I've worked alongside the Fiddy since I was a spotty, chubby, hustling street reporter of a teen. The stunning flick of her blonde hair wasn't exactly what I was expecting when I walked through the doors of south and east London's LIVE Magazine, but watching her co-ordinate a mass of thriving young media runners, always raising the spirits of the room with her 'watch me get down lowww' random dance antics (inbetween stern orders), whilst never failing to produce astounding, innovating results (with whatever team she was working with) - I KNEW I was in the right place for work experience; bear in mind it was also Chantelle who replied quick-time to my last minute desperate call for a uni work placement; after my TRACE mag arrangement fell through in winter 2007...
Fast forward a few months.
Summer of 2008 hits, I've graduated (and lost a bit of weight following the final uni year of depressing malnuitrition), looking for the next step... Fiddy is still doing her thing, substituted the blonde flow for the spacey brunette bob, but still writing for the likes of (the now sadly deceased) London Paper, Mixmag, Dazed&Confused (and many many others), and prepping for her next project - Ctrl.Alt.Shift. It was here, on the epic fouth floor of an office block in Waterloo, that we bumped shoulders once again. Editor Fiddy got me down as an initial volunteer staff writer (eventual deputy editor), and alongside a mad collective of inspirational individuals, we conjured up some groundbreaking global development work, rallying in a UK 'next generation' movement tackling the issues that really matter. The archive of work over the past two years is too long to brief, but the highlights will include two Southbank festivals, four consumer magazines, and a Haiti rave that raised over £10,000 for the earthquake victims - ALL of this and much more with Chantelle anchoring the way...
Fiddy left our Ctrl.Alt.Shift shores last week, moving on to pasture new - but she'll forever be in our (mine especially) hearts and memories as a pioneering journlist, a booty-shaking rebel to the norm and expected, a one-of-a-kind mentor. NO SHE'S NOT DEAD! This is not a eulogy (a Nandos sesh with the Fiddy is around the corner), but it is a much needed, long-time coming tribute to a remarkable woman who has paved the example of how things should get done in this manic world we work in. And no doubt Ctrl.Alt.Shift will appear as a short chapter in her colourful carreer, but from what I've witnessed, hers will be tough shoes to fill (and my yeti size 11's don't help...). Here's my love to Fiddy for the Ctrl.Alt.Shift faithful:
A Tribute To CAS Editor Chantelle Fiddy
A born leader, Chantelle Fiddy took on the grand job of Ctrl.Alt.Shift editor in 2008 with the intention to inspire a new generation of socially-minded activists (in her own, unique little way).
Under and alongside the guidance of ‘The Big Boss’ - CAS creator Katrin Owusu - Chantelle has made tidal waves of progress, not only bringing innovation and astounding content to the CAS website and magazines, but also setting up events and opportunities which have engaged and united the CAS community that exists today. Last week, Chantelle left our headquarters to pursue other goals; but she will remain a close advisor and mentor - so in her honour (and as we still sit here mourning her departure), we lift our glasses and enjoy the highlights...
The only way to really gather any sense of how this eccentric, multi-talented, crazy, passionate, workaholic and wonderful woman worked, you’ve just got to see her in action:
Here in autumn 2008, Chantelle was on the frontline of CAS’s Nothing To Declare (anti HIV travel ban) campaign. Never one to back down from a little dress-up role play, she gathered a mass of young volunteers in a series of public stunts to protest against the fact countries like South Korea, Saudi Arabia and Russia had HIV travel restrictions. Passersby got some air in the face and Chantelle’s chants of ‘Say no to the stigma surrounding HIV!’
Our 50 Million Women Missing campaign in spring 2009 was a mad day, namely because we waltzed around central London dressed as ghosts, inevitably getting eventually interrogated by the police – though it was all to raise awareness of the abused and lost women of India. Ever the calm and collected one, Chantelle, was on hand to lead by example and commentate on our day of direct action…
Read the rest of the tribute here
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