Live from East London, where streets buzz with art, history, and hustle, GenB TV Music’s cultural commentator Amardeep Sura sits down with a creative voice who’s been documenting the scene through her lens and her hustle, Harps, a photographer and BBC social media exec who’s all about community, culture, and taking chances.
Amardeep Sura: Oh, no one, just you?
Harps (laughing): Just me!
Amardeep: How are you?
Harps: I’m good, thank you. How are you?
Amardeep: I’m good! What brings you to East London today?
Harps: I’m setting up shop, and I’m about to do an interview about the community and what I do.
Amardeep: Amazing. So tell us, what do you do?
Harps: I’m a photographer, yeah and I’ve been doing photography for about 10 years now. On the other side of things, I’m also a social media exec at the BBC.
Amardeep: Best of both worlds.
Harps: I know, right?
Whether she’s on set shooting live shows or helping shape narratives online, Harps’ story is one of following the vibe, not the rulebook. Her photography journey didn’t start with a formal course, it started with a thoughtful gift and a moment of curiosity.
“After uni, my dad bought me a camera as my leaving gift. I was like, what am I gonna do with this?”
That camera would end up changing her life. Just as the Afrobeat and UK rap scene was exploding, Harps found herself pulled into its orbit.
“Back then, Afro pop was just coming up, Young T, Not3s, all of them popping off. Then I landed a gig with D-Block Europe. It was my first ever. Bouncer Play Dirty hired me. I had no experience. I just dove straight into the deep end.”
It was baptism by fire, and she thrived in it. That jump into the unknown gave Harps the confidence to keep creating, learning, and evolving.
Amardeep: That’s wild. So how would you encourage other people to take that kind of risk?
Harps: “100%. I feel like you need to take a risk. You don’t know what the outcome’s gonna be, it either goes bad or it goes good. But that’s life, innit?”
Today, Harps balances a dual identity, visual storyteller and digital strategist. Her work at the BBC feeds into her passion for representation and impact, while her photography allows her to keep her finger on the cultural pulse.
Amardeep: So, between photography and your work at the BBC, which one do you prefer?
Harps (smiling): I’m sorry. I like both.
And who can blame her? Harps is living proof that you don’t have to choose just one path, you can make your own.
She’s not just capturing the culture. She’s part of it.
