What’s it like be a female creative from the North?
"Being a female creative from the North and particularly from a working class background is a blessing and a curse"
[G]rowing up in the Northern countryside is both an incredible nurturing experience and one that is also incredibly frustrating.
Specifically for young creatives the need to move to London feels now more important than ever, it will always be the go to place for young creatives trying to make a name for themselves.
Here we speak to female creatives about the lack of diversity in a slowly emerging Northern art scene, in these often isolating areas are we starting to see a creative shift?
When will London stop being the over arching location for young creatives and young people? – Are these women the brave new face for diversity in the modern art world?
Rosie Newton – Fashion Design Student @rsnwtn
Photograph by Maisie Cousins
“Being a female creative from the North and particularly from a working class background is a blessing and a curse as it can be fuel for a lot of creative outlet but also can put a halt on success within the industry. I am at university in London and I would love to move closer to home when I graduate but the reality is that if I stay in London I am more likely to get a job in a creative field…
“…my ideal scenario would be to live closer to home and to run my own shop/gallery where I sell my work and clothes I make. It would be cheaper to rent a shop back home but it would also mean a lot less custom in comparison to bigger cities. I think that some cities in the north are thriving in the creative industries – it’s good that London doesn’t have everything now and the north is taking it back! …”
"It's great to see more creative opportunities happening back home and in smaller towns up north but it is definitely a boys club."
“…I think it’s important to try and even the playing field throughout the country and not let the idea that London is the only place for success in creative fields. It’s great to see more creative opportunities happening back home and in smaller towns up north but it is definitely a boys club at the minute and I think it just reflects the sexism within the art world and we need to try and change it!…
“…I hope to run some female events when I’m back home to try and spur a movement and some motivation for all the creative girls there who feel left out and also feel that there’s nothing like that for them right now.”
Lydia Greenwood – Artist @wagwanhomeslice
Photograph by Emily Charlesworth
“I’m an artist who specialises in people and interesting objects, also some stuff I really don’t care about but I still draw them. Being a female artist from the north is weird !! It’s only recently that theres been an art kinda scene emerging and from my point of view, it seems to be boys doing it and not involving girls!!..”
“…I posted a status on my Facebook page explaining this and got so much support and understanding from the girls but nothing but grief and anger off the boys!! “A man of quality should not be threatened by a woman of equality” I feel if women artists and men artists have to be on the same level women have to be involved too and at the moment I don’t feel working class women are involved and asked to do as much as the rest…”
"at the moment I don't feel working class women are involved and asked to do as much as the rest"
“…There is positivity, however, as a local arts community round the corner from mine in Morecambe have taken eleven of my pieces to sell on. I’m planning on running some events with Rosie in the north when we are both back to engage with working class women, this will involve putting on DJ nights, exhibitions and art shows. I cant wait!!”
Unity Lawrence McKie – Textile Design Student @unityannabel
“My names unity I am a working class textile/mixed media crafter and artist from Lancaster. First of all I love the north! The real down to earth people, industrial architecture, run down seaside towns and cheap charity shops make you feel like you live in the real Britain however being from the North West can feel like a creative disadvantage in many ways, being unable to afford visits to see your favourite artists exhibitions in London for example and growing up in a depressing council estate regularly being laughed at for the way you dress, being around poverty, aggression and narrow minded attitudes and no hope vibes can make you feel very lonely…”
"growing up in a depressing council estate regularly being laughed at for the way you dress, being around poverty, aggression and narrow minded attitudes"
“…It has to be said that although there is an art scene in my hometown it doesn’t feel like there is equal opportunities for women and maybe not intentionally but we are not very often included or asked despite this we have lot of exciting plans coming up focusing on female artists in our local area. It is a just a shame things have to be so separated.”
"It has to be said that although there is an art scene in my hometown it doesn't feel like there is equal opportunities for women"
“My mum who is a successful landscape garden designer in Lancaster encounters sexism in her profession on a daily basis “this is not suitable work for a girl”, they take tools from her because “she’s not strong enough/doesn’t know what she’s doing” try and stop her unloading/loading things from her van, constant discussion of her appearance, inappropriate comments, being ignored when talking or accuse her of nagging when giving people roles/jobs all things they wouldn’t dream of doing if she was a man, for a professional woman trying to run her business it’s unacceptable.”
"My mum who is a successful landscape garden designer in Lancaster encounters sexism in her profession on a daily basis "
"I am afraid of when I need to intern for my course / work experience as most of my favourite designers are in London"
“Although it’s shoved down our throats that London is the best place to study and the only place an artist could possibly thrive I have found moving to Glasgow to study at the art school to be an eye opener. Glasgow and Scotland has such a huge art scene where no body feels excluded – lots of free events and workshops, accessible exhibitions, cheap studio spaces, space to breathe and be yourself…”
“…Although it’s a huge city it is manageable with a mental health illness, I am afraid of when I need to intern for my course / work experience as most of my favourite designers are in London and that’s where most of the opportunities are and I feel like my mental health will suffer. For a more community feel, reasonable rent and spaces and being in nature I am so happy to stay in the north!”
unitylawrensonvisualartist.tumblr.com
Unity’s mum’s gardening website – unitylandscapes.co.uk
Imogen Kelly – Fashion Graduate @planetetal
“I think I have been quite lucky as I’ve been on a fashion course pretty much made up entirely of females so haven’t yet faced any kind of problems in terms of gender inequality personally, but I know people have felt this, so maybe this is something I am yet to experience. I do however feel there is a massive expectation that you need to move to London in order to be successful in the creative industry, yet also that it would be impossible to get your work noticed there due to the enormous amount of people who also feel this is the case…”
"I do however feel there is a massive expectation that you need to move to London in order to be successful in the creative industry, yet also that it would be impossible to get your work noticed "
“…It does seem a bit mad that everyone feels there’s only really one place they can go to do what they want to do. I am far too skint to afford living in London right now and it would be good to feel like there was more options of doing exciting creative things up north. At the moment most creative people move away to London so it doesn’t feel like there would be enough people here to begin starting projects with people or have the right audience. It does feel like there is starting to be a slight shift though and creative people are starting to consider the north a bit more, it would be really exciting if this continues and people start feeling more confident in beginning creative projects in the north.”
"At the moment most creative people move away to London so it doesn't feel like there would be enough people here to begin starting projects"
Emily Charlesworth – Photographer @coolandrefreshing
“As a photographer from the North I have found myself in a very male dominated environment although there are many great female photographers this is part of the struggle of get my work out there and make my voice heard. I feel like confidence is a big issue for me and in-between all the elbow pushing my status amongst confident males is low. A lot of my work is personal to me and takes a glimpse into my day to day activities which gives a sensitive approach to my work…”
"I feel like confidence is a big issue for me and in-between all the elbow pushing my status amongst confident males is low"
“…During the beginning of finding a passion in photography I discovered that most of the people I was meeting through photography were male and most of the knowledge relayed to me was technical and theory rather than the practical, trial and error way I enjoyed…”
"I discovered that most of the people I was meeting through photography were male"
“…Being from the North there are a great deal less opportunities than in other parts of the country. The arts is a highly competitive field and in a male dominated industry opportunities are again narrowed by being a female.”
