Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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The Invitation "Choose whether or not you want to be invited to where this person is gonna take you. Nobody can enter our dominion (which is your inner kingdom, which is a universe in itself) without an invitation."
We attract every single person into our lives. We have to see that.
âĄÂ Protecting ourselves from absorbing others' energy is crucial for sensitive individuals. Ways to achieve this include setting boundaries and self-awareness.
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Sensitive individuals need to protect themselves from absorbing others' energy
Setting boundaries and self-awareness are essential in neutralizing the impact of others' energy
There are five effective ways to protect oneself from absorbing others' energy
đ Protecting your personal energy by being mindful of who you invite into your life and not giving attention to energy vampires.
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Being conscious of who you invite into your life and your personal space.
Avoiding giving attention to energy vampires who drain your energy.
Changing focus to stop absorbing other people's energy.
đŚÂ Empower yourself by taking responsibility for your internal condition and stop absorbing others' energy.
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Walk with confidence and self-esteem to know your worth
Realize that no one is greater than yourself
Become aware of your body and take 100% responsibility for how you feel
đ Importance of self-awareness, empathy, and positive environments in managing personal energy.
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Self-awareness and love for oneself are crucial in connecting with others and managing energy absorption.
Embracing nature and activating the pineal gland can enhance empathy towards others' feelings and emotions.
Choosing positive environments and raising personal vibration can prevent absorbing negative energy from others.
đ Empower yourself to protect your energy by connecting with nature, setting boundaries, and embracing your worth.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
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The majority ruling in this case is that Warhol didn't really do much to change the image. It's still basically the same picture. All of this is deeply ironic. Towards the end of his life, Warhol had almost nothing to do with the production of these silkscreens. He had a team of acolytes who actually did the hard work.
Reporter Vincent Dowd on BBC Global News Podcast (May 19, 2023) regarding the court victory of a photographer who's photo of Prince was taken by Andy Warhol's studio and "reworked".
âI got 13 artists who Iâd written about, made a cassette, not expecting it to go anywhere, and it sold out in a week,â he says.
See also: Super Kitchen, Chalk Pit Records, Rising Sun Collective
Harry Bainbridge (pictured, above), a recent Leeds English Lit graduate, launched it in 2014 as a blog featuring indie artists that he felt werenât getting the coverage they deserved. However, when he later decided to make a physical version, his tape releases sold like the hottest cakes. âI got 13 artists who Iâd written about, made a cassette, not expecting it to go anywhere, and it sold out in a week,â he says. Today, its roster includes Leeds âsappy punksâ Bruising (above, right) and Stockholmâs Magic Potion (artwork pictured, centre). Beech Coma already has a monthly night at The Old Blue Last in Shoreditch and Harryâs planning to set up a similar event in Leeds this autumn.
See also: Super Kitchen, Chalk Pit Records, Rising Sun Collective
from the article DIY collective: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/sep/21/best-student-diy-collectives
Driven by increased consciousness around sustainability, e-thrifting has become the new normal among Gen Z and younger millennial shoppers, who are using reselling apps like Depop, Vinted and eBay. This year, fast fashion giants PrettyLittleThing (PLT) and Shein joined this recommerce marketplace by creating their own platforms: PLT Marketplace and Shein Exchange. By pushing themes of environmentalism and inclusivity, theyâre tapping into enhanced priorities around ethical consumption and representation with what we wear.Â
How the politics of representation mask fashionâs unethical underbelly
Seemingly diverse and inclusive branding is being used to divert our attention away from unethical and unsustainable business practices and shopping habits.
Hannah Uguru
07 DEC 2022
Self-indulgence in the form of consumerism defines the festive season. Accounting for around 2-3% of the worldâs gross domestic product (GDP), the apparel and footwear industries are central to late capitalist values of flamboyant acquisition and display. However, the growing mood of eco-anxiety â underpinned by COP27âs focus on how exactly weâll be financing global climate action â is changing the way we consume and engage with fashion.Â
Driven by increased consciousness around sustainability, e-thrifting has become the new normal among Gen Z and younger millennial shoppers, who are using reselling apps like Depop, Vinted and eBay. This year, fast fashion giants PrettyLittleThing (PLT) and Shein joined this recommerce marketplace by creating their own platforms: PLT Marketplace and Shein Exchange. By pushing themes of environmentalism and inclusivity, theyâre tapping into enhanced priorities around ethical consumption and representation with what we wear. On the surface, these may seem like tangible actions towards better practices within a historically problematic industry. However, when placed against the backdrop of continued worker exploitation, corporate greenwashing and a culture of hyper-consumption, the limitations become clear.
The last three years have seen PLT widely condemned for their annual 99% off âPink Fridayâ sale, which sees hundreds of items sold for mere pennies during the last weekend of November. Days after the sale in 2021, they released an âinclusiveâ âthemâ collection featuring non-binary and gender-fluid models to sell gender-expansive clothing. The timing made it feel like it wasnât a genuine display of diversity and inclusion. More likely, it was an attempt to avoid addressing concerns over their continued use of sweatshop labour in the UK via predominantly migrant female workers. Moreover, the depths to which Shein is willing to stoop for quick profit â rebranding Muslim prayer mats as home decor and swastika necklaces as quirky jewellery while paying the workers who made them as little as 3p per item â undermine the companyâs supposed desire to âbuild a future of fashion that is equitable for allâ. Indeed, these modern companies are savvy at exploiting the political wants of the younger generation as a marketing tool, without making any material changes to their operations.
