from bottomless brunches in jesmond to ‘hidden gems’ in durham; north east influencer Pippa Gilroy gives us an intel on her life as a North East blogger and the importance of supporting local businesses.
A lively arts and cultural revolution is happening in the heart of Newcastle, driven by the influence of social media.
Ensconced in the city’s old architecture and cobblestone streets, galleries, theatres, and craft spaces are the hub of its creative energy, which is reshaping the arts and culture landscape and drawing fresh attention to it thanks in large part to Tiktok influencers like Pippa Gilroy, a 23 year old digital marketing graduate proud to represent Newcastle and the North East.
Like Pippa, many TikTok influencers have given local artists, galleries, and cultural events a worldwide audience. Collaborations with upcoming successful influencers, has provided a digital audience of eager youth, desperate to get their hands on fun activities to do with their friends, fashion and beauty hotspots and the array of fantastic food jewels dotted around the North East fostering connections with art lovers and culture connosieurs everywhere.
Pippa Gilroy and many of the influencers participating in the ‘ToonTok’ renaissance have played a pivotal role in bringing attention to the North East’s arts and culture scene. By creating engaging, short-form content that showcases local artists, galleries, performances, and cultural events, these influencers have amplified exposure for the region’s creative endeavors. Through highlighting these locations, TikTok has become a platform for promoting and celebrating the diverse artistic expressions within the North East.
Photograph taken from Instagram/PippaGilroy (23/08/2023) https://www.instagram.com/p/CwSBaxLoAUr/?igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Taking us through her day in the life as a North East blogger and content creator, Pippa eccentuates her desire to uplift local businesses using her page likening their positions to her own desire to become a successful and interesting social media figure. Starting off her platform as a fashion and beauty blogger, Pippa found it easier to reach out to local businesses discovering it was a fair exchange of business promotion and also a promotion of her own platform. Content creation is usually dismissed as easy and something that does not require much effort however there is a skill and patience in finding interesting content, editing and selling it to an audience that makes it an art.
These days content creation and social media are the pillars that local arts needed to uphold their important rich history and keep them alive, thus making influencers, like Pippa, the heros needed in places like the North East where places like Tyneside Cinema were at the threat of being shut down during the Covid-19 period when the world was discouraged from going outside because of lockdown restrictions. Influencing and online promotion of these arts and culture events have been a virtue for places of art and culture. Pippa’s pride and enjoyment towards North East culture shone through when she stated ,with conviction, that local arts and culture ‘gives me sense of escapism’ and that ‘they are definitely important to the local community.’
“A sense of escapism for us all”
Pippa Gilroy referencing local arts and culture in an interview with Arwa Mahmood (12/12/2023)
Unfolding the interview Pippa began by describing her feelings towards arts and culture in general:
Pippa, like many orth East influencers, highlights the importance of audiences getting out there and experiencing local culture that is dismissed by people who live busy lifestyles with her content, unveiling the “hidden gems” in and around Newcastle. For example, her post on The Baltic art gallery in Quayside inspired me to check out their latest exhibition for myself and to take my friends to see the importance of the arts in Newcastle.
”I feel like I’m giving them abit of a boost or some exposure”
Pippa Gilroy (2023) in an interview with Arwa Mahmood
Pippa then talked me through how local businesses reach out to her about content creation. Once again pushing the importance of these businesses to her as an influencer, looking for exposure in exchange for promotion.
One thing Pippa Gilroy emphasises in her content is ‘budget friendly’ entertainment and food. This is something that is so important to a young audience. In an interview with 20 year old Katie Alice (a second year Media student at Newcastle University), it was implied that students are more likely to enjoy arts and culture when they’re accessible and affordable; everyone would love to go out and enjoy arts and culture, however it just isn’t always available.
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Audio Interview with Katie Alice by Arwa Mahmood (2023)
Katie Alice stated that she turned to online and social media content to discover new theatre productions in the city she moved to for university to satisfy her hunger for the arts, discovering the bright and exciting Sunderland Empire social media profiles.
Pippa Gilroy produces content that guides young people on how to enjoy local arts and cultures in the North East without breaking the bank, as someone who was a student and knows how to balance a decent social life and her bank balance, Pippa Gilroy is the Mother Theresa of local arts and culture in the North East for young people.
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