Adventures in digital publishing

It’s #48hrmag weekend, but before we kick-off proceedings, I’d like to thank some of the people who’ve made it possible.

As the project is completely self-funded, it was touch-and-go whether we’d get it off the ground until our sponsors came on board this week. Huge thanks to Newcastle University, Newcastle Science City, Waitrose, Pan Haggerty, North P&I, Carruthers & Kent, Little Angels, Newspaper Club, Newcastle Arts Centre, Tweed and Country Clothing, Sharpe Recruitment, Simply Segway, Jury’s Inn, Victory Tea, and Newcastle University’s alumni-sponsored Student Initiatives Fund for their support.

Thanks also to our host, BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, and – most importantly – our army of contributors, whose eyes of the tiger make Rocky Balboa look like Teddy Ruxpin.

Now let’s make a magazine.

Image credit with thanks: Jen Collins.

Over the weekend of 25–27 November, we’re making a magazine… At BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead… About ordinary people and the effect (if any) that art has on them… With a team of volunteers… In 48 hours… Now, who’s up for it?

BALTIC is hosting the Turner Prize, for the first time ever in the North East and outside a Tate venue, and it’s shattering records, with nearly 5,000 visitors per day. That’s a lot of opinions and a lot of stories, which we hope to document in 20 pages of silky newsprint.

The team so far comprises students and creative types in the North East, with appearances from JesmondLocal, Novel Magazine, Warm Design and the Cloud Commission.

We’re producing 10,000 copies, which we’ll be dishing out over the following weekend, in the lead up to the Turner Prize award ceremony on Monday 5 December. It’s completely non-profit – any money we make (and we’re definitely hoping to make some) will be donated to local charities and under-funded arts projects in Newcastle and Gateshead.

The project is funded entirely through sponsorship and ad sales (with the exception of a kind grant from Newcastle University’s alumni-supported Student Initiatives Fund), so we’re looking for local businesses and organisations to support us. If you have a business with an ethos that prizes a sense of community, the sharing of knowledge, and showcasing North East talent, then please take an ad… Contact our business development manager, Elizabeth Shaw, for more info: elizabeth@jesmondlocal.com

Otherwise, if you’d like to get involved, please have a gander at JesmondLocal, give me a tweet, or email me at: djhowarth@gmail.com – or pop into BALTIC over the weekend to get your thoughts and mugs in the magazine. 

Image credit with thanks: Ben Christian.