Racialised greenwashing
For Aja Barber, a writer, stylist and style consultant aiming to challenge the colonial, capitalist and patriarchal systems of power that shape our buying habits, this type of branding is something we should be wary of. âItâs almost like [fast fashion labels] are using this image of diversity like a bulletproof vest,â Barber says. For instance, a few months ago, PLT signed ex-Love Islander Indiyah Polack to be the first ever ambassador for their marketplace. With Polack, a young Black woman, as the initiativeâs poster girl, consumers may be more likely to buy into their alleged goal of making fashion âmore diverse, inclusive, and less wastefulâ, and therefore engage with PLTâs new reselling app. Boohoo also appointed Kourtney Kardashian as their sustainability ambassador.
This diverts attention from the fact that fast fashion brands like Shein and PLT are known to introduce hundreds and even thousands of new apparel and footwear items weekly, contributing to the 400% rise in global consumption in the past 20 years. Many of these items are so cheaply priced that it can be more cost effective for the store to allow you to keep the item rather than process a return. This over-abundance of choice just compounds the perception of disposability (85% of textiles end up in landfills each year), in turn undermining the purported âslow fashionâ aim of these recommerce projects. For Barber then, BIPOC are the âshieldsâ behind which brands hide their shady dealings.https://www.instagram.com/p/Cic1bFcO0Bk/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Ffast-fashion-representation-politics%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A1353.199999988079%2C%22ls%22%3A1247.199999988079%2C%22le%22%3A1310.5%7D
This extends beyond influencer culture in the Global North and focuses on how garment workers are presented in the media. âIf you go to a lot of brands, like corporate responsibility pages, particularly those that manufacture in the Global South, oftentimes you will be met with the picture of a smiling woman from India, Bangladesh, Indonesia, that sort of thing,â Barber says. âAnd itâs weird because theyâre basically using a stock image photo of a woman in the Global South who may have been exploited by them to make you feel better because sheâs smiling about their practices,â they continue. Approximately 80% of the worldâs garment workers are women, predominantly from countries like India, China and Bangladesh, and just 2% of workers worldwide are said to earn a liveable wage â even when factoring in global variations on the cost of living.
Why is fast fashion so hard to quit?
Despite this apparent tokenism of historically marginalised people within the ultra-fast fashion world, its allure persists. Climate justice activist Mikaela Loach defines this phenomenon as âsocial licensingâ, in which companies, institutions and systems can continue poor practices so long as they superficially present in the way consumers want them to. âAs people and as a society, we give a lot of companies or institutions or systems a licence to exist by collectively agreeing whether they are âbadâ, or theyâre âgoodâ, or theyâre âokayâ,â says Loach. âWe donât want diversity in who gets to be the oppressor. There can be powerful representation, of course, but I think sometimes that representation can cause more harm than good in the long term because it can allow companies to act with impunity.â Â
With this in mind, the logical conclusion would be to boycott, but this can be challenging for consumers â both practically and ideologically. More sustainable and ethically-sourced alternatives can be relatively inaccessible through cost and sizing options. In contrast, cheaper brands like ASOS, PLT and Shein offer extensive plus-size ranges that allow people with bigger bodies to engage in trends more freely, compared to standard UK size 6-16 ranges. In a world that sidelines larger bodies, especially larger womenâs bodies, fast and ultra-fast fashion are often the most practical options.
Fashioning a greener futureÂ
Buyers can feel like theyâre caught between a rock and a hard place, but fortunately, there are independent brands that are doing the work to authentically marry inclusivity and sustainability. Angela Veljanoska is the co-founder and designer of sustainable womenswear label Monobrow and, as a business owner, understands the conflict of interest that many shoppers face. âWe live in a throwaway culture where weâre exposed to cheap clothes that are convenient for people,â Veljanoska says, âso itâs hard for people to resist buying cheap goods â stuff that they can wear once â rather than spending a little bit more money knowing that the clothes are made ethically and sustainably.â With Monobrow items being made to order and customisable to different tastes and body types in order to mitigate waste and embrace all, Veljanoska walks the talk.Â
Tiah Remeti, a shoe designer and founder of EsĂŠ London, which uses recycled leather, believes that a focus on quality over quantity can help shift both consumer and business perspectives on fashion. âMy business ethos is women having staple pieces of footwear where they donât have to compromise on comfort. Iâve found that we constantly buy high heels, and we might wear a pair once and never again because itâs uncomfortable. A movement towards functionality could help alleviate the overconsumption habits promoted by fast fashion.âÂ
Though independent retailers and resellers are viable routes away from the fast fashion industry, all modes of consumption have a negative impact on the planet. The former path avoids a symptom of our collectively unhealthy buying habits but not the root cause: consumerist culture. As we head into the new year, we have the opportunity to reimagine ways of self-expression that arenât so closely tied to how much of what we own and the hypnotic manner in which exploitation is sold to us â letâs take it.Â
Mags and e-zines made by people of colour that will improve your life dramatically
I set up my own publication, Aurelia Magazine, in 2018 because I knew I needed a platform dedicated entirely to first-person stories to exist. As a young woman of colour, I had to ignore my inner voice as it told me âthis world isnât for youâ, and persevere anyway.Â
If the past couple of years as an editor have taught me anything, itâs that Iâm far from being the only one to start this journey. The media landscape is undergoing rapid change. While traditional press reckons with new trends and challenges, there is a new generation of incredible digital magazines and zines led by and/or aimed at women/non-binary people of colour in existence, each one an individual force to be reckoned with.
