A love letter to working-class Londoners
Coming from a small forest town with very few opportunities for creatives and a place that was culturally dry and conservative, I knew I had to make a move to London. Like so many young creative people today, I dreamt of one day working, living and thriving in the big city. I did just that, and goodness me, it has taught me a lot. Throughout the blog, I will share what worked for me and my love for London's creative scene and what makes working class creatives in London so unique. In short, you could see this as a love letter to working-class Londoners.
Working-class creatives like myself are some of the most hardworking, talented people you will ever meet, our work ethic is embedded into us, and our pure passion pushes us through doors that have been previously closed firmly shut - we are a force to be reckoned with.
It’s easy to feel like the odds of working in the creative industry are Stacked against us, especially if you never went to drama school or don’t have a trust fund to help you pay for the many things you need when living in London. Still, we thrive. Still, we show up every day ready to create, most times being underpaid and overworked (however, I see this slowly changing). We never stop making groundbreaking works of art, and working-class creatives have a tradition of smashing conventional ideologies simply by sharing their stories. More of this later.
I moved to London in 2019 in what I could only describe as a very dodgy sublet in south Kilburn, but it didn’t matter, because I was finally in London; that’s all that I cared about. It didn’t matter that I moved up with no savings, and eating was sometimes a daily Challenge; there were times when I would use this free food app where people would give out expired food for free. I used this for a time so I could eat, and I found that selling my clothes was an excellent way to get some spare cash. I took every day as it came.
In the early days, the most vital lifeline I had in London was my Community, which were artists in ther own right. Create your community, and they will carry you through tricky times. They will help inspire you and keep you motivated even when you can’t afford the tube, and your card gets declined for a bottle of water (actual events). The community will keep you grounded whilst still being inspired. My Community has changed over the years as it does, but part of my community will always be ARDENT.
My journey to the city was helped by being selected for Ardent8 – a unique program set up by Ardent Theatre Company to support graduating performing arts students from working class backgrounds – helping access the industry by paying for train fares, inviting them to attend industry led workshops and providing a platform to keep working on our craft and an Equity contract at the end of it. Andy and Mark nurtured us with knowledge, advice and unique workshops. Their commitment to us for having equal opportunity was refreshing; they knew that our lack of financial stability didn’t make our talent any less valuable. They fought for our right to be seen, and Ardent was connecting us with amazing people. Over the years of working with Ardent, I was fortunate enough to connect with notable artists such as Daniel Bailey, Associate Director at the Bush Theatre, Daniel Ward-Nixon, comedy producer at the Tramshed, and the working class Dagenham man himself, Jimmy Lee photographer, to name but a few. My Community, along with the Ardent8 and Ardent Theatre Company, supported and connected me so that I could continue to nurture these working relationships.
I could see that living, working and thriving in London was not unattainable. I saw working-class creatives doing just this, and my community helped me see what was possible. So my first piece of advice is, build a community.
My second piece of advice is connection; make as many meaningful and lasting genuine connections as you can! London’s creative community is second to none; like nothing I have seen before, with people from working-class backgrounds making their mark in the creative world and breaking down barriers for others. People will support and celebrate all the beautifulness of nonconformity, especially in London and speaking of community and breaking down barriers, let me introduce the beautiful November Theatre - A Female and trans-led theatre. November Theatre has created and housed some fantastic people through their work. November Theatre is firmly committed to employing working-class people and making their work financially accessible! They recognise the importance of providing a platform for those entering the theatre industry, especially in light of the 2020 pandemic. Consequently, they are committed to ensuring 40% of the cast/team are new emerging artists, offering experience/training for professionals at the start of their careers, no matter their age. This is what creating art is all about.
Before I get into my last piece of advice, I would like to point out a few more helpful tips I don’t see many people discussing. These apply to when you are either trying to make the move to London or you are here, and you are struggling;
Find a cheap sublet
Move to the lesser know areas
Take the bus (it’s cheaper)
Sell things you don’t need - clothes, shoes, books
Don’t follow the London going out lifestyle - the hype is not worth the amount you pay
Try to Stay connected with everyone you meet – of course there will always be the exception!
No job is too good for you - at least for now. Do what you can to earn money
Free food apps - many places now give out food for a discounted price or either for free
Many theatres, such as The Bush Theatre, help young creatives by giving free or heavily discounted tickets
Never work for free
And here are some fantastic Instagram accounts for creatives jobs:
My last piece of advice for being in London or, if you're starting your journey - have other creative skills besides your main one; for example, I’m an actor, but to stay in the creative industry, I’m building my stylised portfolio with trying my hand at assisting designers and trying my hand at running events. Remember, you have more transferable skills than you realise. The more skills you have, the more employable you, so have a go at trying something new.
There is no one answer on the topic of “How to make it “, but it’s important to remember that there is no right or wrong way. There is no should or shouldn’t - everybody’s journey in this creative industry is entirely different. As long as you are keeping connected and creating your community, and trying your hand at everything, then I believe you’re half the way there. There are so many opportunities and doors to be opened. And if you strive, you will thrive.
With love
Georgina Pacifico