‘If you hear your town is scum all the time that sinks in’: the young people in Blackpool refusing to be written off

The seaside resort has become a byword for coastal deprivation but its youth say there’s a world of creativity bubbling under the surface

• Photographs by Polly Braden

• Young people in the UK: share your experiences of living in a coastal town

Michael knows exactly how he feels about his home town of Blackpool. “It’s just brilliant,” he says. Walking along the beachfront past people soaking up the sunshine on benches and kids playing in the sand overlooked by Blackpool Tower, he throws out his arms with a huge grin.

“For me, it has been an amazing place to grow up. I don’t understand why anyone would talk down their home town. If you feel shit about your town, you’re going to feel shit about yourself, right?”

Michael in the Sea Life aquarium, where he works part-time