Despite the statistics that show us, in black and white, that journalism is nowhere near as diverse as it ought to be, and the fact weâre in a time when art and the creative scene feel so precarious, thereâs cause for celebration. Itâs my absolute pleasure to spotlight some of these publications. Hereâs to my peers, the women and non-binary people of colour who have carved their own spaces and are changing the landscape by championing regional voices, on-the-rise talent, and who have a focus on strengthening the community.
ROOT-ed
ROOT-ed (Revolution of Our Time) is a self-published zine and social platform available for purchase both in print and via digital download. It was created by Amber Akaunu and Fauziya Johnson in 2018, who met whilst studying fine art in Liverpool. The pair were the only black students in their class, and were disappointed to learn that there were no teachers or guest lecturers of colour on their course. Experiences at university, such as being followed around by gallery staff or tutors mixing up their names, led to the creation of ROOT-ed. The zine aims to promote, support, represent and inspire creative people of colour within the North West of England.
Fauziya tells me, âWe are the demographic weâre representing: people of colour, creative, northern and working class. Weâre independent, donât have regular funding, and we have no-one to answer to, therefore our platform is completely uncensored and offers an opportunity for creatives of colour to speak their minds.â ROOT-ed have succeeded in drawing peopleâs eyes towards the North; recently having partnered with Creative Debuts on the amazing Black Access Grant, providing monthly financial support to Black artists with no strings attached.
BAD FORM
Bad Form is a quarterly print and digital literary review that publishes Black, Asian, and racialised community writers. It is a dream come true for any fellow book lovers to peruse, publishing reviews, interviews, essays and features â as well as providing a home for original short stories and poetry. Bad Form was founded in 2019 by Amy Baxter, with the goal of offering a substantial platform to underrepresented writers after it was discovered in 2016 that less than 100 books by British BAME authors were published. Amy explains, âThere is a huge representation gap in the British publishing industry, and this needs to be fixed, and publishing houses are only starting to wake up to this issue in the wake of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests. We exist so publishers help these books exist.â
Bad Form has many highlights. They sold out an event at the London Review Bookshop and filled it with âperformances from Black and brown poets and writers, and young people, and joyâ, and the publication is supported by all-round genius, Nikesh Shukla.
Amy self-funds Bad Form; they have never received any external funding or grants. Nevertheless, the response to Bad Form was more than she could have anticipated and it has gained a following of almost 10,000 across their social platforms. Thereâs a new piece published on the website every day â something Amy is proud of but didnât expect, proving that there is a real hunger for the platform.
ASHAMEDÂ
Ashamed is a digital and print publication for people of colour of marginalised genders, and although their strong, instantly recognisable identity may lead you to think otherwise, they launched just last year. The name is closely linked to their content, with so many of their articles directly confronting the feeling of shame, and the writers being on a mission to reclaim it; whether itâs regarding race, sexuality or actions they take in their everyday lives.
Ashamedâs founder, Halima Jibril, speaks resolutely when discussing her creation. âI think spaces like Ashamed are important because media in all forms is oversaturated with whiteness,â she says. âSince the re-emergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, a lot of media publications were scrambling to find black writers to write about their trauma. Sometimes we just want to write about a film that touched us, you know? We have so much to say outside of race, too.â One look at Ashamed proves itâs achieving everything it set out to do.
Ashamedâs print magazine debuted this Black History Month in collaboration with Wessex Scene. Featuring the work of Black creators, it includes articles about the need and necessity for prison abolition, and stories about Black beauty and feminism, pieces about film and whiteness, spaces, places and being enough, Blackfishing and so much more. The money raised from their print issue will be going to Free Black Uni, an organisation that aims to decolonise education.
PENNYCRESS ZINE
Annual Leeds-based zine Pennycress is the brainchild of Jenessa Williams, a powerhouse that does it all; the editing, the designing, and the commissioning. In print since 2019, the only other person involved in the making of Pennycress is artist Naureen Hafiz, who provides the cover art. Pennycress contains visual art, poetry, journalism, illustration and photography from a range of different creatives of colour; the only stipulation being that they must live, work or study within the North of England.
Jenessa shares her belief that artists of Black and Asian backgrounds, in particular, can lack confidence when it comes to self-promotion, due to fears about tokenism, their work being misunderstood, or just generally not feeling as if they are up to par with their white counterparts. Itâs also acknowledged that in general, so much of our media is London-centric. As a result, Pennycress is dismantling the status quo.
As for its sole existence as a print zine, she says, âThereâs nothing quite like holding a proper compilation of peopleâs work in your handsâ. Pennycress is never for profit, with Jenessa opting not to take a wage, but always making sure that contributors are paid and any money raised goes straight back into charitable projects and funding the printing of the next issue.
