Fighting To Be Seen

When a lot of us wonder why we don’t get the credit we deserve for our efforts to ensure Southampton’s creative scene is put on the map, there is a question that needs to be addressed. The question isn’t whether the city has creatives, it’s how they push past the invisible ceiling that keeps them local, overlooked and boxed in by postcode and expectation.

Breaking barriers rarely starts with permission, it starts with friction. It starts with making work that feels slightly uncomfortable, slightly too honest, maybe even work that risks being misunderstood but you’re being honest to yourself! Originality doesn’t come from recreating and adjusting what already works to tailor to your personality, it comes from digging into what only you can say, your accent, your life experience, the environment you were shaped in and the failures you don’t post.

A lot of creatives get stuck chasing what’s already validated, the sound that’s trending, the visual style that’s getting shared, the format that feels safe. In reality, the new viral trends are 9/10 something original which is why it is so widely shared. The work that cuts through usually ignores the unwritten rules, it’s rough around the edges, sometimes badly mixed or imperfectly framed, but it’s alive. It’s raw and real which in the world we are living in now, people relate to that more.

Exposure is not magic, it’s repetitive labour. It’s showing up when nobody’s watching, posting when engagement is dead, emailing venues that don’t reply and becoming what may feel like a master of rejection. It is extremely rare to have everything handed on a plate to you without putting in all the gruelling work behind the scenes that nobody will understand. 

Southampton creatives don’t need to sound like London, or mimic any other city or culture that they can’t claim, or even be anyone but themselves for that matter. The power is in specificity and it grows when you stop apologising for where you’re from and start owning it.

Community matters more than competition, scenes grow from shouting each other out, event nights, exhibitions and collectives. As a city we have the most incredible community!Building our own culture is faster, messier, and more powerful than trying to fit into someone else’s.

Let’s be honest, for a lot of artists in this city, they’re way too talented and deserve global recognition. 

Like each others posts, share each others videos, collaborate on posts, tag your favourite creatives in the comment sections of similar/related posts! 

It’s time to make some real noise.