What I’m trying to say was an Arts Council-funded artistic piece exploring everyday hand gestures in relation to communication. I began this project by visiting public places where conversations took place, particularly cafés and shops.  People were keen to share their views, and many were happy for their hands to be photographed during the conversation. I built a library of images and stories which were shared online and gathered interest from local media and other groups, including Love Hackney and Hackney Silver Surfers. Silver Surfers is an organisation working with Hackney residents 50+ and invited me to speak about the project on their radio station. What I’m trying to say culminated in a short film featuring the hand gestures of 25 Hackney residents ranging in age from 8-70, who shared the stories of why hand gestures help them to be understood. The film was Screened in Hackney Museum alongside a photographic exhibition and was presented at the Light Moves Festival of screendance in Limerick, Ireland (2014).