SWEET-THANG
Sweet-thang is an arts and literary print zine that publishes Black womxn and non-binary Black folks. Sweet-thang exists solely in the hands of Zoe Thompson, who is also an undergraduate in Sussex.
Itâs bright, itâs bold, and itâs full of love. âThis zine will provide you with beautiful poetry, thought-provoking essays and amazing visuals surrounding any theme, and will generally just be a sweet lilâ publication for all to enjoyâ, their website reads.
Sweet-thang is a creative safe space for themes like resistance, liberation, healing, and free expression to be explored. Zoe says that she always had an interest in zines and art collectives, having started a blog in her early teens and connecting with like-minded young creatives as a result. However, Zoe recounts, âI just wanted a space for black girls to be messy and creative and spontaneous.â
Sweet-thangâs steady support over the years is a testament to how helpful their space is and how important. Their latest issue, On Healing, is available via their website. You can also download issue four, The Love Issue, for free.
YELLOWZINE
Created by siblings Aisha and Oreoluwa Ayoade, Yellowzine is an innovative space for African, Caribbean and Asian creatives visual artists based in the UK to express themselves artistically, and boundlessly. Their first print magazine was published in 2018, and theyâre already on their third issue, with talented people coming to them in droves, wanting to be part of their creation. Yellowzine has gone global â stocked on shelves in London, Manchester, Portugal and New York.
Co-founder Aisha created Yellowzine because she felt as though her community wasnât being valued unless they told a specific kind of story. âWeâre part of the new art renaissance, a movement that unapologetically celebrates work by underrepresented artists,â she adds. Everyone has a fair shot; with Yellowzine publishing both established artists and those who are still honing their skills.
Itâs constantly evolving, with their current enterprise split into four divisions: a print magazine, an online submissions-based platform, live events and an annual eight-week creative mentorship scheme. Each one connects artists and creatives to clients and collaborators, whilst providing them with the tools and guidance for a career in the industry.
THE SALON ZINE
Korantema Anyimadu is a cultural producer, a community manager at social justice charity Arts Emergency, and the brains behind Black Hair Stories, a project that ultimately led to print publication, The Salon Zine.
Following Korantemaâs MA dissertation on hair, heritage and Black women in Britain, she launched an oral history project and curated a visual exhibition, âPlaits, Princesses + Pink Moisturiserâ, in London. The exhibition featured Black women and non-binary folks of all ages talking about hair and nostalgia. Guests were invited to tell their stories and have their portraits taken by Nana Ama Owusu-Ansah. Many impressive faces were there â Dawn Butler MP and bestselling author Otegha Uwagba to name only a couple. The exhibition won an award from the Mayor of London and was featured in the Migration Museum.Â
Onbeat is a collective for women and non-binary people of colour, platforming underrepresented voices via their print magazine, radio and events.
Beginning as a society at Leeds University, the collective also has a presence in London, as the main team at the time of its 2018 launch, Tanya Arackal, Ayesha Chaudhry and Alisha Shah, have graduated. However, co-founder Tanya is keen to emphasise that Onbeatâs home always lies in the north.
So far, Onbeat has published two magazines; one on the theme of âspaceâ, how WoC and NBPoC can take it up in white-dominated environments, and secondly, âtributeâ, an ode to ancestral legacy â exploring the diaspora that came before and paved the way for so many second-generation immigrants.
In London, Onbeat has been running life drawing events celebrating bodies of colour at Prince of Peckham, a black-owned pub. Theyâre always finding ways to ensure the community is supported. âAll we were looking for was a community to feel accepted,â Tanya says. âOur events and magazine launch parties have always felt so healing and nourishing. Itâs great to be around people you donât have to explain yourself to.â
12 mags, zines and comics by people of colour that you need in your life
While the world burns, writers, poets, artists, and thinkers who are pouring their activism and compassion for the world onto pages help to extinguish the fire.
Neelam Tailor
21 FEB 2022
When mainstream media leave you feeling cold, grassroots POC-run publications and zines are a life-affirming and exciting alternative.
Whether itâs to dive into the world of comfort food from different cultures, flick through a comic that expresses weird thoughts youâve never said out loud, or connect with people of colour fighting for freedoms around the world, you can find it amongst the incredibly creative, powerful, and safe pages of these POC-run publications. Here are some incredible mags, zines, comics, and online publications run by people of colour that are essential for your sanity ⌠and the revolution.
BuliLit
Sampaguita Press, a nonprofit group and micropress publishing house based in California, launched a line of poetry-focused zines called BuliLit to âchallenge capitalist power structureâ. The books are made by hand at the homes of people in the group, and their first issue, titled Sobbing in Seafood City, is due to be published this March. It will feature art that explores food, grocery stores, and culinary traditions across cultures, and a portion of sales will be donated to Typhoon Odette relief in the Philippines, as well as workersâ rights funds in the U.S.
The mainly self-funded zine still pays contributors a fee and their submission calls are open to BIPOC artists only, while prioritising underrepresented identities within BIPOC communities, such as artists of LGBTQIA+, neurodivergent, and D/disabled backgrounds.
