Creative Collectives.
With the recent closures of gal-dem, Babyface and Marguerite to name but a few, you could be forgiven for assuming that the days of the creative collective were over.
“The world was a very different place when Marguerite launched in 2015. Feminism, culture and the workplace look very different now”.
Marguerite ‘The End’.
Whilst strides have undoubtedly been made, findings from the Creative Majority Report published by Kings College London make it clear that Britain’s creative economy is still failing to adequately represent the diversity of voices and talents that exists on our shores. According to this report, women, racial minorities, those from a working-class background, people living with a disability, and those living outside of London and the South East, remain significantly under-represented in the creative and cultural industries, particularly in senior decision-making roles and key creative professions.
“Straight, able-bodied, white men living in London are only 3.5 per cent of the UK population. Nevertheless, this small minority still dominates the creative sector, and in particular occupy a vast number of the most senior creative roles”.
The Creative Majority Report.
Change is desperately needed and in banding together, creating new networks and promoting each other’s work, the collectives below are just some of those leading the charge.
Aurelia is an award-nominated independent publication, uplifting the first-person stories and opinions of marginalised genders. They commission freelance writers every month, covering topics such as identity, lifestyle, love and connection, and personal responses to news, politics and culture.
This London-based based radio station is on a mission to showcase the best emerging talent in the underground music scene. The station is led by a diverse group of women and members of the LGBTQI+ community with women always on the forefront of their agenda.
BRICKS is a London-based independent print publication and online platform exploring social-political issues within fashion, music, arts and culture. They connect the best emerging creatives in fashion and art with world-class talent, as well as amplifying the voices of the new generation of climate activists, BLM organisers and trans rights activists.
A London-based multidisciplinary collective and platform for artists of Asian heritage. Co-founder Roxy Farahmand states, “we couldn’t be a collective without this sense of kinship. I think art is a powerful tool for change, especially through communal action. The most impactful social change happens together and a lot of our work is event-based to create a space where we can connect and work together.”
AZEEMA is a print magazine, online platform, community and creative agency, exploring the strength and creativity of women and non-binary folk of the Global Majority with a focus on WANA+SA.
Onyx, a collective of disabled creatives who have lived experience of racism, publish Practising Unapologetics!, a zine looks at themes of survivorship, de-colonisation, homelessness, architecture, accessibility, identity, activism and more.