Here's the thing.

It's not just that rural / island places work differently to urban areas, it's also that they're not aiming to be urban areas.

Instead of trying to impose urban standards in an effort to 'improve' them, start looking for the opportunity in these differences.

Really interesting for a read or listen from Aidan Moesby DisabilityArtsOnline beta.disabilityarts.online/resources/rese…

“It was like she was born with a silver camera in her hand.” If you missed the incredible Tish Murtha documentary, it’s now on iPlayer. bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod…

In the current issue of Amateur Photographer I talk to #curator Johny Pitts about a new touring #photography #exhibition attempting to piece together complex and counterintuitive expressions of #workingclass life today 📸 Southbank Centre

A new exhibition examines working-class photography in the UK in the years since 1989 — and demonstrates art’s potential to expose political failure and social division. tribunemag.co.uk/2024/04/photog…

It's important to highlight the important work that current contemporary working class photographers of this generation are showing under difficult circumstances - the struggle is real. Please do look at and celebrate the important work of Joanne Coates and Kirsty Mackay

Such a great model narture.cic -‘our mission is to bake real bread to earn the dough to fund arts projects.’ They are crowdfunding to expand their bakery in Ayr - I look forward to visiting crowdfunder.co.uk/p/narture

Currently listening to Payal Parekh talking about how we need collective action towards climate, thinking about working class, rural and Bipoc voters. Sharing groups who are doing it differently 👏🏻

Late night writing, sending files & listening to the brilliant James Graham really powerful & interesting #desertislanddiscs with a focus on class. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

What Liberals Get Wrong About ‘White Rural Rage’ in the USA — Almost Everything - POLITICO politico.com/news/magazine/…

BREAKING (GOOD) NEWS

Traditionally, seeing the first Swallow is a sign that spring is here with warmer weather to follow and bright blue skies. My sister lives in the Shropshire countryside and this morning reports good news. PS I love how she's kept this diary...

The number of pensioners becoming homeless has risen 50% in just four years, reports Hannah Fearn

It's an absolute disgrace

inews.co.uk/inews-lifestyl…

Forever grateful for pals & Glen who convince me I need walks. I love walking but often get sucked into long days and start burning out.

Talk tomorrow in Newcastle. Be lovely to see folk, and first time in chatting about Middle of Somewhere. A new commission for Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art eventbrite.com/e/foth-photogr…

When I say I like country I mean …

An absolute classic ethnography, which includes the most memorable acknowledgments section that I've ever read:

'University was an experiential black hole for me, sucking all of human value from all I had ever known and everything that I was.'

This is maybe my favourite line of the Arts & Homelessness International budget at the start of this new financial year - following a successful set of conversations with the Charity Commission, they have agreed that we can pay our trustees who are/have been homeless 💪

'Other people had to pay to eat their food with hotel cutlery; we did it every day, without ever paying a penny.'

Read an extract from Robert Ashton's ‘Where Are the Fellows Who Cut the Hay?’ — an ode to rural life, published tomorrow by Unbound caughtbytheriver.net/2024/04/where-…