When asked how she hopes people will feel after reading BuliLit, Multimedia editor Nashira de la Rosa says, âA simultaneous sense of comfort and power: like your beloved childhood experiences rewinded; like the creative ideas swirling in your head are worth sharing, no matter how niche â whatever reflections youâve scribbled in your journal could be someone elseâs new favourite poem.â
Every BuliLit release will be celebrated by a virtual open mic showcase of their published artists reading their work, so follow them on Twitter and Instagram to keep up with their announcements.
Iâm not busy, but Iâm not free
The title of Anu Ambasnaâs comic collection already captures the zeitgeist of everyoneâs mood during the pandemic, and the 44 pages of the NTS DJâs playful illustrations are silly, fun, and deeply relatable.Â
A highlight in the zine is her first long-form comic, âCorporate Fatigueâ, which muses on office life, Zoom calls, and other relatable scenes from that 9-5 life.
âI hope that people will get a lot of joy and laughter from reading Iâm not busy, but Iâm not free! I also hope that theyâll be able to relate to at least one comic in the zine â I think thereâs something for everyone in it,â says Ambasna. âI felt really proud of myself after publishing the zine â it felt special to hold something physical containing all the hard work Iâve put into my illustrations over the years.â
You can buy a copy of Iâm not busy, but Iâm not free online at iconic Peckham zinery Books and keep up to date with it on Ambasnaâs Instagram.
Space for Black Hair
Created and designed in the Bronx by Black-Puerto Rican artist Sabrina Sims, Space for Black Hair is a warm, safe, and open exploration of Black hair across the diaspora, and all the joy, struggle, and discovery that comes with it.Â
The first issue was published in December 2021, and is filled with stunning, honest art from Simsâ open call submissions. Sims included a self portrait as well as âtips for doing your hair if youâre disabled/tired as hell/ super depressedâ, which sits alongside poetry, collages, and an incredible Yonkoma Manga comic strip by Gigi Murakami about someone who is running late and forgets they havenât done their hair.Â
âI think the most important part of this zine is the community. We made a zine together from scratch. So many people have supported the zine because they believe in our love and hard work. The fact that Iâve helped affirm the contributors & their creativity feels meaningful in a deep way. Thatâs something we all need,â says Sims.
Sims hopes to publish the zine once a year and to create workshops and events alongside it. She also hopes to give community copies to low-income kids and teenagers.
You can order a copy of the Space for Black Hair from Sabrinaâs website and keep up to date with the zine on Instagram.
Peach Pages
Born from a desire to âbe our own warriorsâ in the creative industries, Peach Pages aims to platform emerging Asian artists within the UK. âWe donât believe in cultural-censorship here! Come as yourself and weâll celebrate you for all that you are,â says co-founder Kristina Pringle (Yu Shin Tsai)
âExclusion of pan-Asian people is deeply rooted and insidious and we wanted to be active in changing that. What started off as a small grassroots project quickly grew into a community-led platform that champions pan-Asian artists from across the breadth of the arts,â says Pringle.
The last issue was a mini-zine and the platformâs soft launch in October 2021. It also marked the opening of their first in-house short film which was shot during an incredibly testing time when anti-Asian hate crime was soaring. Pringle explains: âWe channelled this fear and anxiety in a collection of film and photography, the goal of which was to show the humanity, strength, and resilience of our community.â
The core team at Peach Pages consists of six Asian artists â Kristina Pringle, Soyoung Park, Akshay Shah, Jemma Williams-Fyne, Nicolee Tsin and Yiling Wong â who all work across different disciplines such as film, photography, design and performance. The community zine plans to host a series of workshops and exhibitions featuring an all-Asian lineup of artists to celebrate ESEA heritage month this September.
Peach Pages is an annual zine, with year-round community events and socials. Their next issue will be released this November and they invite Asian artists to contribute.https://www.instagram.com/tv/CWbaeFvA1vz/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fpoc-zines-magazines-comics%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A842.8000000119209%2C%22ls%22%3A825.2000000476837%2C%22le%22%3A825.2000000476837%7D
antinarrative
This is why Gen-Z really are going to save us from ourselves.
Last year, aged 16 and 17, Jannah Yusuf Al-jamil , Livs Sun, and Salonee Verma co-founded antinarrative, a collaborative zine âunbound by the traditional competitive constructs and westernised rigidity found in the literary and art worldâ. The zine is open to any POC youth creative, regardless of experience level. The powerful high school juniors are making space where âmarginalised artists and writers can authentically be themselves, without ever feeling like they need to conform their craft to fit the white gaze or compete against others for recognition.âÂ
Their first issue, titled Comfort Food, came out in January and is adorned with delicious illustrations of tasty treats. The pages are filled with pieces of writing and art that highlight the food-making process, how food can serve as a reminder of the past and a way of looking ahead, and how it is both a form of connection and an act of love. Whether itâs green onion pancakes, jalebi, luchis, lumpia, or arepa, this zine allows itsBIPOC contributors, aged from 13 to 23, to explore what it means to them in a boundless way.
âBeing a part of this team has made me so grateful to have a place where weâre all encouraged, both in running antinarrative, but also in our individual work,â says co-founder Livs. âWe havenât always had smooth sailing â our first ever call for submissions received maybe like, three entries- but having this kind of environment was critical to our growth. And I think thatâs what makes antinarrative so important: weâre creating a space where young creatives of colour like us donât feel like they have to fit into this standard of intense competition, but rather celebrate their peers and their community and build off of each other.â
You can read an online version of their first issue on their website, and keep up to date with their work on Twitter.
