People You Meet: Sarah Campbell

Meet Sarah. A self-proclaimed cheerleader of Toronto. Working out of The Rage in Kensington Market, Sarah is in what she believes to be the heart of cultural Toronto.

Who are you?

I'm a prophet of pop culture. I'm here to tell people coming into the city, "You're looking into the future." Different urban cultures are going to be looking to us for what's coming out. I'm here to help develop that and support it. I'm here to make that happen.

How do you see the cultural scene of Toronto?

It's really subversive and really positive. It seems the emphasis is on working together - working on projects together. The disciplines are mixed now. At least in this community it feels like a gelling together. The scenes are mixing together. People in downtown Toronto, I kinda find, frequent all the areas. The ideas are being shared. The ideas aren't being segregated to one area or group of people. It's like people are working together for different results.

What do you see as the good coming out of this mixing?

A Toronto identity. For so long it has been: "We are so multicultural." It's like we've moved away from that. It's time for all these different people and scenes to become homogeneous. Which equals Toronto.

Do you think that anything bad can come from a blending of artistic scenes

Superego. Arrogance. But that's just not the Canadian way. Even if I could think of something bad I would want to spin it into something positive.

How do you see your role in all of this?

Just in helping the artists. Bringing people together. I love hooking people up to see what happens. I'm just a big cheerleader for the city. For so long it has been the rest of the country doesn't like us. I'm just here, in my store, trying to communicate that everyday. Spreading the word that we're the new way. We're going to be setting the standard. We're starting to build a name for ourselves. I'm along for the ride. I'm one of the "partiers".

Why did you come to Toronto?

When I was little I always thought Yonge St.was kinda gross. That was because I didn't know it. Since I've moved here I know this is the right place to be.

If there was something you could change what would it be?

I'm formulating change in Kensington. There are three viewpoints for change in the market.

1. The market is going to be taken over.
2. It's just lamentation - this place is so wonderful, it shouldn't have to change. That is ridiculous.
3. What I'm feeling is that the market is turning into a hub for new talent. The new galleries opening on Augusta are carrying a lot of talent.

What is something that most people don't know about you?

That I don't go out very much. My life is my work. Anything that I do socially is all integrated with this place. It's not about working the store and shutting the store so I can go for drinks and get trashed. I do very little partying of that nature. The work is the life. Happily.

If you had 24 hrs to spend. What would you do?

I'd take them on a tour of the market. We would eat a meal at Aunties and Uncles. We would go to F13. Probably go to Parkdale and check out the string of galleries. And just walk around and check out some architecture.