children, Hoxton Community Centre. Supporting young people to produce & curate a local exhibition.
- Workshop Leader ‘Autobiography’ film with young offenders. The Koestler Trust. Planned and delivered participative film project with filmmaker. HM Bullwood Hall YOI.
2003 Researcher/lead for Elderly Memory Project: with London care home and community centre users. Trained carers. Camden Council funded.
2000 Participative research with young unaccompanied refugees. Workshop Leader, using photography to develop a sense of belonging. Photovoice London.
1990s Disability community development: participatory photography with disabled people (Community Links in Cameras), incl. with learning difficulties, mental health issues, deaf children.
I have contributed to successful funding bids for many of the research and community projects.
Selected Publications
Humphry, D. 2023. ‘I’ve always felt these spaces were ours’: Disability activism and austerity capitalism. Reflections on City’s interview with DPAC. City 26.
Richter, A. and Humphry, D., 2021. Ja! Damit Berlin unser Zuhause bleibt! That Berlin will remain our home! حتى تظل برلين بيتنا Berlin evimiz kalsın diye! чтобы берлин оставался нашим домом Aby Berlin pozostał naszym domem!. City, 25(5-6), pp.561-569.
Humphry, D., with Mayo, M., Barbawoo, M and Panjwani, S.M.. 2021. Community Voices: what people want on the Holloway Prison redevelopment. Report, Community Plan for Holloway, London. March 2021
Humphry, D. with Schendler, B., Downie, S., Wasuge, S. and Kimbell, L. 2021. A Community Response to Knife Crime: Exploring Young People’s Needs. Report, Kentish Town Futures, London, March 2021.
Humphry, D., 2020. Campaigning in the time of coronavirus. City, 24(3-4) 423-430
Humphry, D., Clifford, E., Greene, A., Peters, P. and Walker, K., 2020. Introduction to, and Interview with, Disabled People Against Cuts. City, 24(1-2).
Humphry, D., 2020. From residualisation to individualization? Social tenants’ experiences in post-Olympics East Village. Housing, Theory and Society, 37(4), pp.458-480.
Humphry, D & Hampden-Thompson, G., 2019. Primary school pupils’ emotional experiences of synchronous audio-led online communication during online one-to-one tuition. Computers & Education, 135: 100–112
Bernstock, P, Hall, T, Humphry, D, Price, H, 2018. Evaluation of the potential for University College London to ensure a meaningful legacy in East London, Report, UCL, July 2018.
Humphry, D., 2017. ‘The Best New Place to Live’? Visual Research with Residents in East Village and E20. In London 2012 and the Post-Olympics City. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
Bernstock, P, Butler, T, Humphry, D. 2017. Evaluation of Carpenters Road Lock: A Heritage Lottery funded project, London: Centre for East London Studies
Humphry, D. 2016. ’Social housing tenants who feel demonised as second-class citizens’. Homes for All. The Guardian.
Humphry, D (2013) ‘Inside Outside: a Visual Investigation of Belonging in a North London Neighbourhood’, in Home: International Perspectives on Culture, Identity and Belonging. Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.
Selected Presentations and Exhibitions
Exploring the financialisation of intermediate housing and struggles for community-led alternatives in London’s Olympic Park, AAG online, New York.
The commodification of intermediate housing, subsidies for the wealthy and community-led alternatives. IIBG/RGS online, London.
Residualisation to Individualisation: Housing in East Village. RGS London and EUGO Galway.
Remembering Grenfell. RGS-IBG Earth Photo Exhibition. Guardian article.
East Village: where do we go from here? Regen. Committee, Greater London Assembly.
Responses and Opposition to the Housing and Planning Act’s Assault on Home Leeds University
Social Mixing, Social Capital, Social Mobility in a diverse London Neighbourhood RC21 Berlin.
My Place Your Place E20. Photography exhibition. Living Maps. London E15 & E20.
Academic and Training
2014 PhD University of Sussex: Experiences of Social Mobility in a Mixed-class London Neighbourhood’ (Geog). ESRC-funded, to deadline, no corrections.
2009 MSc Research Methods, University of Sussex (Distinction)
2005 MA Photography & Urban Culture, Goldsmiths Uni. London (Distinction)
Service and Membership
2016-current. Editor for City: analysis of urban change, theory, action journal
2019-2021. Research Fellow Royal Geographical Society (RGS-IBG)
2018-2021. Founder, researcher Kentish Town Futures.
