皇家华人

Citizen Scientist Coco John Baptiste explores the success of creative individuals living within the community of North Kensington.

Introduction

The title of my piece is called Living Authentically.听Living in a time of 9-5s and doing mundane activities, I still had a deep craving to live authentically听as a creative person as for me the good life is听through freedom of expression and being able to听to create things. Living and existing through creativity is how I view the good life. The topic of this听project is North Kensington鈥檚 creatives, exploring听the success of creative individuals living within the听community. My research aim was to find out what听it means to be a successful person in the Arts, how听people become successful in the Arts and what听a good life means to someone that has achieved听success. I also explored both the opportunities and听challenges that these creatives have faced or have听witnessed within the community.听

My research methods were walking ethnographies听and interviews. I had a range of different interviewees, including: a Westway Trust employee, a gallery owner, an artist, and a writer. Through speaking to these people, I learned that the good life is听a subjective term, some saw it through a lens of听years, feeling that only after the 10-15 years that听have just passed, that now they are living the good听life. For some it鈥檚 being able to still play a part in听other people鈥檚 creativity. But the common denominator seemed to be just doing what they loved.听

What I did

I spoke about the creative spaces, studios and听opportunities that North Ken provided. Through听talking to a range of different people I discovered听some places within the area that I hadn鈥檛 even听heard of. Then on my walking ethnography I went听to some of the spaces, visiting every local gallery听to find out whose art they sold and learned how听little locals鈥� art gets showcased in these spaces.听According to my interviewers, this was down to local artists not taking the initiative and getting their听work out there.

Hidden Space

When I started my research, I听Googled creative spaces: galleries,听bookstores, studios and more.听I went on a walk through the听neighbourhood, and realised听that I had passed these spaces听almost every day, but not noticed听them before. There, but hidden,听disengaged from my life.听
It is possible to live the good life in听North Ken as a creative. There are听spaces for creatives to use, although听some aren鈥檛 known, closed down, or听are expensive for an up-and-coming听artist. Arts spaces around North Ken听are not obvious to a passerby. Yes,听there are opportunities provided听in the area, but they are not听necessarily easy to access.听I found out that a lot of the galleries听along Portobello/Notting Hill don鈥檛听showcase local artist鈥檚 art. A local听graphic designer, AI image artist,听illustrator and comic colourist,听said that 鈥渋t鈥檚 about wanting it and听putting yourself out there鈥�. People do听sometimes approach galleries, but听then they might have to find funding听for themselves.

Putting yourself out there

My interviewees were able to name more听challenges than opportunities, such as finding听funding and not being 鈥榥etworked鈥�. A Westway Trust听employee named a few opportunities provided for听people in North Ken, two being for young creatives,听such as 鈥楢venues鈥�. For older creatives who want to听pursue their passions, there鈥檚 fewer opportunities听available. However, there is the Kensington and听Chelsea Arts Grant scheme, where the council听can help you pursue your creative platform. The听challenge is being willing and able to network, to听look for opportunities and to showcase yourself.

Taking over public spaces

My walking ethnography showed that although听the galleries in North Ken might be difficult to听find and to access for local artists, there are a lot听of examples of artists making their work on the听streets of North Ken. On my walks, I noticed that听graffiti artists had taken over entire walls with their听work, and had invited members of the public to add听their ideas and artwork. There is a wall dedicated听to showing art in public in the Portobello Market,听which exhibits local artists. Creatives also used听floors, vans and other things in public space to听show their work. This shows us how creatives still听find opportunities to express themselves, even in听the face of high costs and limited opportunities.

About the Good Life in North Kensington

The Good Life in North Kensington brings together a team of residents to explore what a 鈥榞ood life鈥� means for people in North Kensington, London, and what some of the barriers are to achieving it.听In 2023, seven local residents became 鈥榗itizen social scientists鈥櫶齛nd carried out their own research projects, investigating issues听which matter to them and their communities.听They have been trained and supported by UCL听Citizen Science听Academy, based at the Institute for Global Prosperity, in collaboration with the University of Manchester and the Westway Trust.听They have since been awarded the Citizen Science Certificate听by the UCL Office for Open Science and are now working with听local organisations to help ensure citizen voices are part of decision-making processes.听

The Good Life North Kensington is part of a larger project on听rethinking neighbourhood change and urban futures in the aftermath of housing tragedies. The project is led by Dr Constance听Smith (University of Manchester) as part of a UKRI Future Leaders听Fellowship.听

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