Do you live or work in Torbay? Are you as passionate as I am about the wonderful place we live? Now how often do you share that positivity with others?
It’s something that doesn’t necessarily come naturally, perhaps we are guilty of taking what we have for granted; a stunning natural environment, beautiful beaches and green spaces, incredible restaurants, seafood and family fun, creativity around every corner…
But shouting about how lucky we are is something we should all really be in the habit of doing more, whatever the context.
It’s something I get to do every day in the course of my work for Torbay Culture and Artizan Collective. I’ll tell anyone who will listen that we’re living on the creative coastline for Devon, that we’re unrivalled for spectacular heritage, exhibitions and culture, and all of this can be enjoyed just a stone’s throw from the UKs most spectacular scenery. In fact, it’s the easiest job in the world, I could not have an easier sales pitch!
And yet what I do so naturally during my 9-5 I’ll all to easily forget in my personal life and this is equally if not more important a setting for me to be sharing my passion for Torbay. It’s not just the place I work, it’s the place I live and there’s a hundred reasons why.
So, praise for this incredible place should surely always be on the tip of my tongue, my icebreaker in every social scenario, the first quip drawn from my small talk quiver.
And that’s exactly what I’m pledging to do. I’m going to Champion this Place in every area of my life, not because it’s my job, but because it’s easy and natural to do so when I am this lucky to be here.
If any of this rings true to you, then I’d challenge you to make this same pledge, to be a Champion for Torbay and to share your experience of this place widely and unreservedly. I’d also invite you, through what you already do every single day, to be a part of Torbay’s Story.
Perhaps some of you are detecting a few choice words now, a recognisable lexicon that has been present in other articles, social media posts, maybe even emails in your inbox in the past weeks and months. I’d like to quickly dispel any concerns and at the same time come clean. Whilst to be clear this is no sales pitch, nor a call to arms, or an attempt to subliminally recruit you, I have been motivated to honestly share this experience by work that I am currently involved with as a steward of the recently commissioned Torbay Story.
For those that know what this is, wonderful, for those that are unaware, it doesn’t matter. What matters in my view, is that this work is an opportunity for me, and you, and all of us, to be real. Its aims, its goals, the nuance all have a place, but that place is not here. What is significant in my view is, at the core this work is about you and I and the way we live our lives and experience this wonderful place.
And so, what I want to do, is invite you to shape that work by simply honestly and authentically sharing your story.
In official terms this is an invitation to be a Torbay Champion, to, if you wish, attend Champion’s Events that will form a part of this celebration of Torbay. But none of that is compulsory.
What is important is sharing the Torbay experience, and if that’s something you feel passionate about then I’d invite you to join me in sharing. If that means you want to know more about the Torbay Champions, then that’s great and you can drop me an email to find out more. But equally, if you just want to celebrate this place, then you don’t need a framework to do that, just get out there and make the effort to celebrate it. And if that’s something you want to do, then you can drop me an email to share that as well… jacobbrandon@artizangallery.co.uk
