Insideout, the Bigg market
I lived in Newcastle upon Tyne, in the North East of England, for over three years. Since my arrival I have been fascinated and attracted to the colourful expression of the way locals entertain themselves; very different from my own experience. For this reason I have decided to begin this project. The Bigg Market is a small area in Newcastle city centre that comes alive at weekends. Here, people from all around the country, gather together to organise hen, stag and birthday parties. The project soon became an interesting way to analyse how I personally perceive and visualise the idea of "socialisation" and "entertainment". Sometimes entertaining ourselves is a necessity. It is a mechanism used to try to forget the complications of daily routine, especially during the last few years of financial difficulty. The term "entertain" indicates not just drinking and having fun to the excess; it also includes others expressions of socialisation: feeling part of a group, being accepted, respected and most of all, mutual support. In contraposition, despite the multitude around us, there are still instants in which our mind is set off; our body is there, but we are not. Those are instants in which our memories and thoughts blend together. A place where reality isn't clear and time becomes relative. It is a time when emotions are magnified and particularly available for observation. The Bigg Market is a unique place where these concepts are particularly visible.