Saying goodbye to job security to find a more affordable life
- Text by Amrita Riat
- Photography by Greg Funnell
“I got the lease on The Hub to facilitate young creatives breaking into the industry. About eight years ago my dad had a stroke after he was made bankrupt, so it was also a chance to take the pressure off my parents, who were supporting my four fully- grown siblings. They’re intelligent graduates; it’s embarrassing to have to turn to disabled pensioners for something that should be within our grasp.
“You have to pay £40,000 to go to university now, whereas our parents were paid to go. They say the average wage in the UK is £27,000, but if you remove the top ten per cent, it’s actually under £13,000. How is anybody supposed to buy a house on that?
“Warehouses are a great place to live if you’ve just landed in London as they introduce you to a creative community – musicians, artists and actors who are just starting out. The people who get the most out of it are the ones who approach others and say, ‘I see you do this, I can do this. Do you want to do something together?’
“I walked away from a £50k annual salary to live on less than minimum wage, but I’m happier now. I remember sitting around the table one night thinking, ‘Hang on – why am I the only one not drawing?’ I’d forgotten I’d always wanted to be an artist. I’ve been drawing ever since, including some album covers for friends.
“Now I’ve scoped out a place in Portugal for The Hide, an off-the-grid retreat of four houses. I want to set up Hubs in cities and Hides in the country, so residents can shift to another part of the world and maintain their affordable rent. Temporary relief in the countryside – that’s my personal solution to beating the system.”
Keep track of our Millennial Hopes and Fears online special.
This article originally appeared in Huck 55 – The Freaked Out Issue. Buy it in the Huck Shop now or subscribe to make sure you never miss another issue.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
Clubbing is good for your health, according to neuroscientists
We Become One — A new documentary explores the positive effects that dance music and shared musical experiences can have on the human brain.
Written by: Zahra Onsori
In England’s rural north, skateboarding is femme
Zine scene — A new project from visual artist Juliet Klottrup, ‘Skate Like a Lass’, spotlights the FLINTA+ collectives who are redefining what it means to be a skater.
Written by: Zahra Onsori
Donald Trump says that “everything is computer” – does he have a point?
Huck’s March dispatch — As AI creeps increasingly into our daily lives and our attention spans are lost to social media content, newsletter columnist Emma Garland unpicks the US President’s eyebrow-raising turn of phrase at a White House car show.
Written by: Emma Garland
How the ’70s radicalised the landscape of photography
The ’70s Lens — Half a century ago, visionary photographers including Nan Goldin, Joel Meyerowitz and Larry Sultan pushed the envelope of what was possible in image-making, blurring the boundaries between high and low art. A new exhibition revisits the era.
Written by: Miss Rosen
The inner-city riding club serving Newcastle’s youth
Stepney Western — Harry Lawson’s new experimental documentary sets up a Western film in the English North East, by focusing on a stables that also functions as a charity for disadvantaged young people.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The British intimacy of ‘the afters’
Not Going Home — In 1998, photographer Mischa Haller travelled to nightclubs just as their doors were shutting and dancers streamed out onto the streets, capturing the country’s partying youth in the early morning haze.
Written by: Ella Glossop