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FeaturesHigh, Soft & Open: Rita Conry on Reclaiming Women’s Health Through Documentary Film
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“If we really want control of our own bodies, we have to fight for it.” A quote taken directly from the 1970 seminal feminist manual, Our Bodies, Ourselves. Although half a century on from its original publishing, the book is still being used to challenge medical dogma, energise the reproductive rights movement and, for documentary filmmaker Rita Conry, as reference to how far (or little) we have come. To celebrate the release of her latest documentary; High, Soft & Open, UNCLE partnered with Rita to deliver the film and its message of conversation deep into the streets through flyposting.
 
Infuriated by the ignorance between medical professionals and patients, Rita’s films have always had a focus on women’s mental health. High, Soft & Open is a hybrid documentary that delves into the often-overlooked mental health side effects of hormonal birth control. The film weaves together a tapestry of eighteen anonymous women whose shared, yet often silent, struggles, are reconstructed for the screen through actors within London environments. The film holds up an ornate mirror to the audience and is a poignant reminder on the importance of peer-to-peer knowledge sharing among women.
 
In the interview below, we asked the documentary filmmaker, Rita Conry, to take us through her intentions with High, Soft & Open and her other films, and to share her perspective on London and how the city has shaped her career. Through opening up with us, Rita hopes the same of those who see her work.
WHAT IS THE REASONING BEHIND THE FOCUS ON WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH?

Growing up, me and my friends were pretty tuned into our mental health, especially to the negative effects that taking hormonal contraception could have on it. Despite having never been told this by any medical professionals, it was widely accepted that the contraceptive pill could negatively affect your mental health. When I read that a Danish study had found a link between teenagers taking the pill and also taking antidepressants, I wasn’t at all surprised. But it did make me question this gap in knowledge between medical professionals and patients. Why weren’t we being informed of this major side effect when prescribed the pill? It was infuriating.
 
WHAT GOT YOU INTO DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKING? HAVE YOUR FILMS ALWAYS HAD A FOCUS ON WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH?

I think I’ve always been interested in real life and real people’s stories, so documentaries made sense for me to focus on when coming out of film school. In the final weeks before graduation we went to Sheffield Doc Fest. You basically sit all day every day for a week watching documentaries. I loved that you could come out of the screening with a totally new perspective about anything from the drag queen Divine to the Hadron Collider in Cern.
 
Although the catch with making documentaries is you have to find something interesting to make them about! Which isn’t easy. With documentary filmmaking you end up with filmmakers and non-filmmakers working together out of pure passion for the topic. At Doc Fest I’d sometimes come across a Q&A after the film where the director would say they aren’t actually a filmmaker, but they had just been compelled to tell this particular story, so I knew I would have to wait for the right thing to come to me.
 
So that’s kind of how I ended up making two films about women’s health. My first doc was The UTI Documentary. I’d been struggling with a chronic UTI for almost 13 years and a friend was writing an article about the lack of understanding around UTIs and suggested making a film.
 
YOUR FILM SHEDS LIGHT ON THE EXPERIENCES OF 18 DIFFERENT INDIVIDUALS WITHIN YOUR FILM, WHAT IS YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH OR HORMONAL BIRTH CONTROL?

As with the UTI documentary, I have my own link with the subject matter. I’ve always found taking hormonal birth control has come with more negative side effects than positive, whether that’s the pill or the mirena coil, but luckily nothing as severe as some of the people I interviewed.
 
OUTSIDE OF THE FRIENDS, FAMILIES, AND COLLEAGUES YOU INTERVIEWED, HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT FINDING THE OTHER WOMEN WHO ARE FEATURED IN YOUR FILM?

I tried really hard to reach out to different groups and strangers but it can be quite hard to get people to open up about their mental health when they don’t know you. Some of the women I interviewed in the film came about completely organically to my search for participants, which made our interviews more natural I think. I made friends with one of the participants through volunteering and she then introduced me to a group of quilters, which is why there is always a hum of a sewing machine in the background of their scenes!
 
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THERE IS STILL A TABOO-CULTURE TO DO WITH WOMEN’S MENTAL HEALTH?

I started making the film in 2016 and I think conversations were really starting to kick-off around mental health in general. Now that I’ve finished the film a lot of attitudes have changed and I think a lot of care has gone into normalising and prioritising your mental health, especially at work. But I think it was always easier for women to discuss their mental health; it’s the men’s mental health which seems to have had a huge change in attitude towards it.
 
WHAT DO YOU WANT PEOPLE TO TAKE HOME FROM HIGH, SOFT & OPEN?

I think I’d like people to feel like they’re not alone if they’ve been suffering with these negative side effects from hormonal birth control. I’d also like it to be a way for people to understand the issues better. Hopefully people can show this to their partners so they can better understand what they’re going through.
 
I think the other big message of the film is how important leaning on one another is, and how much we learn from each other when we’re just hanging out at the pool or pub, or when we’re at work. It’s like a never-ending exchange of information and I’d like to celebrate that a bit with this film.
 
HIGH, SOFT & OPEN ISN’T THE FIRST DOCUMENTARY YOU’VE CREATED, CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE UTI DOCUMENTARY, AND ANY OTHER FILMS YOU’VE BEEN INVOLVED IN?

The UTI documentary came about through a project called Healthy Scepticism, which is a Wellcome Trust funded, interdisciplinary project focusing on sustainability and reform in health care. UTIs are really misunderstood and mistreated, and as someone who has suffered with them for my whole adult life, I thought I’d be a good person to try and shine a light on these gaps in awareness. It was sort of a blueprint for High, Soft & Open, as the themes were so similar: repeatedly going to the doctor with a problem, doctor saying nothing is wrong, leaving feeling deflated and stuck, etc…
 
HIGH, SOFT & OPEN IS VISUALLY VERY BEAUTIFUL AND GROUNDED IN ITS VISUALS, HOW HAS YOUR TIME IN LONDON SHAPED THE FILMS STORYTELLING AND VISUALS, AND HOW HAS THE CITY SHAPED YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A FILMMAKER?

I was born and raised in London and still love living here. I love massive, over-crowded cities, I find them weirdly comforting and couldn’t live anywhere else. I love how every type of person exists here and are all just getting on with whatever we need to do.
 
All the interviews in the film happened with Londoners, so it was important to reflect this with the visuals. I also needed to convey the various environments and situations that these conversations around mental health and birth control can take place. Which turns out, is basically anywhere. I wanted the audience to feel like they were weaving in and out of these environments and capturing snippets of conversations all around London.
 
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO SEE YOUR WORK IN THE STREETS AS A PHYSICAL FORMAT?

It’s such a personal project that to see it out in the wild among the public is so surreal and exciting! I’m telling all my friends to keep their eyes peeled!
 
WHERE CAN PEOPLE WATCH HIGH, SOFT & OPEN?

You can watch the film through the Girls in Film website or through my website and vimeo.
www.girlsinfilm.net/videos/high-soft-open-film
www.ritamariaconry.co.uk

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FeaturesOff Licence Magazine cutting through the noise with Issue Fourteen
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Off License Magazine has built its name by championing independent music, underground culture, and the creatives pushing boundaries. With Issue Fourteen, the mag turns its focus to something inescapable – the internet. From the rise of social media to the dominance of streaming platforms, the digital world has reshaped how artists create, connect, and survive. This issue isn’t just about the online age – it’s about navigating it. The highs, the lows, and everything in between. 

To take the conversation beyond the page, Off License has teamed up with UNCLE for a flyposting campaign, bringing the cover art and standout quotes from the issue to Brighton, Bristol, London, and Manchester – making sure the dialogue lands where it matters most. 

At its core, Off License has always been about giving independent voices the space they deserve. Whether it’s through carefully selected cover stars or the stories inside, the magazine stays committed to quality over clickbait. In a landscape where digital noise often drowns out authenticity, Off License keeps its focus sharp – real voices, real stories, and an unfiltered look at the culture that matters. 

To understand how Issue Fourteen came together and why the internet was an inevitable theme, we spoke to Editor-in-Chief Greg Stanley about the magazine’s evolving vision, the challenges of the digital age, and what the future holds. 

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO FOCUS ON ‘THE INTERNET’ AS THE THEME FOR ISSUE FOURTEEN? 

It’s hard to pinpoint one specific thing that inspired us to focus on The Internet as the theme for Issue 14. It had been sitting on our Google Doc of good ideas for a while, and I think, to some extent, it grew out of frustration—at least for me as editor-in-chief. While we always encourage everyone involved in the magazine to interpret the theme in their own way, my perspective on it was probably shaped by a sense of social media burnout. 

In the six years we’ve been running Offie Mag, the social media landscape has changed drastically. The shift in what kind of content performs well directly impacts us—not just in terms of reach, but in how many people see the magazine and the artists we’re trying to platform. We built a lot of our audience and sales through still imagery, particularly film photography, which used to be a really effective way to grow. But as things moved toward short-form video, adapting to that shift became a challenge. So, in some ways, the decision to focus on The Internet was driven by a mix of inspiration and frustration—often a great motivator for writing. 

