The Gaze - exhibition launch and panel discussion

This event will invite the public to look closely at the often-hidden lives of immigrant food entrepreneurs in London.
The Gaze invites the public to look closely at the often-hidden lives of immigrant food entrepreneurs in London. Behind every shopfront, food stall, and kitchen is not just a business, but a personal journey of resilience, adaptation and care.

Through oral histories, memories and everyday business, this exhibition explores how entrepreneurship becomes more than a means of survival. It is a way to build belonging, community, and city’s cultural and economic fabrics.

The Gaze is framed by powerful themes: multiculturalism, superdiversity, gentrification, immigration policies, financial wellbeing, cultural capital, social inequality and mobility. These themes shape the paths of immigrant entrepreneurs, who are not just as service providers, but cultural ambassadors, food innovators, and our neighbours.

We hope The Gaze brings more conversations around visibility, social integration, and the vital role of migrant entrepreneurship in shaping the city we work, study, live, and share.