A little over a year ago, on the 29th of November 2019, the Guardian published a series of artworks entitled Rubbish Seaside.
I found publication day stressful. I felt vulnerable. I lived and worked in Blackpool at the start of my career but had recently moved back to my home city of Manchester. I wondered whether I really had the right to speak on behalf of the town. I was anxious about what my ex-colleagues would think.
I want editors working for national news outlets to understand that although a piece like ours might only be on the main page of the website or app for a few hours, it really does make a lasting difference. We raised £434 for Blackpool Carers through the link we put at the end of our piece (we donated our fee too). It is so rare that places like Blackpool are represented in a nuanced, asset-focussed way. North-based arts projects and organisations that we mentioned in passing were thrilled to have their names in the national press for the first time, and still use our article to evidence their impact to funders. They need this much more than the National Theatre does.
Rebecca Grant started her teaching career in Blackpool. She is currently working on a PhD about educational disadvantage in Manchester, writing for Kick Down the Barriers in Blackburn and continues to teach in secondary schools. Charlotte Yates has worked in a number of roles in education and currently teaches English in a state secondary in the North West of England.