That being said, the issue isn’t just about the negatives. We wanted to explore both sides. If it weren’t for the internet, Offie Mag wouldn’t exist, nor would the community of readers we’ve built. Many of the musicians and artists we’ve featured in this issue share that same dual perspective—the internet has brought opportunities but also new struggles. 

I also have a background in journalism, and while a lot of what I studied still holds relevance, some of it already feels outdated. When I was at university, we weren’t preparing for this ultra-short-form video era we’re in now. The media landscape has shifted so rapidly that traditional teachings struggle to keep up. 

Ultimately, The Internet felt like the right theme at the right time because it reflects so much of what we, and the artists we platform, are experiencing—both the highs and the lows. Like most things, the online world mirrors the offline one, bringing all of its evils and all of its good. The theme came together as an amalgamation—or maybe more fittingly, an algorithm—of all of the above. 

CAN YOU SHARE THE STORY BEHIND SELECTING THE COVER ARTISTS FOR THIS ISSUE? 

The way we pick cover stars is pretty simple—we think about artists we love, track down a contact, and hope they’re up for it. 

Liv.e was someone I’d wanted to interview for years, but we used to do all our shoots in the UK, so I was waiting for the right time. Then I listened to Past Futur.e and thought, nah, let’s just go for it. She had a small show in Paris, we had good connections there, and Lucy Cullingworth was available to shoot—so it all lined up. Given her independent approach to music, she fit The Internet theme perfectly. 

With Zack Fox, my partner Fez actually suggested him after we kept watching his DJ sets on YouTube. At first, I was like, yeah, right, because he’s been on some huge magazine covers. But he really fucked with the ethos of Offie Mag, and The Internet theme felt like a good excuse to aim for an artist with a bigger platform than we usually go for. Plus, I just think his music is really interesting—his Wood Tip EP is way more introspective than the chaotic energy of his DJ sets. 

What ties them both together is that they’re genuinely hilarious online—whether it’s memes, captions, or actual directed content—but in their music, they can be really sincere. That contrast feels like the perfect way to express both sides of the internet. 

HOW DOES ‘THE INTERNET’ THEME INFLUENCE THE CONTENT AND DESIGN ELEMENTS THROUGHOUT THE MAGAZINE? 

Our themes can be really specific—like the New York issue, which focused entirely on artists and stories from the city. But The Internet is broader. Since it’s inescapable, every artist we spoke to had something relevant to say. 

Content-wise, we covered topics like the pressure on artists to create social media content, our addiction to phones, and the exploitation of independent musicians by streaming services. There’s also a lot of nostalgia in this issue—DaMetal Messiah put together a list of tracks with LimeWire energy, which taps into that early 2000s thrill of discovering music online. Meanwhile, younger artists featured in the mag have never known a music industry without the internet, so we’ve got a really broad perspective. 

For design, we didn’t go overboard on Y2K aesthetics, but Daniel Lovrinov created an incredible title page and merch design using ones, dots, and punctuation to spell out “The Internet” and “Offie Mag”—a nod to digital code. We’ve also got Elsa Monteith exploring whether short-form content is killing music videos, which ties the theme together in both the content and visual direction. 

WHEN CURATING EACH ISSUE, DO YOU BEGIN WITH A THEME AND WORK FROM THERE, OR DO YOU FIND COMMON GROUND AMONGST CONTRIBUTORS? WHAT IS YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? 

We used to do it the other way around—starting with artists we really wanted to feature and then finding a common thread between them. That’s how Issue 10 got its Renaissance theme—Pink Siifu and Fly Anakin said underground rap was going through a renaissance, and it just clicked. We were also in Paris at the time, which made it feel serendipitous. 

But now that we’ve moved to quarterly publishing, we plan themes in advance and then build the issue around them. We reach out to artists and put out calls for pitches that fit our upcoming themes, which helps us stay structured—especially since we now have paid subscribers expecting regular issues. 

Some themes are really specific, like New York, where every story had to tie back to the city. Others are looser, like The Internet or Nightlife, where we explored everything from why nightlife matters to how we can support club culture. The themes naturally shape the kinds of artists we feature, and it’s been interesting to see how that’s evolved—our earlier mags were mostly rap-focused, whereas more recent issues have branched into dance music, experimental scenes, and beyond. 

HOW AND WHY DID OFFIE MAG GET STARTED? 

There are really two answers to this. On one hand, I was finishing university and desperate to get my work out there. I’d been writing for football magazines at the time—still absolutely obsessed with football—but I had a growing urge to write about music and culture, especially independent music. Around 2016-2018, there was a wave of underground hip-hop, rap, and jazz in the UK that wasn’t being covered in much depth. If publications were writing about it, they weren’t digging into it the way I wanted to. 

So, Offie Mag started as a way to bypass the industry. I wasn’t great at pitching, I had no industry connections, and rather than waiting for an editor to take a chance on me, I figured I’d just start my own platform. At the same time, I was getting more into film photography—my mum had given me her old Olympus Trip 35, a camera my dad had bought her when she was 21. I was taking photos of my mates, nights out, house parties, and the things happening around me. Offie Mag became the perfect mix of the two—writing and photography in one place. 

Choosing to print the magazine was another step. I’d seen independent record labels selling small vinyl runs and limited merch, making enough to sustain themselves. That inspired me. There were loads of artists with dedicated fanbases but no in-depth media coverage. Print felt like a way to provide that while also making the magazine financially viable. 

From there, it just grew organically. More people wanted to get involved—journalists, photographers, DJs. We launched a radio show at my university station, then moved to a small Brighton station, where the most transformative friendship of my lifetime begun to flourish with Matt Leppier (Brickcellphone), who’s now Offie Mag’s managing editor (pictured!). That led to events, which we kept in line with our ethos—booking small artists, keeping ticket prices low, and focusing on community building. 

Initially, Offie Mag’s audience was Brighton-based, but the print magazine gave us a global readership. Financially, it started with what was basically an unofficial grant—I had been accepted for a Master’s in Documentary, and they had already sent my student loan before I decided, literally the day before term started, that I wasn’t going to do it. That money paid for the first print run, and from there, it snowballed into what Offie Mag is today. 

DESCRIBE OFFIE MAG IN THREE WORDS. 

A real-life magazine. Thank god for hyphens. 

HOW DO YOU ENSURE THAT EACH ISSUE RESONATES WITH YOUR AUDIENCE WHILE INTRODUCING FRESH PERSPECTIVES? 

We don’t overthink it. By focusing on independent musicians, independent labels, and independently owned establishments, we naturally attract readers who care about those things. 

We also ask our contributors to write for themselves first. Since they come from different backgrounds and places, the mag reflects our audience without forcing it. The people making Offie Mag are the target audience, so it feels authentic. 

There’s always a chance that someone only buys a mag because they’re obsessed with one cover star, but that’s a risk we take. We don’t rely on just the reach of big names—we trust the longevity of the curation and the stories we tell. 

HOW HAS THE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE OF THE UK INFLUENCED THE DIRECTION AND CONTENT OF OFFIE MAG? 

How can it not? The biggest influence is austerity—the cuts to public funding that make it harder to be an independent artist, a venue owner, or a creative of any kind. 

That financial pressure has shaped everything, but it also reinforces how important music and culture are—not just for entertainment, but for community, connection, and well-being. We cover those struggles, but also the ways people keep creating despite them. 

WHAT ARE SOME UPCOMING PROJECTS OR EVENTS THAT READERS CAN ANTICIPATE FROM OFFIE MAG? 

I don’t want to say too much… but if Offie Mag started a radio platform, it would probably be the best radio platform in the world. 

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO FOCUS ON PRINT VS. ONLINE? 

A few reasons, but my favourite right now is the archival nature of print. Online content disappears in the flood of social media, but print makes things permanent. 

There’s something special about knowing that in 10, 20, 30 years, someone might find an issue in a museum, a charity shop, or a car boot sale and get a snapshot of what was happening in independent music and culture at that time. Each mag is a capsule of a moment—something tangible that lives on. 

WHY IS PRINT MEDIA IMPORTANT TO OFFIE MAG IN THE DIGITAL AGE? 

If we hadn’t gone into print, we’d have just been another Instagram page or blog. Print made people take us seriously. 

It also feels more special now that there’s less of it. When a new issue lands on someone’s doormat, there’s a novelty to it. People get excited to hold it in their hands, and that’s something online media can’t replicate. 

WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES FOR THE FLYPOSTING CAMPAIGN? 

I hope it stays up forever. I hope people who supported us since Issue One or Issue Two see it in their city and think, oh wow, they’re still going, still growing. 

And as for the posters themselves? I hope a lot of people see that Zack Fox quote, because he nailed it— 

“The internet is just a big old trash pile of the greatest thinkers and the dumbest people of all time.” 