Juice Magazine
Having just released issue two titled mind and body, the Juice Magazine team are on a high. They got their first ever grant and were able to partner with Cysters and Integrate UK to offer paid commissions to 49 marginalised creatives. The magazine and collective aim to âfacilitate equitable opportunities, representation, collective care and collaborative endeavours for South Asian creatives,â explains 20-year-old co-founder Evelyn Miller.Â
Their most recent issue is a ânecessary intervention and reflection given the disproportionate infliction of illness, loss, grief, and increased racism on South Asian diaspora populations as a result of Covid-19â. It includes drawings, paintings, photography, poetry, opinion, book and film reviews, and interviews investigating wellbeing and community healing, all encased within a vibrant, dreamy cover. The team of ten young UK and Canadian South Asian creatives collaborated with Cysters to produce a zine, Chronically Creative, which explores mental health, reproductive health, and stigma through art and writing.
You can purchase a copy of their most recent issue alongside the Chronically Creative zine on their website, and keep up to date with their activities on Instagram.
Zindabad
19-year-old Cia Mangat started Zindabad zine from her student accommodation in Wadham College, University of Oxford while feeling very disillusioned and isolated in 2021. Zindabad means âlong liveâ in Punjabi and Urdu, and Cia wants the zine to âshowcase how the experiences of third culture kids might overlap or diverge.â She continues, âHaving a print zine means I can play around with pairing pieces of art or writing that have completely different cultural backgrounds, but are fundamentally trying to respond to the same kind of questions.â
So far there have been two issues. The first themed diaspora??? was released in April last year and the second edition aunty issues! was released in August 2021 and. In order to make it as accessible as possible, Cia collected recordings of contributors reading their pieces and released a free audio zine on Spotify and Apple Podcasts that people could listen to alongside the issue. One of Ciaâs favourites was Nazmia Jamal and Gargi Bhattacharyyaâs joint essay about their experiences of auntyhood. âIt felt like sitting at their kitchen table and listening in on a conversation between them,â Cia says.
âââI feel incredibly privileged to get to run Zindabad â lots of its contributors are quite young and I feel lucky to be publishing them in print for the first time, and getting to amplify their work to people across the world,â Cia explains.
The third issue, shame / desire, is set to come out later this year and Cia is recruiting for a team, taking applications from âanyone who identifies with âdiasporaââ.
You can buy physical and digital copies of the first two issues here, and keep up with Zindabad on Twitter.
Oestrogeneration
June Bellebono founded Oestrogeneration at the end of 2021 after being âfrustrated at the prominent transmisogyny and transphobia in the British media landscape and the lack of ownership over own narrative.â The online magazine platform aims to highlight the voices of trans women and transfeminine people in the UK, and they publish two pieces a month as well as covering time-sensitive news.
In January, the platformâs first two commissioned articles were published. One focused on seeing transphobia as a materialistic issue, and one on grieving queer male relationships as a trans woman. âBoth were beautiful, poignant and incredibly well received,â says 28-year-old Bellebono.
The platform has just received funding from charity Grand Plan to kickstart an interview series with trans women and transfeminine people of colour in the UK. Bellebono hopes that the platform can continue to âshowcase the depths and variety of our voices in their entirety.â
You can keep up to date with Oestrogeneration on their website, Instagram, and Twitter.
sweet-thang
sweet-thang has evolved from its early days as a Blogspot site. So vintage. âI started reading up about zines and their history, and the idea for sweet-thang popped into my head. I wanted to see more Black people taking up space in the popular DIY publishing spheres,â explains the zineâs founder Zoe Thompson.
The literary zine, now in its fifth year and looking to publish its seventh edition this summer, aims to always centre and uplift Black creativity, with a focus on themes of resistance, healing and free artistic expression. Its last issue, themed Healing, gathered submissions from Black artists of marginalised genders around the world, and donated proceeds to For The Gworls charity.Â
âIt feels so special to run a zine like sweet-thang. Not only is it genuinely fun and rewarding to be part of a creative community, but it is a vital space that is needed in the publishing industry. Creative Black voices are often drowned out by their white counterparts and are published at a horrifyingly lower rate, especially Black women. Some amazing poets and artists have told me that theyâve received further recognition or opportunities from being seen through sweet-thang â that honestly fuels my drive to keep this zine going,â says Thompson.
You can purchase previous issues on their website, and keep up to date with the zine on Instagram.
WEIRDO
Naz Toorabally launched WEIRDO in March 2020 to bring together South Asian people in alternative subcultures. âMy hope when South Asian people in the alternative or punk scene read it, theyâll feel seen. I hope that South Asian people outside of these subcultures gain a better understanding and appreciation of us weirdos. I hope that white people in the alternative scene also pick up a copy and accept that we are part of these communities as much as they are,â she says.