2015-2021. Campaigner. Homes for All (Axe the Housing Act) & Islington Homes for All
Selected Teaching Experience
2016-2021 Human Geography lecturer, Kingston University.
2013-2016 Human Geography lecturer, University of Sussex.
Journalism and Documentary photography
1993-2020: RNIB, RNID, the Guardian, Mencap, Sue Ryder, Macmillan Cancer Relief, BBC. Topics incl. Gypsy-travellers, alternative families, transgender, disability, sexworkers. Exhibited at The Royal Festival Hall, The National Portrait Gallery, London and The Watershed, Bristol.
Orcid 0000-0002-5589-5150
Selected Publications
- Humphry, D., Clifford, E., Greene, A., Peters, P. and Walker, K., 2020. Introduction to, and Interview with, Disabled People Against Cuts. City, 24(1-2).
- Humphry, D., 2019. From residualisation to individualization? Social tenants’ experiences in post-Olympics East Village. Housing, Theory and Society. Online Aug 19, in print
- Fernandez-Arrigoitia, M., Humphry, D. & Richter, A., 2019. Anything is possible. CITY 23(2)139-142.
- Humphry & Hampden-Thompson, 2019. Primary school pupils’ emotional experiences of synchronous audio-led online communication during online one-to-one tuition. Computers & Education, 135, pp.100–112
- Humphry, D., 2017. ‘The Best New Place to Live’? Visual Research with Residents in East Village and E20. In London 2012 and the Post-Olympics City. Palgrave Macmillan, London.
- Humphry, D. 2017. Voices and Analysis, Grenfell Tower. City website
- Gibbons, A & Humphry, D. 2017, Endpiece: From LA to Standing Rock and beyond: a holistic reading of confluences, CITY Vol. 21 (1).
- Bernstock, Butler & Humphry. 2017. Carpenters Road Lock Evaluation Report. CELS, the University of East London. Canal & River Trust.
- Crockett, N. Cohen, P. & Humphry, D. 2016. SOOP report. LivingMaps Network. Building Exp.
- Humphry, D. 2016. ‘Rapid response to the London’s Housing Crisis and its Activisms Conference, associated with CITY’s Special Feature, CITY Vol 20 (3) May 2016
- Humphry, D. 2016. ’Social housing tenants who feel demonised as second-class citizens’. Homes for All. The Guardian.
- Humphry, D. 2013 ‘Inside Outside: a Visual Investigation of Belonging in a North London Neighbourhood’, in Home: International Perspectives on Culture, Identity and Belonging. Peter Lang International Academic Publishers.
- Gidley, B, Rooke, A, Lelliott, S & Humphry, D (2008), Learning from the Local: The Newtown Neighbourhood Project Report, West Kent Xtra, Goldsmiths University of London.
Selected Conferences
2019 Women and Homelessness Symposium: ‘Parenthood and Intersectionality: the importance of secure housing and strong ties for parent’s emotional coping capacities’, CRESR, Sheffield Hallam University.
2019 Working Class Studies: ‘Inter-class Experiences of Getting on’, Kent University.
2019 RGS-IBG: ‘Individualised Experiences in post-Olympics East Village’; Earth Photo Exhibition, Remembering Grenfell.
2019 EUGEO Galway: ‘The Self-responsible Tenant during Austerity Neoliberalism’.
2017 RC21 Leeds: Panel co-convener ‘Visualising the Fight for Home & Security’
2017 BSA conference Leeds: ‘Housing and Planning Act: the personal is political.
2017 ‘East Village ‘bubble’: where do we go from here?’, Regeneration Committee Meeting, City Hall, Greater London Assembly.
2017 Assembly Regeneration Committee, City Hall, London: Community engagement at East Village, Stratford (post-Olympics E20).
2016 ‘Responses & Opposition to the Housing & Planning Act’s Assault on Home’, Leeds University
2015 ‘Speaking out of Place’ Keynote; London’s Turning, LivingMaps, UEL.
2013 ‘Social Mixing, Social Capital and Social Mobility in a Mixed-class Inner London Neighbourhood. RC21. ‘Resourceful Cities’, Berlin.
2013 Social Mixing, Social Capital, Social Mobility in a diverse London Neighbourhood. RC21 Berlin.