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FeaturesCountdown to 2029: Uniting to save the heartbeat of UK nightlife.
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‘The Last Night Out’ is an urgent PSA campaign created to raise awareness of the rapid decline in UK nightclubs, an issue that threatens to erase an iconic and vivacious part of British culture. Nightclubs, vital pillars of economic and cultural vitality, particularly for younger generations and creatives, are closing at an alarming rate. The campaign therefore aims to highlight the date at which, based on recent data, all nightclubs could be forced to close, and does so in the style of a nightclub event. The NTIA spearheaded this initiative alongside McCann (Adam Taylor-Smith and Stephen Yeates), and they came to UNCLE to join forces and amplify its reach across the UK. Together, we’re combining expertise to ensure the campaign resonates in the communities that need it most. 

At the current rate of three nightclub closures per week, it is projected that all such venues could disappear by December 31, 2029—a hypothetical “last night out” that the campaign uses as a stark rallying cry. Through the design of striking event posters, “The Last Night Out” campaign brings the issue to life visually, reminiscent of the eye-catching advertisements that typically promote nightlife events. At its core, the campaign champions the idea that nightclubs are more than just places to dance—they’re incubators for youth culture, artistic innovation, and community connection. Nightclubs have long been a space where people, particularly young adults, can feel free to express themselves, discover new art forms, and meet like-minded individuals. Losing these venues would mean not only the end of cherished social spaces but also a significant blow to local economies and creative industries. 

The interview we did with the team dives into the motivations behind this campaign and the broader significance of it. We cover the campaign’s mission, the alarming decline in nightclubs, and the implications of this trend for UK communities. By framing the closure date as 31.12.29, they hope to create a sense of urgency that inspires government support and public action, with steps including petitions and emails to local MPs. 

WHAT LED TO THE CREATION OF “THE LAST NIGHT OUT” CAMPAIGN? 

Earlier this year we came across a stat that revealed over 3 nightclubs are closing every week, and that at that rate they’d all be extinct by 2030. Pretty shocking really. 

So we took that stat and reframed it, which—in nightclub terms—would make 31.12.29 the last night out. So we wanted to bring that date, and the struggles nightclubs are facing, to life in a way nightclubs would, ie through a world of beautiful and arresting event poster design. 

WHY ARE NIGHTCLUBS SO VITAL TO THE UK’S CULTURAL AND SOCIAL LANDSCAPE? 

Nightclubs are more than sound systems and wristbands. They’re vital organisations that provide careers, spark friendships, inspire generations of artists and give people a place where they can truly celebrate their eclecticism as one after-dark family. And they’re vital on an economic level, too. Jobs, careers and artistic endeavors are at risk if nightclubs are allowed to disappear. 

WHAT IMPACT WOULD THE CLOSURE OF ALL UK CLUBS BY 2030 HAVE ON COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL ECONOMIES? 

Michael Kill, CEO of NTIA put this really well when he said, “Our industry is not just about entertainment; it’s about identity, community, and the economy. The loss of our venues means the loss of jobs, culture, and a vital part of the UK’s social fabric. Clubs like Fabric, Ministry of Sound, FAC 251, and SubClub are more than venues—they’re cultural landmarks that foster creativity, community, and the heartbeat of our cities. Without urgent intervention, December 31, 2029 will be the last night out and the end of an era that has defined generations.” 

WHAT ROLE DO NIGHTCLUBS PLAY IN FOSTERING MUSIC, ART, AND YOUTH CULTURE IN THE UK? 

Nightclubs are the perfect environment for young people to discover things about themselves, and be inspired by others. They are like incubators for creative expression and have always been spaces that give people a sense of freedom. At their best, they are a place where nobody is judged. There aren’t many places or spaces like that where people can come and be truly free to experiment with and learn about how they want to be perceived. 

HOW DOES FRAMING 31.12.29 AS ‘THE LAST NIGHT OUT’ BRING URGENCY TO THE MESSAGE? 

We hope it makes the sad reality of these closures harder to ignore. By highlighting the doomsday, and making people realise that it’s really not that far away, we’re hoping it might spark action. 

WHAT ARE THE MAIN CHALLENGES UK NIGHTCLUBS FACE THAT CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR RAPID CLOSURE? 

The financial landscape has been pretty dire for UK nightclubs since the start of covid. We need the government to provide sustained financial support to keep this industry alive. But also, there are a number of policies and regulations that need reform. We need a review of licensing laws, business rates, and planning policies to create a supportive environment for the industry to build itself back up. 

WHAT STEPS CAN THE PUBLIC, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND INDUSTRY PLAYERS TAKE TO HELP SAVE NIGHTCLUBS? 

The public can help by signing the petition that challenges the government to launch a Heritage Protection Scheme, granting significant nightclubs culturally protected status. 

They can also email their MP with this prepopulated email that takes only a few minutes. 

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FeaturesArtist Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press uses juxtaposition to promote global unity.
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DISARM is a public artwork display from artist Fiona Banner commissioned by CIRCA in partnership with UNCLE. The creative itself has taken shape in multiple mediums since it’s creation, culminating in a showing on the digital screens of Piccadilly Circus. Known for their commercial content, these screens provide a powerful platform for a campaign focused on political and social commentary. It will be shown daily at 20:24pm (BST) on that screen, plus others globally until the 31st August. To amplify the campaign’s message, we also facilitated a national flyposting showing, drawing attention and support for its agenda. 

The artwork presents a striking juxtaposition: military aircrafts, typically associated with destruction, spelling out the word ‘DISARM’. This visual statement challenges viewers to reconsider the implications of military power and the often-unexamined nationalism associated with such displays. Whilst the roar of the planes and their formations can be thrilling and beautiful, they also are underscored by the stark realities of nationalistic pride and the obscenity of war. The aim of the artwork being to provoke thought and conversation about peace and excess, especially via the interconnectedness of nations across the globe that we hope strive for unity.  

UNCLE conducted an in-depth interview with Fiona Banner to explore the full scope of the artwork’s concept. The conversation reveals the creative process behind the piece, its personal significance to the artist, and the inspirations that led to its creation. 

WHAT IS THE CONCEPT SURROUNDING THIS SERIES OF WORK? 

DISARM is on the mega screen at Piccadilly Circus, London – Piccadilly Lights… A super public intersection…It’s a public artwork that happens daily for 2 months. 

DISARM takes from the viscerally and direct impact of a military flypast, its self a very public kind of performance, and subverts the usual jingoistic message of military power, so the planes in formation spell out the word DISARM.   

A few times a year a flypast goes right over my studio. It’s weirdly exciting, such a brief moment of extreme weather, of obscene ego and nationalist folly, yes, but it also hits you viscerally, something about the planes high in the sky performing like that, is emotional, frightening… possibly beautiful.  

We always rush out to see it when we hear the roar… then afterwards talk about how fucked it is. Lately they have been spelling out C R, the kings initials, things like that – hubris writ large.  

Piccadilly circus spot is a centre of establishment in many ways, and the screen is top capitalism, in normal times it’s a constantly replicating quilt of unrequitable consumerist desire. The flypast is an interruption, or take over of that, it plays into that excessive and perverse energy – the word ‘disarm’ also refers to that excess, and our combative relationship with nature, as well the military.  

The poster campaign goes long side that. Fly-posters for a fly-past…street posters are always animated because they are experienced in passing. 

WHY IS THE WORD ‘DISARM’ FEATURED SO PROMINENTLY? 

In spelling out the word DISARM, letter by letter, the airplanes are calling for their own demise, or emasculation at least. It’s is a moment where language meets its limits.  

The work is grandiose as is a flypast, and not, disarm is a big word, and also a physical word, it also refers back to the domestic sphere of our own bodies, dis arm.  

I was thinking that there is a naivety to making the statement ‘disarm!’, which is to say the word has become detached from its reality – how do you use that word in a way so that it redresses the cliché, or otherwise put so that the word speaks with impact, speaks its own complexity.  

Addressing the biggest global Conference on Disarmament this year U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said “Something is very wrong if a disarmament conference leads to no meaningful disarmament, year after year.” The word has become taboo, and all we are taking about at the moment is ramping up arms. The arms industry is all about control, but it is out of control… It has become normalised. 

There is very little proper public conversation around peace at the moment. Seems like a time to say Disarm!  

HOW HAS THIS SERIES OF WORK DEVELOPED OVER TIME?  

It started as a series of story boards or drawings, and then slowly got realised. It became clear to me the planes had to be from different, non-allied countries. D – Flying Leopard, I – Typhoon, S – Flanker, A – Falcon, R – Golden Eagle, M – Lightning, so there is contention in the medium of the language.  

The action happens amongst the birds, the sky…the boredom of an undistinguished bucolic land scape… the sound coming first and waiting for the planes to erupt into the frame.  

