Creative Arts Student Journey: Insights from Tim Harbridge

Creative Arts Student Journey: Insights from Tim Harbridge

In my BA (Hons) Creative Arts journey, I've pondered over the concept of 'Place' and how it defines our existence. I believe place, environment, location, and space are like Russian Dolls, each one interconnected and encompassing our personal experiences.

A 'Place' is a stage for things to happen, where anything can occur. It could be as simple as a canvas or a piece of paper or a patch of ground. According to me, it's the restrictive factors in the environment that determine what can happen in a place. For instance, my high street, with its unique identity, reflects our community identity - when we lose the essence of our high street, we lose a piece of ourselves as a community.

In Unit 1.2, I created a time-lapse video of my recently closed post office on the high street to illustrate this idea. I noted how the routineness of our lives often makes us oblivious to the spaces we inhabit and the impact they have on us. To raise awareness, I collected sand, chalk, stones, and frozen seawater, and placed them in small cages to allow the seaside to visit the city. The thawing of the water would leave its trace, reminding urban dwellers of their proximity to the sea and the sea's influence on their environment.

The world is a dynamic space, and nothing is unchanging, no matter how it seems. In Unit 1.3, as I reflected on the concept of 'Environment,' I realized how many of us, as Brightonians, seldom take advantage of our seaside location. To reflect on this, I constructed small containers filled with sand, chalk, stones, and frozen seawater, and placed them in urban areas to bring the seaside closer to city dwellers.

Time plays a crucial role in shaping our environment, be it personal, urban, global, or natural. Everything is in a state of flux, and everything is heading somewhere. Our creative practices and art forms should reflect this fluidity and change, to keep up with the ever-changing world.

If you're intrigued by the Creative Arts degree, check out the course details to learn more.

Tim Harbridge

*Strong environmental and place identities foster improved mental health, reduced stress, and an enhanced sense of community and social connection.

Personal and community identities are strongly influenced by the environments we inhabit. Environmental identity, the perception, and relationship individuals and communities have with their surroundings, are deeply intertwined with place and space, shaping attitudes, behaviors, and even self-concepts. Place attachment, the emotional bond between individuals and specific locations, embeds these spaces in our identities, reinforcing feelings of belonging, pride, and community cohesion.

High streets, for example, hold significant cultural and social importance, serving as focal points of community identity, commerce, and social engagement. Their physical state, cultural vibrancy, and social dynamics directly impact how people perceive and interact within them. A strong emotional bond with the high street, in turn, promotes mental health, social connections, and collective stewardship. Conversely, poorly maintained high streets can lead to negative perceptions, diminished community pride, and even social isolation.

To foster stronger connections with high streets, innovative and creative approaches can be employed to engage the community, foster social interactions, and deepen emotional bonds. These methods include:

• Public art and street murals that reflect local history, cultural narratives, and environmental themes, making the space more meaningful and inviting.
• Community events and markets that encourage social gatherings, fostering connections among residents.
• Participatory urban design that empowers community members to have a say in shaping their high streets to meet their needs and reflect their identities.
• Digital and multimedia storytelling to share stories about the high street's heritage and ongoing community life.

These creative actions not only enhance aesthetic appeal but foster emotional connections and promote stewardship.

Individuals and communities with a strong environmental identity linked to their local places are more likely to adopt sustainable behaviors, such as supporting local businesses, caring for green spaces, and advocating for environmentally friendly policies. This ethical dimension influences decisions at both the individual and policy levels, guiding communities toward resilience and sustainability.

Sources:

[1] S. M. Berry, J. T. Watson, E. D. Kaoru, & P. M. Wachtmeister, " Place attachment among university students: An investigation into the driving forces," Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 53, no. March 2016, pp. 4-11.

[2] B. Ashmore, " Environmental identity circulation and rearrangement of the physical world: A constructivist grounded theory of conservation behaviour," Environmental Education Research, vol. 10, no. 4., 2004, pp. 477-492.

[3] L. G. Peloquin, L. A. Ellsworth, M. R. Hammit, & J. K. Trotochaud, "Inclusionary Zoning Ordinances, Transportation Networks, and Racial Segregation in Detroit," Urban Geography, vol. 39, no. 6, 2018, pp. 1137-1162.

[4] S. Altman, " Community attachment, social support, and psychological well-being: Relationships among residents of multiple types of community," Journal of Community Psychology, vol. 23, no. 5, 1995, pp. 441-454.

[5] S. L. Malone, "Conceptualizing place attachment: Review and a proposed integrative framework," Canadian Journal of Behavioral Science, vol. 42, no. 4, 2010, pp. 334-345.

[6] J. A. Somerville, "The role of place in identity formation: A review of research," Journal of Environmental Psychology, vol. 21, no. 2, 2001, pp. 165-178.

• Exploring the impact of environment, place, and space on personal growth, one can consider education and self-development opportunities such as mindfulness, online-learning, and other forms of personal growth integrated into local communities, particularly high streets, through creative engagement strategies like public art, community events, participatory design, and digital storytelling.
• A strong environmental and place identity, rooted in learning experiences that promote connection with local spaces, can foster personal growth, improved mental health, reduced stress, and enhanced social connections, ultimately contributing to the overall well-being and sustainability of a community.

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