Documentary photographer Polly Braden (b.1974) explores the effects of coastal poverty in a collaboration with young people from some of the most deprived and often forgotten places across England and Wales. Telling the stories of a group of diverse 16–25-year-olds, Braden places their stories at the heart of her project, narrated by journalist Lisa Bachelor as part of The Guardian’s wider Seascape series.
Navigating the faded coastal towns of Whitehaven, Tendring, Blackpool, and Weston Super Mare, Against the Tide shares stories of fragile seasonal employment, ageing populations, and what often comes across as love-hate relationships with the towns they call home. Including film and photography Braden works closely alongside her Gen Z collaborators, gently teasing out their personal tales against a backdrop of hard-hitting research, that shows that ‘life chances are drastically reduced if you grow up on the coast.’