Like any flypast its uber boring and uber exciting…. Waiting and the excessive action, then waiting…. Plus there is the perversity that the planes are named after forces of nature… so we are looking at nature? I realised the suppleness of nature was an important antidote to the harsh roaring anti nature of the planes… the space between the letters that makes the word possible. 

Years ago I made a series of works called Chinook. One involved a chinook performing a sky ballet at an air show. Perhaps I have been slowly making this work for a long time without realising it. 

WHY ARE YOU OFTEN DRAWN TO THEMES OF MILITARY? 

I grew up in one arms race, and then there was another around the time I started working properly as an artist. Cold wars were the wallpaper to growing up in the 70s and later 80s – our primitive dark side spelt out in high technology.  

TELL US ABOUT THE COLLABORATION WITH CIRCA ART?  

I got to know Josef O’Conner when he was thinking about starting Circa and he asked me to make something for Piccadilly Lights then. As time went on we agreed that it should be something active, a happening, something that implied, or called for, change. I had recently put massive full stop sculptures into the sea, with Greenpeace, part of an action against destructive fishing…and delivered another to the front door on DEFRA. Disarm is another bit of language in action, it plays into the public nature of Piccadilly Lights. Whilst I have been working on this different conflicts have flared up and the global context has changed. It has been hard to find a time when the work does not feel like a response to a specific context. 

DID GROWING UP IN LIVERPOOL SHAPE YOUR CREATIVITY? 

It’s hard to know these things. There is often an underside of humour, as a way of saying things in my work – something physical and connected with language… perhaps there is an element of bravado… 

TELL US ABOUT SOME OF THE MOST PROMINENT MOMENTS IN YOUR CAREER? BEING FEATURED IN THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART OF BEING SHORTLISTED FOR THE TURNER PRIZE ETC… 

Most prominent moments have been human… back room interactions… the making stuff… the linear cv, or career moments aren’t actually the big moments, I try to not make them my markers.  

WHAT IMPACT DOES THE CITY OF LONDON HAVE ON YOUR WORK? 

Sometimes it’s restrictive, sometimes it’s a release. The friction is important. 

WHAT ARE SOME HIDDEN GEMS IN LONDON YOU LOVE? 

The gaps and in-between bits, the community gardens…. lets protect them! 

FAVOURITE THING ABOUT LIVING IN LONDON? 

The mix of human voices and accents. 

DOES CULTURE PLAY A KEY PART IN YOUR CREATIVITY? 

Always by osmosis mainly. I am grateful to live now, but now is also shit in many ways… 

WHAT DO YOU HOPE PEOPLE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS CAMPAIGN?  

It may sometimes seem small or stupid, naive, but if you believe it find a way to say it.  

Stand for change. 

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FeaturesFrom Shells to Street Art: Olly Walker’s Hermit Crabs and Urban Protest.
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Hermit crabs are crustaceans that have evolved to occupy empty mollusc shells in a bid to protect their fragile exoskeletons. Only nowadays, when our oceans and hence beach habitats are heaving with societies’ discarded refuse, the crabs have been forced to make bottles, cans, plastic cups, and the like their mobile homes.

The sight of such vulnerable, other worldly creatures coupled with detritus born of our neglectful consumer society is more than unsettling, it feels palpably wrong. It’s damning evidence that commerce always seems to trump any sense of stewardship, of care for planet earth.

Observing this sorry situation, artist and curator Olly Walker has pursued an ongoing sticker, paste-up and now, courtesy of UNCLE, a poster project featuring hermit crabs emerging from branded cans.

Placing these misfit chimeras on sites of urban development, they become a pointer to and metaphor for gentrification and displacement. A nauseating sign of global corporations and financial imperatives relentlessly impacting not just the natural world but all our lives.

“It’s originally based on my experience of living in Hackney and seeing how residents have been systematically driven out of their homes and neighbourhoods by property developers whose only real focus is on profit at the expense of the local people and infrastructure that once sustained thriving communities,” the artist opined. “And this is happening to poorer, marginalised people in major cities across the world. The hermit crab artwork is a visual objection to the blinkered attitude of these developers and planning regimes. It’s a protest against wanton destruction, not just of tangible amenities like bingo halls, pubs and community centres but also peoples’ historical, social bonds to the places where they live and work, neighbourhoods they’ve grown up in.”

We caught up with Olly to chat about his HOME SWEET HOME project but also his long involvement in many creative projects.

HOME SWEET HOME IS AN ONGOING PROJECT WITH POTENTIALLY MANY ITERATIONS. CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE VERSION THAT SEES THE CRAB CAUGHT IN A MONTANA GOLD AEROSOL SPRAY CAN?     

In the 1990s and the noughties London’s East End was a magnet for street artists from all over the world. In a time before social media, it was word-of-mouth that drew people to come and see new, exciting work.

THE AREA HAS CHANGED A LOT SINCE THOSE DAYS…

Yes, new buildings have sprung up everywhere and walls which were once available to paint on have either disappeared due to development or have been taken over by street art agents.

SO, WHAT WAS ONCE AN INDEPENDENT PAINTED STREET ART, PASTE-UP AND GRAFFITI SCENE HAS BEEN REPLACED WITH WALL MURALS THAT MAY BE TECHNICALLY CLEVER BUT BASICALLY, THEY’RE JUST ADVERTS?

And my Montana Gold crabs ‘intervene’ on these mural adverts. Again, it’s a comment on gentrification but also, it’s a reminder that corporate displacement is not just about the loss of housing, it’s about the materialistic co-option of our urban environments and the effects that can have on social and mental well-being.

YOU’RE AN ARTIST AND CURATOR, WE’VE ESTABLISHED THAT, BUT YOU’RE ALSO A STREET ART AFICIONADO, A DESIGNER AND PRODUCER (WHO HAS WORKED ACROSS BOOK, FILM AND FASHION WORLDS). COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT A FEW OF THE ‘HIGHLIGHTS’ (AND EVEN PERHAPS SOME ‘LOWS’) OF YOUR LONG AND RICHLY VARIED CAREER WORKING IN THE ARTS?

Yeah, some of those [early] experiences were great. I was designing books for Steve Lazarides [publisher, photographer, collector and curator who was instrumental in popularising street art] and that included meeting the artists. So, I got to meet JR, Vhils, Paul Insect I already knew, Ben [Turnbull], that’s how we met, and erm, Johnny Yeo who’s just painted the king! When you get to meet these artists and you witness their work ethic, that was what spurred me on to go down the street art route really and slowly move away from some of the corporate work that I was doing.

I was lucky to have those experiences, without meeting those artists you’d never get to see the other side of how all that works and how amazingly inspiring they are.

IS THAT THE ORIGIN AS WELL OF HOW YOUR STENCIL AND STREET ART POSTER BOOKS CAME ABOUT?

Yeah, that happened through a contact at Laurence King [world leading publisher of art books] who’d sort of seen what I’d been doing and we just came up with the idea of doing the stencil books. And once again that involved working, albeit remotely, with forty of the best artists in the world. Those experiences drive you on to be even better, more creative and produce more work. They also led to my curating, at the Saatchi Gallery, and Urban Nation [a museum dedicated to street art, graffiti and contemporary urban art] in Berlin so once again you’re in the company of some of the best artists in that field. You then take what you’ve learnt and apply it to your own work. And I think now I’ve reached a point where everything I do excites me. Because I don’t have a design studio to run anymore which means I don’t have to feed work into it that I don’t particularly want to do. I don’t have to pay wages, rents, all of that.

Currently I’m working with Katherine Hamnett on her huge campaign to get people out to vote, with JackArts, that’s an amazing opportunity. Likewise, I’m just getting this bespoke packaging together for a special record project with John Gosling to release Alexander McQueen’s fashion show soundtracks. Again, that’s exciting because they’re kind of unique projects. And so, I guess I’m lucky really to have these things sort of come at me. But, of course, you do have to do a bit of leg work. You have to put yourself out and about a bit. I don’t ever have to pitch for anything and the design world is full these days of people desperately pitching for work and that can be a bit soul destroying.

AND YOU PRODUCED A FILM NOT SO LONG AGO WITH DR.D?

The film side of it is brilliant. And that was another project where there was a whole crew of very talented filmmakers, you know, the DOPs [directors of photography], the director, the editor, they’re all highly rated in the industry and [during Covid] we were all out of work. So, I came up with the idea of working with Dr.D and it turned into an amazing project.

I think, strangely, one of the nice things about it is there was no money involved. Which meant there wasn’t any influence from a ‘client’ as such. No money equals freedom sometimes. And again, John Gosling did the soundscape for the Dr.D film. Suse helped too [Susan Hansen is Europe’s most cited street art scholar]. It was a coming together of very talented and enthusiastic people. Initially the film crew had never met Dr.D, or seen what he does. And they were blown away by being involved in the project, again the artist’s energy, commitment, and the work that he sites in the streets, it changes the way you think about not just the street art and activism, it offers you another lens through which we can experience the city and the social issues that arise there.

ANY LOWS?

