Where to go when the space you live in no longer provides? What do you do when you run out of life ambitions because of the difficulties you’re faced with? One option would be to lower your arms and give in to a safe alternative. Another more fruitful approach is to take the opportunity it provides and embrace a new perspective. In the third instalment in the Perspectives series, giffgaff is launching a new chapter on vice.com. Examining the relationship between economy and community – the latter often neglected in favour of the first – giffgaff takes a look at the key issues faced by young people. Speaking to Amy Redmond – one of the original founders of Sink The Pink – giffgaff documents her move from London to Margate, where a burgeoning art scene is coming to the forefront.
Taking control of her situation, Amy Redmond felt the burden of the economic situation in London, but interpreted it as an invitation to venture further afield, looking to alternative options than the London imperative. For young people working in creative industries, the idea of chasing your dreams is far more appealing than chasing money: Amy took her idea of opening a space for artists to Margate.
Young entrepreneur Jordy, on the other hand, started a pizza business out of the back of his pickup truck in Crewe. Amy taps into the rich creative talent of her area, while Jordy’s Pizza makes the most of the wealth of local produce available to produce his pizzas. Locally sourcing his ingredients, his business revels in the positive opportunities in his area – some of which are overseen.
The idea, ultimately, is to reinvest the energy and resources that your space provides, creating a self-sufficient system. Empowerment comes from positively disrupting the status quo; don’t stick to the situation that’s dragging you down, move your talents elsewhere to build on your opportunities. Work with your community rather than trying to outrun others – it’s through collaborative alternatives that economic rebirth can happen.
Discover the full giffgaff Perspectives series on vice.com here.
