A new pop-up exhibition exploring the untold stories of Kingston's history started at the Ancient Market House today (Thursday, 20 November).

Kingston Unwritten, which was developed with help from the council and National Lottery funding, uses sound installations and multimedia displays to chronicle the stories of regular people.

The exhibition features sound installations (Credit: James Bools)

The exhibition features the work of 12 volunteers from across the area, in addition to displays produced by artists and local residents.

It marks the showstopping culmination of the Kingston 2025 programme, a series of events celebrating the crowning of Athelstan I – England's first King – in the borough 1100 years ago.

The exhibition marks the end of the Kingston 2025 programme (Credit: James Bools)

Albinia Stanley, curator of the exhibition, said: "Usually we don't know about the stories of ordinary people because famous people wrote all the records.

"It's been a really interesting journey into the past in order to understand the present."

Stanley also stated she wants the exhibition to contribute to future historical research, in order to prevent the histories of "average Joes" from being lost again.

She said: "First person accounts are missing from the historical record, but now we can document contemporary histories from a wide range of perspectives.

"When people look back at Kingston in 2025 they're going to have a really diverse set of historical documents to work with.

"We're really shaping how the borough will be understood in 100, 200, 300 years."

She also went on to praise the volunteers for their tireless research, commitment to learning new skills and the impact they have had on their community.

Topics explored within the exhibition include disability rights, the role of the pub through the years, the history of Kingston's Jewish community, and even the life of a recently arrived migrant.

The exhibition includes tales from Kingston's market traders (Credit: James Bools)

Rianne Pezzey was one of the volunteers, with her project focusing on visual changes within the borough.

She said: "People who work in the area are going to be the ones who notice changes in buildings, structures or even people who come and go.

"As part of this project I have made time to look around at places I am familiar with, and take note of any historical elements I might have missed before."

The art history student interviewed her father as part of her research, reasoning that as a postal worker of 40 years, he was more likely than most to have noticed changes during his rounds.

At a time when Britain is seemingly more fractured than ever, the exhibition has also played a crucial role in bringing people together – something Stanley is keenly aware of.

She said: "The volunteers who have been meeting at the community centre are so different from one another.

"I don't think this is a group of people who would've met, or maybe even got along without the project.

"But through working together, learning together and planning together, they have built strong relationships across different communities."

Kingston Unwritten will run at the Ancient Market House between 10am - 5pm from 20 - 30 November (Credit: James Bools)

Kingston Unwritten will run at the Ancient Market House between 10am - 5pm from 20 - 30 November.

More information about the exhibition can be accessed here.