It’s not really a low as such but one thing that does piss me off is when people don’t proofread copy properly! Apart from that, it’s all good.

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FeaturesPink powerhouse Cute Cartel are determined to educate and make club culture and events a safer place. 
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Bristol holds the title amongst UK cities for tending to be the most outlandish, progressive and experimental when it comes to the creative mediums. UNCLE’s latest collaboration is no exception to the rule – Cute Cartel are “A collective to raise awareness about abuse/trauma & provide support to those who have already suffered”. This is done through workshops and events put on by the group themselves along with appearances up and down the country at various festivals and other major events. UNCLE partnered with the Cartel to promote their activity and support for communities that need it most in the scene.  

An eloquent conversation was had with the group who spoke with grace on a potentially uncomfortable and triggering subject. But this is part of their role, to break that stigma and start an open dialogue. The education they can provide those who are willing to listen is invaluable to modern society. We spoke through the roots of the Cartel and the work they currently now do to give an insight into the positivity they help to enact nationally.  

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START THE COLLECTIVE CUTE CARTEL? 

Squid: There was no plan in making The Cute Cartel, it was just an escalation from a desire to create art alongside a (collective) drive for change. I love utilising art in all aspects of my life and feel most comfortable when I am creating. Knitting and textiles has been a medium that makes most sense to me, but it wasn’t until I started knitting guns, weapons and balaclavas that I felt my wool became not just things to wear, but pieces of art. 

This formed the vision of the collective, but the actual message came later. The message behind CC formed when I was very open about an experience of sexual assault and, more accurately, how normalised abusive behaviour was within our social circles. This sparked others to come forward and share their anonymous stories of similar experiences, with most people wanting to spread awareness and gain a voice that had previously been lost in the alienated feeling of trauma. The stories were the cornerstone of this community and made The Cute Cartel what it is today. The number of stories shed light on how common and widespread the issue is and also the intense reality of how many people are affected by abuse and assault in such a personal way. That is why it is referred to as a collective, as all people affected by the same issue helped to create this support network. Everyone in this community is important, even the ones who have more learning to do than others. At the start of this journey, I had no intention to create exactly this; it would never have been possible with just one person. Sometimes, when a space like this is needed, it is forced into existence by a collective of minds, and I feel that, fundamentally, this is what created the space. 

WHAT IS ITS PURPOSE? 

Squid: The space is used to provide support through the understanding that we are not alone in dealing with these issues; the imagery is used to raise awareness in the hope that whoever stumbles across us either finds solace in us or learns something. We take the anonymity very seriously and use the balaclava to symbolise the importance of that in the space while using it as a shared face to represent our unity. This space is not used to publicly spread hatred, shame or ostracise people. It is only for the people who have been traumatised to find a community that is unified in a drive to help heal those who are suffering. Every traumatic experience is different, but they all do require healing, and finding healing in each other while feeling empowered is one of the simplest, free and unified things we can do when facing aversion.  

So many people are affected by trauma. It comes in many different shapes and forms; as it’s generally considered that trauma is a cycle, I believe one of the best ways of breaking this cycle is to understand traumatic events and how they affect us. The Cute Cartel has helped me at times when I have felt scared or triggered; just knowing that this community exists has given me support during times my trauma has resurfaced or when I have been met with another difficult situation to process. 

HOW DID YOUR RECOGNISABLE PINK AESTHETIC COME TO BE? 

Squid: Before the existence of CC, pink was not a part of my wardrobe. There are many reasons why I now love the colour pink, but it is important for CC because it’s shedding negative connotations of pink as ‘basic’ or ‘girly’ (Which it never has been, and certainly won’t be now). Every expectation of girly within this space is flipped into something that is bizarre and intense, which feels really empowering. Some have called the aesthetic ‘scary’, but this seems to come from an indoctrination that femininity cannot hold power in this way. Pink in CC is the colour of empowerment. Not even solely in the frame of femininity, but a colour that represents: strength, sexuality, unity and the subverting of social constructs (I may be biased or have been around CC too long that pink can no longer exist as a normal colour). Even though sometimes it can feel a little sickly, I feel really strongly about the aesthetic of pink being one of the most important features of the visual world of The Cute Cartel. 

WHAT ARE SOME PAST EVENTS THAT YOU HAVE SUPPORTED? 

Festivals: Balter/SGP/Boomtown/Beathearder/Nozsotck 

Events: Homobloc/Crotch/395 residency 

Squid: The events we take part in are the festival and music scenes across the UK. Some are being part of something bigger, but occasionally we put on our own events and workshops. We aim to spread awareness at these events and reach as many people as possible. Festivals are a good place to talk with people personally, while smaller events tend to be more politically charged. The eye-catching imagery creates an open discussion about the purpose of our group, giving us lots of opportunities to spread the word. Our tent also means we can put into practice a supportive atmosphere to replicate the work that we also conduct online. 

Eilidh on Crotch: The Cute Cartel is totally perfect for Crotch – a queer-run space in Bristol. Cute Cartel’s presence there celebrates that we are amongst our people. We have a wider audience at festivals, so we are more likely to make a point. Like the slutwalks – but much more badass. 

Daisy: The CC residency at 395 was an amazing week. We set up the space and spoke about our trauma and what CC meant to us; it felt like we were truly building a safe space for survivors, turning our negative experiences into something beautiful to help others. So many who attended commented on how much they valued an inclusive event that wasn’t male-dominated or focused on drinking/music. It was a breath of fresh air to have a supportive and cosy environment in which to learn skills, be creative, and share. I spoke to so many people that week who felt able to disclose past experiences of abuse because they were in an environment where they knew they would be listened to and understood. 

Eilidh: For me, cute Cartel has been a real sense of community and the embracement of femme power, creativity and joy. And I love that you don’t have to be a certified performer to get involved; you need to have the right attitude and mindset. 

HOW COULD THIS SCENE BE CHANGED FOR THE BETTER? 

Squid: The scene surrounding us has come a long way; even only 5-10 years ago, things were drastically different regarding these issues. There are many ways that change can be created to push for a future where assault, abuse and trauma aren’t as prevalent; I have personally found that it’s not the lack of ability to talk to other survivors, but actually the perpetrators of this behaviour themselves. My experience from confronting most (not all) people who have acted abusively towards me has been one where they are unwilling to accept that their behaviour is crossing a line. I can see that, with cancel culture, the thought of having a label is scary, so I do also understand why people have reacted this way. I think everyone has a different opinion based on their own experiences. Still, I personally believe that we need to give people a chance to change before we cast them out for behaviour that is most likely within their own cycle of trauma. We should educate effectively while being mindful of the people who have suffered and what is actually an effective way of changing the behaviour of individuals who have learned to act in ways that are harmful or disrespectful to other people. While creating support for those suffering and pushing to create a space where change can happen, I think it can do more within our scenes. 

HOW CAN WE BE MORE MINDFUL IN SPACES THAT YOU OPERATE IN? 

Squid: Being mindful in our scenes is learning and accepting the ways that our behaviour may not have been good in the past while putting in the time and effort to change and grow as people. Understanding why this behaviour is a problem and where it comes from is a big way to put in the right groundwork for preventing this from occurring again. People have to love and respect themselves first before they can treat others the same, so a big part of mindfulness is understanding oneself and choosing to behave in specific ways, which puts into practice a better way of treating others.  

Levi: It’s important to make everyone feel as included and comfortable as they can be within a space so that they have the confidence to speak out on discriminatory or bad behaviour. Awareness and mindfulness of each other or behaviour that can harm one another must be taken more seriously but handled effectively to create change in our spaces. This way, we can be more conscious about assault and violence while giving more voice and support to the powerless.  

Hatti: What I always try to keep in mind is that you don’t know who you are going to meet, what their day looks like, or their life, the last time they had a hug, what happened before they walked out their front door, if they had breakfast or if they can even afford breakfast – all of it! For me, that’s being mindful, acknowledging and welcoming with open arms, whoever someone is. For me, that is what the CC vagina creates, a place to leave those things to the side and just play, knowing that everyone is there for the same reason. 

Lauren: I think it centred around the core message of CC; respecting boundaries and consent. The vast majority of people are respectful and love the message of CC. Even when someone isn’t learned on these issues, after one conversation you can usually see them start to think differently. 

WHAT DO YOU HOPE THE COLLECTIVE’S LEGACY WILL BE? 

Squid: It’s not so much hope for The Cute Cartel to have a legacy, but our message to hold its own legacy in the change it creates. For issues such as abuse, harassment, sexual assault and rape to decrease or be diminished for future generations. I will never cease to create art, and it will definitely take me on other journeys and possibly away from CC. Whether The Cute Cartel has a legacy or not, one thing that me and every person who has been involved wants, is to make the changes that are greatly needed to prevent further abuse and trauma and treat each human with complete respect. When I was younger, I said one of my dreams was to make a dent in the world, however big or small, and even to know that this project has helped or supported anyone makes me feel that my personal dream has been made. 

