A Difficult Place

Filmmaker John Edwards and artist Katy Beinart worked with residents of the Phoenix Estate to create A Difficult Place (2023), a film that reveals the true cost of the cost of living crisis, and its devastating effect on individuals. In a series of conversations filmed at Phoenix Art Space, the Phoenix Community Centre, and on the London Road in Brighton, the group discuss how rising food prices, together with the added changes to their local shopping area, have drastically impacted their lives. The film documents individual experiences and perspectives at a local level during this challenging time and shows how the community has come together to support each other through the Phoenix Food Shop. It provides a platform for residents to share their stories more widely, highlighting personal narratives beyond the statistics. The film can be viewed at: https://vimeo.com/sighthoundfilms Thanks to participants Tina, Jenny, Elaine, Sarah and Simon. Thanks to Phoenix Art Space and Phoenix Food Shop for supporting the project. This project was part of the University of Brighton’s Ignite (2022/23) community-university partnership programme, which is funded under the Arts and Humanities Research Council’s Impact Acceleration Account.