The second issue of WEIRDO, The Music Issue, came out in November 2021. Itâs a collection of interviews with South Asian people working across the rock/alternative/punk music industry. This includes Sonya Madan (Echobelly), Laila Khan (Sonic Boom Six), Ian DâSa (Billy Talent) and Ashrita Kumar (Pinkshift), as well as people working in other parts of the industry like Vinita Joshi (Rocket Girl music label), Riz Faroqi (Unite Asia) and Yasmine Summan (On Wednesdays We Wear Black podcast).Â
Toorabally is aiming to publish the next issue in September this year and is hoping to raise some funds through merchandise in order to pay writers for the first time. Beyond that, her hopes are to secure some long-term funding in order to make a series of mini-zines, set up a music label, and continue to develop a platform where South Asians can meet.
There will be an evening celebrating two years of WEIRDO at the Museum of Youth Culture, as well as a workshop on South Asian representation in Punk with Toorabally. Keep up with the community on Instagram.
chicken + bread
The delicious and comforting pages of this zine make you feel nostalgic for food youâve never even tried. For me, the love letters to rasmalai, honey nut Cheerios, and prasad were a happy reminder of my childhood, but then itâs an even bigger treat to explore peopleâs connection to other foods like okra, ultra-six chicken wing boxes, and the Pizza Go-Go family meal deal. Â
Founder Hope Cunningham wants to âcelebrate food as art and centre people of colourâ. She says: âI also think itâs really important to centre people of colour in this narrative, being a Black woman of Bajan and Ghanian descent. All too often celebrated chefs in the UK are white men when there are so many talented home cooks out there who are grandparents, aunties and uncles, and mums.â
The first issue of the annual zine was released this year and sold out in 17 days of launching. It explored the theme of nostalgia, and Cunningham is also working on a video series to further explore these themes.
She hopes chicken + bread will become a full-fledged media company creating all kinds of food content that centres people of colour, so follow them on Instagram to keep up to date, and you can buy a copy of the zine here.
Inside a Black Girls Mind
Inside a Black Girls Mind started as a place where founder Tyra Adeniji, who says she has always struggled to express herself as she is autistic, could talk about issues that interested her, and display her creative work. Then in 2019, she decided to transition into a zine. âI wanted to create this to be a space where young Black and Brown women could talk about our experiences, things we enjoy, topics we are interested in and a space where ultimately, they could authentically be themselves,â she says.
The publication, which launches its first-ever printed version in the next month, aims to âgive Black women a platform to creatively express themselvesâ. The first print issue is titled The Hairitage Issue and will display a collection of poetry, artwork, articles and photography all inspired by hair and heritage, with a particular focus on the 90s and 00s.
âBeing in community with such creative black women has been necessary, especially during these times and I am glad I had the opportunity to be a part of something that celebrates our blackness,â says project leader and design editor Naya. You can look out for their first print issue on their Instagram or visit their online edition here.
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17 independent UK-based media organisations to support
As we at gal-dem say goodbye, we wanted to share a list of fellow independent media and creative organisations based in the UK to support going forwards.Â
87% of journalists in the UK come from white ethnic groups, working class representation in journalism is âat a record lowâ, and women of colour are facing a âculture of exclusionâ in top media jobs, all according to recent reports. At a time when journalism and the arts are clearly in crisis, seeking these platforms out and supporting them has never been more important.Â
Whether youâre a reader, a writer or a creative, here are some organisations to follow, support and pitch to.Â
Amaliah
Centring and amplifying the voices of Muslim women is what Amaliahis all about. They do so through written articles, podcasts, events and brand partnerships. Their membership packages include a range of tiers consisting of monthly contributions ranging from £5-25 or you can also contribute a one-off amount. Find out more here.
Aurelia
We all rejoiced when Aurelia announced it would be returning earlier this year, following a brief hiatus since June last year due to financial difficulty. Like gal-dem, Aurelia publishes the work of marginalised genders and you can support them by following their work, becoming a member or making a one-off donation.https://www.instagram.com/p/CnxKY4lodOr/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fuk-independent-media%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A0%2C%22os%22%3A2578%2C%22ls%22%3A1103%2C%22le%22%3A2566%7D
Azeema
Creating inclusive safe spaces, challenging societal norms and centring women and NB folks within West Asia, South Asia and North Africa isAzeemaâs focus. Their platform has been amplifying the voices of their communities since 2017 digitally, in their print editions and through their creative agency arm. Fostering an international community is no small feat; support their work via their newsletter here.Â
Black Ballad
Black Ballad is a subscription-based multimedia platform made for Black women by Black women. They regularly discuss important topics such as misogynoir, mental health and finances, as well as lighter subjects like arts, culture and dating. Their platform uplifts Black voices and is vital in a current media landscape that often overlooks these perspectives. Support them by becoming a member here.https://www.instagram.com/p/Cp0tv_bLYOG/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fuk-independent-media%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A1%2C%22os%22%3A2588%2C%22ls%22%3A1103%2C%22le%22%3A2566%7D
BRICKS
Founded by Tori West, BRICKS is an independent, queer-led publication with a focus on exploring social-political issues within fashion, music, arts and culture. Signing up for a BRICKS membership gives you access to their alternative learning platform, where from ÂŁ3.50 a month youâll receive their weekly creative opportunities newsletter, advice and more.
