Between illumination and darkness: Blackpool’s contemporary amusement arcade atmosphere.

Book chapter in Consuming Atmospheres (2023) Steadman, C. and Coffin, J, (eds). London: Routledge

Chapter Abstract:

Situated within the abject and everyday landscape of newsagents, pubs and betting shops, the amusement arcade remains an overlooked space of consumption. Arcades are rooted in fairground culture and persist plentifully within traditional British seaside resorts, places which themselves the discerning classes might label as abject and outmoded realms. Such views, however, overlook the rich and nuanced history of the seaside arcade. Whereas existing research on arcades examines these places from a tourist perspective, much less is known about how individuals experience the atmospheres of the arcade. This chapter, therefore, analyses these experiences through an auto-ethnographic study that focuses primarily on returned visits to Blackpool, England, to reveal the sensory affordances of the contemporary British seaside amusement arcade. Drawing on visual and spatial analysis of documentary findings collected via observational fieldnotes and photography, this chapter focuses on light and dark. Diverse illumination, animation, colour, glow, and interaction with other materials (reflection, sparkle) are some of the key ways in which light and dark work together to contribute to the seaside arcade’s unique atmosphere; blending the imaginary and the real, the fantastical and the banal. This chapter moves beyond the reductive understanding of amusement arcades as spaces of deviance and gambling, to reveal how banal spaces of consumption might provide a rich immersive multisensory experience, create unique atmospheres for visitors and sensory escape from the everyday.