HOW ARE YOU TIED TO THE CITY OF BRISTOL? 

Squid: The Cute Cartel began through the heart of the love for art in Bristol as I lived there for 3 years and began the artwork during my time in UWE. We have a range of performers from Manchester, Bristol, Liverpool, London, Wales and Chesterfield. But it was this weird and wonderful city that opened up an explorative space through its acceptance of all things unusual and the different ways of expressing oneself and one’s art. In Bristol, there are so many different characters and extraordinary individuals who are all accepted and celebrated for their uniqueness in a way I have not seen to the same extent in another city in the UK; it was the perfect city for the birthplace of CC. 

HOW HAS THE SCENE CHANGED IN BRISTOL AND BEYOND SINCE YOUR FORMATION? 

Eilidh: Bristol has successfully raised awareness against issues such as spiking and night-time harassment. There have been publicity and training campaigns, such as the Bristol Nights Women’s Charter and the introduction of PHAT security, a new, non-threatening approach to security. Obviously, this is happening in certain pockets – while other parts of Bristol are totally stuck in outdated mindsets.  

Ashley: The Bristol scene has changed massively from the first time we showcased the fluffy crocheted balaclavas and guns; people are more actively looking after one another. Around Bristol some posters put forward this message in respecting each other and loving oneself, alongside new posters that showcase the ‘DONT BE A CREEP’ message, directly addressing anyone who is not adhering to what we stand for. A lot has progressed in the past five years from attitudes like ours, and we hope to continue spreading the CC message to future generations to create a more thriving and wholesome community.  

Hatti: Bristol is always blossoming and blooming; it has been forever and always will. Despite struggles in the shutting down of venues and events being underfunded, it will always power through because of the creative energy here. The scene is much happier, takes itself a lot less seriously and is more queer-positive. However silly it can be here, there’s a real feeling of being conscious of the darker sides of nightlife and event culture. Bristol is cracking down on it but with a community-led approach – people are taking it into their own hands to keep their communities safe. It shouldn’t have to be like this, but the proactive approach of this scene is definitely something to be proud of. 

WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THE FUTURE OF CUTE CARTEL? 

Eilidh: I believe the next step for CC is to diversify – as a group of friends and circus performers, it makes sense that we are not there yet, but that needs to change as we grow. We aim for more representation, focusing on POC and diverse body types, but not in a tokenistic way. We plan to incorporate politics into our performances to increase awareness of our message. Additionally, we aspire to engage more with the community through workshops, banners, signage, information cards, the creation of safe spaces for survivors, and the implementation of safeguarding measures. Particularly at festivals, we envision having a ‘consent card’ to distribute to people who harass us, streamlining the process and avoiding repetitive conversations. 

Levi: We are eager for more opportunities. The Cute Cartel has embraced almost every chance to raise awareness and attract attention to the cause. I hope more windows of opportunity open for CC, and more reflective possibilities arise so that a wider variety of people can feel celebrated, most importantly not alone. 

Daisy: My hope for the future is that even if there isn’t a CC presence at events, there will be in spirit! I hope that CC will de-stigmatise conversations about sexual assault and abuse while radical acceptance and kindness become mainstream. I hope CC can help people find their strength following traumatic events and see the power in being a SURVIVOR. That is what my balaclava represents to me – my new identity and symbol of liberation. 

Squid: I tend to not make plans that are really far ahead in this project, as it does tend to follow a path of its own and there are many people who come up with new, effective and exciting ideas. We will continue to do whatever we are capable of when it comes to events and festivals, although as a group we are largely underfunded and are forced to raise money in order to keep it alive. One overall plan, amongst the continuing desire to create as much as change as possible, is to make this project sustainable for all the people involved. 

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FeaturesUNCLE X flyingleaps collaborate to bring artist Magda Archer’s new work to the streets.
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UNCLE has teamed up with flyingleaps artists’ street poster project to deliver a bit of wry hope and critical humour to a wall near you. UNCLE selected a brand new and achingly topical artwork by Archer as their 2023 festive message: ‘WORLD PEACE IS COMING (otherwise we’re screwed!)’ will be on display across numerous UK towns and cities. 

In some ways it’s a heart-warming image, especially if you appreciate the unconditional love dogs can give us. Okay, it’s the just the hormone linked to positive emotional states present in both dogs and humans but hey, the world could do with a great deal more unconditional love. Dogs don’t go around inventing reasons not to get on, but it’s a trait humans excel in. 

Sometimes with just a few deft brushstrokes and her superbly honed gift for wit and economy with words, Archer makes art that addresses the terrifying ironies of existence. Her paintings and prints are kitsch meditations that sometimes make you want to hold your head in your hands and weep at the gross stupidity of humankind. And at other times wonder at the innocence, the solace, the capacity for empathy to overcome the worst of us. Her work can untap hope as well as warmly warn against slipping into cynical despair.  

And she manages to do all the above without being po-faced, preachy, or didactic. This is amply borne out by the name and impetus behind her most recent exhibition. In connection with Archer’s current show – ‘I Don’t Know’ at Helm Gallery, Brighton (9.11.23 – 24.12.23) – the artist explained, “The title is a perfectly valid response to just about any question. Embracing uncertainty leaves you open to a much broader experience of life, a bigger picture. For me, not knowing doesn’t lead to anxiety, rather to a sense of calm and a re-setting of my head to all of life’s possibilities.” 

As the artist has kindly let us use one of her most recent works as UNCLE’s festive message, we thought it would be a good idea to have a catch up and chat IRL. Q&A here we go…   

COULD YOU TALK US THROUGH YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS? 

I like to have ideas lying around, they’re in notebooks but I’ve also got a lot of scraps of paper with one line or an idea, I don’t know how it’s going to evolve but at some point an image will collide with the text. Usually the text comes first but not always.  

AND HOW DO YOU HANDLE CRITICISM OF YOUR WORK, WHO’S FEEDBACK DO YOU VALUE? 

Criticism!? I don’t hang around to hear it. I’m sure it’s out there. Actually, the only place I’d hear it is social media. You know, I’ve had some stray remarks, or the odd sour commentator. Once in a while if I see the same name, I’ll remove them. If it seems they’re just there for sport rather than wanting to engage with the work. Regarding feedback that I appreciate, there’s a couple of my friends, and my children.  

WHAT INSPIRES YOU, KEEPS YOU MOTIVATED TO MAKE YOUR PAINTINGS? AND YOUR PRINTS? HOW DO YOU VIEW THEM IN COMPARISON TO YOUR PAINTINGS? 

Inspiration wise, I think it’s the news, modern culture, all of what’s going on around me. To put it baldly, it’s difficult not to think of the prints as a way of making money to pay for the painting. Painting is just such a slow, slow burn. In a year I might sell four or five. Another year I might sell one. You can’t live on that sort of money. Unless you’re super successful. But I was thinking earlier today, in a way not achieving huge financial success as an artist has been good for me. The way I think of my career is, I don’t want to use the word ‘failure’, but I’m certainly not up there with some of my male contemporaries. But, as I say, on reflection that’s probably been good for the way I think and the way I make stuff, because it doesn’t get in the way. I haven’t got a lot of money to think about. But then I don’t want to be on the phone to my accountant every day, being bothered with that, so there’s upsides.    

HOW DO YOU HANDLE PROJECT DEADLINES AND TIME MANAGEMENT? 

I’m very good at that, you know, everything else might be chaos, my studio is chaos a lot of the time. Deadlines? I think because I spent ten years as an illustrator, unhappily as an illustrator, I can do a deadline. 

What’s been your experience of the business side of being an artist, dealing with people in that regard? 

Well, in a word, it’s been tricky. Bloody tricky. I’ve had problems where people don’t want to pay me. And I’ve had problems where I know at the time I’m being ripped off, and then I discover a couple of years down the line you realise, no, you were really, royally ripped off. It’s quite a rare thing when someone comes to you and says, I really like your work and I want to be honest financially. Actually, it’s quite nice when people say, I haven’t got any money to give you but I want to use your work on this. It’s when people are underhand, I won’t name names but it’s a wind-up. So, it’s happened, and it keeps happening.  

To offer some context, back-end of 2022 Magda had to finally sue several companies who were reproducing her work without permission. She won all the cases, but she explained this had been an emotionally and financially draining process. Obviously winning meant being awarded costs but there was very little by way of compensation.    

You’ve recently teamed up with Jo Brooks PR – who works with Banksy, Lucy Sparrow (aka @sewyoursoul), David Shrigley, etc. – how do hope that will develop? 

Well, if you read the small print as it were, Jo does the PR for Banksy and Shrigley but with Lucy and myself she’s our manager. And, as far as I know, she only manages female artists. How do I think it’s going to go? I think very well. Because she’s honest and a good person. And she’s funny. 