Disability Arts OnlineÂ
Disability Arts Online is an online platform celebrating and supporting disabled artists in all forms; whether thatâs showcasing their work, sharing professional opportunities, or creating opportunities for connection with other artists. They primarily publish editorial reviews, opinion and interviews on art, and welcome pitches from disabled writers. Read more about their latest zine, Practising Unapologetics! by Onyx Collective, a group of artists within the DAO network. Â
GUAPÂ
Since its inception seven years ago, GUAP prides itself on being a cultural tastemaker, showcasing all things music, fashion and art. Their digital presence provides a platform for upcoming creatives and names that you should know. Stay updated via their newsletter. https://www.instagram.com/p/CqV58upIr6v/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fuk-independent-media%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A2%2C%22os%22%3A2595%2C%22ls%22%3A1103%2C%22le%22%3A2566%7D
LabaatanÂ
Launched last year by writer and previous gal-dem contributor Haaniyah Angus, Labaatan is an online oasis for all things culture, literature, life and music. Independent to its core, the magazine is creating a community of young writers to platform their work and explore key themes and topics that are close to them. Support the mag by subscribing to their newsletter.Â
Noctis Magazine
Noctis Magazine is a print magazine and digital hub for all things fashion, music, art and culture. Bursting with creativity through a small but fierce staff team, Noctis regularly spotlight upcoming artists, designers, musicians and put you onto the trends before theyâre even trends. Support the mag by following them here. https://www.instagram.com/p/CqDoKRHKaUv/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fuk-independent-media%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A3%2C%22os%22%3A3812.0000000000005%2C%22ls%22%3A1103%2C%22le%22%3A2566%7D
Novara Media
Novara is one of the leading voices in UK independent media, funded almost entirely by supporter donations. Their editorial, audio and video content is bold, brave and unique â setting a new standard for the media industry. You can support them from as little as ÂŁ1 a month â find out more here. Cleverly, they also do merch.
oestrogeneration
Back in November we collaborated with oestrogeneration on A new legacy, a week-long series platforming transfeminine writers of colour and their stories. Founded by June Bellebono, the online platform âaims to showcase the depths and multitudes of identitiesâ of trans women and transfeminine people by covering a range of topics beyond trans politics.https://www.instagram.com/p/CphvSdvIThe/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fuk-independent-media%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A4%2C%22os%22%3A3818%2C%22ls%22%3A1103%2C%22le%22%3A2566%7D
Polyester
Polyester is an intersectional feminist arts and culture publication âaiming to bridge the gap of url cyberfeminism with the irl world.â Their latest print zine has just been announced, with three covers featuring Doechii, Cat Burns and Piri. You can support their work by joining The Polyester Dollhouse from ÂŁ2.50 a month.
shado
âSee. Hear. Act. Doâ is shadoâs motto. The online and print magazine works with a community of over 300 artists, activists and journalists in over 50 countries around the world, with editors based in London, New York, Mexico, Switzerland and beyond. You can support them by attending their semi-regular online and in-person events, ranging from exhibitions to panel discussions.https://www.instagram.com/p/CqSMUIHonOl/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fuk-independent-media%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A5%2C%22os%22%3A3823%2C%22ls%22%3A1103%2C%22le%22%3A2566%7D
Skin DeepÂ
Through their variety of events, online platform and print magazine, Skin Deep makes space for Black creatives and creatives of colour to work together towards justice. Their beautiful current season Palestine: Ways of Being features illustrations by longtime gal-dem collaborator Aude Nasr, and submissions are now open until 17 April for their 10th annual print edition on the theme of play.
The Skinny
Independent media is few and far between in Scotland but The Skinnyhas stood the test of time as the go-to source for all things arts & culture in Scotland. The free monthly print magazine and website covers music, art, film & TV, books, politics and more.
Where The Leaves Fall
For all things nature, make sure you support Where The Leaves Fall. The magazine operates in print and digitally and is deputy-edited by original gal-dem member Niellah Arboine. The magazine bridges the gap between humans and nature, and explores connections to our environment through art, food, culture, science and more. Support them by subscribing to their print and digital editions here. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CoILNUuJJ-I/embed/?cr=1&v=14&wp=1080&rd=https%3A%2F%2Fgal-dem.com&rp=%2Fuk-independent-media%2F#%7B%22ci%22%3A6%2C%22os%22%3A4659%2C%22ls%22%3A1103%2C%22le%22%3A2566%7D
WEIRDO
Founded in 2019, WEIRDO is a UK-based zine and platform documenting the experiences and perspectives of South Asian people in the alternative scene across the world. Read our 2022 interview with founder Naz Toorabally here.
Of course, this list is not exhaustive â throughout our history at gal-dem, weâve looked to platform fellow emerging zines and publications. Read more in our previous articles below:Â
12 mags, zines and comics by people of colour that you need in your life (2022)
Mags and e-zines made by people of colour that will improve your life dramatically (2020)
plural Angelenos also Angelinos. : a native or resident of Los Angeles, California. To an Easterner, the central visual expression of Los Angeles may be the beaches, or the bungalow sprawl, or Hollywood, or smog; to an Angeleno, the dominant visual experience is the freeway.
This video clip makes me homesick for Los Angeles. I think of Santa Monica and weekends at the beach back home when I see this. L.A. has its own energy and vibe.
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