HOW DO YOU BALANCE YOUR ART CONCERNS, ARTISTIC INTEGRITY IF YOU LIKE, AGAINST COMMERCIAL PRESSURES WHEN IT COMES TO COLLABORATING WITH OTHER PARTIES: FASHION DESIGNERS, BOOKS, MERCH., ETC.? 

I’d say with the Marc Jacobs collaboration it went very well, they were very sensitive about how I felt, constantly saying, ‘What did I think about this, what did I think about that?’ If I didn’t like something, they’d take it out. Without any fuss. And the Idles book, Joe Talbot just said, ‘Do what you want.’ I didn’t believe him. Because people never really mean that, they say, ‘Do what you want, do what you want…’ But then they come back and say, ‘Ooh yeah, but don’t do that!’ No, I had to keep checking with Joe and he kept saying, ‘I like it all.’ Which you don’t hear very much, so you don’t believe it. Now the book’s out, and it looks great. I’ve described it as having like a ‘ready brek glow’, the imagery and lyrics resonate. 

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING PROJECT AND WHAT YOU LEARNED FROM IT? 

Well, again that would be the many years of illustration work, that’s why I’m not an illustrator, because I hated it. It’s just people pushing you around, grabbing the work and not even saying ‘goodbye’ or ‘thank you.’   

HOW DO YOU HANDLE CREATIVE BLOCKS OR MOMENTS OF SELF-DOUBT? 

I don’t have creative blocks. I might have a time, a period, when I feel flat emotionally. It might be exhaustion, it might be things that are kicking off around me with friends or family. And because I don’t particularly want to work with all these thoughts, I stop. I might still be in my studio every day, but I will stop making.  

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT A PROJECT OR PIECE OF WORK THAT YOU’RE PARTICULARLY PROUD OF? 

I’m proud that I’m still doing it. You know, what with all the other responsibilities of being a mother, running a home, you know, laundry, kids’ problems, blah, blah, blah. But despite it all I’m proud of myself for persisting. 

You’ve collaborated w. flyingleaps artists’ street poster project several times since 2016 and this year your ‘WORLD PEACE IS COMING (otherwise we’re screwed)’ work’s been chosen as UNCLE’s festive message to the nation… What would you say about flyposting as a medium to show your art? 

It’s become a favourite medium. Because, well, I’m not going to say it’s a leveller, and it’s a cliché to say it’s the street as art gallery but it is. People are not intimidated as they might be going into a fancy gallery. It’s there, and it’s public, and it’s sort of a bit ‘shouty’. I can’t fault the medium. I love it. I think it’s a collision between my background in graphic design and my wish to be considered a serious artist.   

FINALLY, HOPES, DREAMS, AMBITIONS FOR 2024 AND BEYOND…? 

Ooh, mmm. I want to make some music. And I want to, there’s a few things I want to do. I’ve got a new keyboard and I want to master that. Also, I want to do something else, and I want to say performance art, but it is, and it isn’t. More things that aren’t painting or print making but will have my physical presence as part of the piece. I want to do things that I’m a bit frightened of. I’d like to try and tackle the subject of ‘wonder’ creatively, like Yoko Ono.  

So, whether it’s paintings, prints, collaborations with cool musicians and fashion designers, making more of her own music or the mysterious proposed move into work that will feature the artist in some way, Magda Archer it seems will go on challenging herself while at the same time continuing to delight, intrigue and provoke an ever-growing audience for her art. And, of course, with all that we wish her well. 

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FeaturesRecord Store Day shows solidarity with local communities and music’s unspoken heroes
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In anticipation of the upcoming Record Store Day on the 22nd of April, UNCLE have partnered with The Digital Entertainment and Retail Association to canvas the UK with artwork marking the events 16th year. The day celebrates independent record stores and the “unsung heroes behind the counter who work hard to keep their doors open every day of the year”. UNCLE thrive when supporting the local communities within our cities, so it was only fitting to make a statement in Birmingham, Brighton, Bristol, Liverpool, London and Manchester.  

In the last decade the resurgence of vinyl popularity has been a key moment for music history and Record Store Day has been recognised as one of the key driving forces behind this. The day supports, elevate and champions the unwavering resilience and dedication that these stores and their staff have continued to show in times of recent societal adversity. Through both the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis ingenuity conquered all with staff’s exceptional effort to keep the culture alive. The day itself will see 250 record shops come together in the UK – with thousands more worldwide -to celebrate their unique culture by hosting parties, in-store performances and live events for customers and fans alike. The stores taking part can be located here. 

Record Store Day goes beyond vinyl; it is at its heart about music culture and how that impacts the heart of its communities. Music is perhaps the universal language; it can bring people together and make a statement as powerful as any other creative medium. Supporting the hubs of its existent ensure longevity for these significant culture markers. 

To show solidarity with the beliefs behind the day, hundreds of artists have swarmed to show their support. The 1975 taking the mantle of 2023’s ambassadors and frontman Matty Healy has been vocal about their involvement – “The guys and I are really proud to be ambassadors for Record Store Day this year. Independent record stores are the lifeblood of the music industry and have played a crucial role in our story so far. It couldn’t be more important to support their vital community and culture.”. Hundreds of exclusive, special releases from artists including Elton Jonh, The 1975, Taylor Swift, Pixies, Madonna Yard Act, Greentea Peng, NAS and Blur will be available at partaking stores to celebrate the event. 

Twitter:@RSDUK / Facebook:@RSDayUK / Instagram:@recordstoreday/ TikTok: @recordstoreday 

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FeaturesAida Wilde designs a striking Women’s Day piece inspired by her Iranian heritage
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Acclaimed artist Aida Wilde is no stranger to speaking her mind, her name being synonymous with bold and pointed slogans that sum up the world she sees around her. For International Women’s Day UNCLE collaborated with Aida to get the powerful piece she designed in front of eyes across the UK.  

Wilde is a multifaceted creator most prominently known for her screen-printing, but she also creates in many different mediums including printmaking, street art, installation and murals. Her pieces are responsive to issues surrounding politics, gender, education, gentrification and equality and have been displayed internationally at venues like the Victoria & Albert Museum, Women’s Art Library, Goldsmiths, Vienna’s Fine Art Academy, Somerset House, the Fitzwilliam Museum, and Saatchi Gallery to name a few.   

The artwork for this collaboration was designed to somewhat be a homage to Wilde’s Iranian heritage, being born there and later fleeing to the UK during the war. This experience is unfortunately not a unique one, with so many women being affected in similar ways, and many still facing extreme oppression in the country itself. The slogan featured on the piece promotes both reflection and action – “Power rarely falls within the right hands”; “If you only knew how exhausting it is to be powered by rage”; “There can be no Gods walking among us.”.  

Aida has been active since 1993 and is disruptive in a world that didn’t always treat her fairly. Her womanhood never defined her, but it certainly informed her experience and as she looks back, she can see the true impact it had on her journey. We discussed this and her artistic beginnings, experience in the field and the importance of the work she does.  

WHAT ARE YOUR MAIN INSPIRATIONS AS AN ARTIST?  

When I was at university, I stopped reading magazines and most newspapers. You’re taught to follow trends and fashion and keep up to date, so I consciously decided not to do that. I’ve shut myself off from media, the only thing I really look at now to inspire me sometimes is what’s trending on Twitter. I make a conscious decision not to follow anyone trendy or upcoming, any painters and printmakers, I just don’t want that to cloud whatever vision I get. I want everything to be very organic. Even if I have seen something and it does influence me, I’ll know that I wasn’t looking at that certain artist or that certain thing. Most of my inspiration comes from the past, be it archives and looking at political posters, fine art prints and what occurred before us. There’s nothing new – I believe you can’t do anything original, so I think for me to look in the past and bring a sort of a fresh perspective onto things, that’s what inspires me.   

WHERE DO YOUR ICONIC SLOGANS COME FROM?  

I’m a bit dyslexic so the majority of my better-known slogans have always come from me reading something wrong, like whether I stumble across a newspaper headline passing by and I’ve read it wrong, replaced one word with the other one and think it makes so much sense. A lot of the slogans come to me like a whisper or a dream, it’s really strange, then you get this compulsion that you can’t stop and then you need to just create that piece of work. I write a lot of notes, sometimes one word just comes into my head and it’s perfect, these notes trickle down to what becomes either pieces in my graphic design or work on the street.   

WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU ABOUT YOUR ART?  

I’m not here to please everybody but I think what I do is for everybody. I like to think that it is for a collective consciousness. I don’t over complicate the visual language so anyone can just stand in front of it and understand. That’s the main thing, if people understand it straight away it means maybe we could all relate to each other and it could be talked about, shared and understood. I don’t like overcomplicating things; accessibility is so important when it comes to art especially in the age where people want to overcomplicate. Yes sometimes, it’s fun to dig deeper meanings but you know so many messages are overdesigned.  

HOW DID YOU COME TO SCREEN PRINTING AND WHY IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WERE DRAWN TO?  

At school I was doing art, but I wasn’t very good, I just had a really strong desire to do it. I was good at other stuff like business studies, and I think that’s really helped me with my career understanding economics and things like that. Some of the other kids used to be able to screen print by stencilling and I was just so envious. Then when I turned 17, I was trying to do it by myself, and it just wasn’t working. I then started to do my foundation course in art and design, and they had a screen-printing facility and me and my best mate who I still collaborate with went into this screen print room. My work was photography based, I still loved photographing things and blowing them up and collaging them. I transferred all my photographs onto the screen and literally my work changed within a week. At my first crit showing the prints I always remember the teacher who said, “Oh my God, I think you found what you’re meant to do” and I think I was always meant to do it.  

WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS YOUR FAVOURITE PART OF YOUR CREATIVE PROCESS IS?  

I can tell you what my least favourite is cleaning screens, it’s so boring and I’ve got to clean this screen today and expose something, you know it’s those labour things. But I always wanted to be self-contained, to be involved from the beginning, the idea conception, making the artwork, printing/painting with the screens – so I’m all in one. So much labour goes into screen printing, the hours of just stripping screens, coating screens, cleaning exposing, touching up you know and that’s just for one piece.  

I love that sometimes you could look something up digitally, choose your colours you want, but it can all change once you start physically laying down those layers and how they interact with each other.  I love that process; I like how one layer sometimes dictates your next layer. It is all so satisfying in the end. 

HOW HAS BEING A WOMEN IN THE CREATIVE SPACE CHANGED FOR YOU OVER THE YEARS?  

I started with slogan T-shirts, and they always used to be a bit angsty, that’s how they started out, it just felt like a natural thing. When the credit crunch hit, and I had to close my shop, I started doing more political stuff. At that point I met a lot of street artists as they were up and coming and I was printing for them as well as my own. It was like the beginning of something, and a couple of the guys said I had something to say and that I should put some work up in the streets. Later around 2008, an East End gallery approached me who’d seen some of my artwork on T-shirts and said have you ever thought about doing these on paper- as editions and Its many years later that I realised I’d been using my talent and my gift to serve the men I was working with – and this went on for many years. I was printing for everybody and as I began to rise slowly, I started noticing the minute that I was doing well for myself – I was doing more installations and more international shows, this balance was shifting in the way they perceived me. I didn’t realise for how many years I was desexualising myself to keep my integrity and reputation intact. I just became this little tomboy in a hoodie, I kind of lost myself and I think it was this realisation of yes you empowered me to do this but at the same time I’ve completely lost track of who I am and how I am seen as a woman. I pulled back, stopped most of my printing for men and set those boundaries, and after years of collaborations, they all dispersed. I think that’s when the penny dropped.  

HOW HAS BEING A WOMEN AFFECTED YOUR ART?  

Women especially overcompensate I think, we know that sometimes we have to work twice or three times harder than men. So, I used to over produce just to compensate and demonstrate my productivity. I suppose I lost my trade but there was a point where I questioned – is the process fulfilling enough for me? The making process is a form of therapy, it’s a form of escapism and it’s a form of me trying to prove myself to something. I don’t even think I’m proving anything to myself anymore, I think I’ve done that. Not deviating from my vision, keeping my integrity and having a big voice and not compromising has given me the freedom to what I am able to do today – but this obviously comes with heavy price.  

FEMALE ARTISTS YOU LIKE AT THE MOMENT?  

Sarah Lucas has just created a show Big Women in Colchester, where she’s focusing on heavyweight, mid-career female artists. I love that she has brought attention to talented women of a certain era/age with this curation, as we all know, the shift in attention and current artistic opportunities are very youth and style orientated or on the other side, the forgotten/undiscovered, dead/dying female artist. What happens in middle… nobody knows?  

HOW HAS YOUR HERITAGE AFFECTED YOU?  

I’ve obviously come from a political background; my father was a sort of government figure, and we got political asylum because my dad was murdered by the government not long after the 1979 Iran Revolution. I’d love to go back to Iran; I’d like to see my dad’s grave. But I’m so proud of Iran, when you think about the state of the Middle East and Middle Eastern men and how most of them are portrayed as being misogynistic. The Iranian men have really shocked me standing there with the women shoulder to shoulder willing to risk everything in the recent uprising/revolution. We also need to focus on these men that are standing fighting alongside the women and being killed. I’m just sad I’m not a bigger part of it.  

TALK US THROUGH THE DESIGN OF THE WOMEN’S DAY POSTER?  

I deliberately wanted to make it feel like a throwback to a 60s or 70s political graphics, and knew I wanted to do a collage as this is how most of my work starts, so I cut things up at the beginning of the screen-printing process. The hands are mine, my mum’s and my two sisters one of them being (Ziba Karbassi) she is a really great eminent Iranian poet so she’s the one holding the little quill in her hand to symbolise the liberation that a pen/writing can do for us (especially when you think about the banning and the weaponization of an educational rights to girls and women of Afghanistan by the Taliban currently). The rage slogan was an angry day, and it came to me in an instant, like a flash and I literally stopped what I was doing and scribbled it down on a piece of paper. Then that night I storied it and right away it blew up. So many people wrote to me saying you’ve nailed this. The background of the artwork consists of a list of names of all the women that have been killed in Iran from the current uprising since the murder of Mahsa Amini in September 2022 – December 2022. Accessing current and correct information is quite complex – the figures are much higher than what we could find but at least, this piece can take the anonymity out of some of these brutal killings. The names are falling and rising in a ghostly stream from the poppy fields at their base – honouring and humanising the countless women and girls lost to this ongoing state-sanctioned femicide. 

Controversial as this slogan ‘There Can Be No Gods Walking Amongst Us’ can appear to be interpreted, it is a direct reference to Iran’s autocratic ruling – to imply that if we want to achieve equality as humans, NO ONE is above anyone. The same implication goes into the other words on the right plinth states: “Power rarely falls within the right hands.”  

Sigh / 15 / Revolution

“From everyone/ more than everything/ From all/ More than everyone ever/ I believe in my own chest/ In the moment of the bullet. 

Poem by Ziba Karbassi 

Translated by Ziba Karbassi and Nazlee Radboy 

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FeaturesBiancoshock’s swipe at Amazon coincides with Black Friday 2022
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As part of an ongoing mission to optically energise major cities throughout Europe and the U.S., UNCLE is sponsoring artists, activists, designers and writers to originate visually striking image and/or text-based posters for display on the streets. Italian visual activist Biancoshock has come up with the goods…

Biancoshock’s poster features the Amazon logo cut in half and so made to look like a row of felled trees. It rankled the Milan based interventionist that ‘mention of’ or ‘searches for’ the word ‘Amazon’ nowadays doesn’t garner the world’s most important rain forest – lungs of the planet, but the ubiquitous delivery service.

The run up to Xmas is obviously one of the busiest times of the year for Amazon, the fifth richest company in the world. That wealth is rooted in global tax avoidance, questionable working conditions in factories, nigh-on slave labour in supply chains and a cataclysmic impact on our environment.

Biancoshock is famed for making incisive, thought provoking and wry critiques that address individual trauma as well as broader ecological and socio-political concerns. For one street project he offered small, medium and large swatches of bubble wrap to passers-by so they could choose which size to take depending on the degree of stress that needs assuaging. He’s built tiny rooms in Milan’s manholes and ‘dressed’ fissures in the city’s architecture with oversized Band-Aids.

He can even raise a droll smile even when advocating for downtrodden bike couriers. The Heavy Meal series of interventions – huge concrete roadblock cubes painted with various food delivery companies’ liveries – manage to look both preposterous and doleful. Imagine couriers’ bulky, cumbersome food delivery backpacks were made of concrete! It’s an apt representation for workers whose employment rights and conditions again amount to a form of contemporary serfdom. Except nowadays these bike couriers are subject to the whims of an algorithm, shackled by poverty and precarity rather than eking out a subsistence that’s beholden to landowners.

Biancoshock refers to himself as an ‘ephemeralist’ because, while his interventions always have a compelling visual, material and conceptual impact, they tend not to hang around for very long in physical space. As sources of critical light on matters of concern, however, they continue to glow bright in the memory.

The Amazon poster for UNCLE was originally intended for display in his hometown. However, it turns out the municipal crew who install street posters in Milan were panicked by Biancoshock’s plainly packaged protest. It’s hardly contentious to say – as the poster subtly does – that the ‘price’ we pay for Amazon’s is ‘deforestazione veloce ed illimitata’: ‘rapid and unlimited deforestation.’

So, after some wrangling, public display of the work was relocated to London. Milanese authorities explained that before they would consider displaying the poster in their city UNCLE would need to get written permission from Amazon. Well, as they say in Italy, that’ll happen when donkeys fly!

But hey, the show goes on… Biancoshock’s more than happy to see his work feature on the streets of London. Especially as the display coincides with the annual retail frenzy that is Black Friday. And UNCLE is thrilled to be working with such an inventive, astute, playful and principled individual.

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