A magazine to reshape the creative landscape, championing talent of all forms in a movement for good.
Hi, we’re Rachel and Jamie- two friends from just outside Edinburgh, Scotland. We have a pretty big dream; we want to democratise creativity for good. How? We’re going to utilise the power of print to create a beautiful publication which feeds into a series of social projects. Run in underprivileged areas, these will use creativity to inspire and empower.
For most of our lives, we’ve been creatives- and we’ve seen first hand the varied reactions this has provoked. We’ve met the naysayers, the stick in the muds and the downright naïve who refuse to believe in the importance of the arts and creative industries. Luckily, we’ve also met the artists; the brave hearted creatives flying in the face of tradition. We’ve seen their work alter opinions and shape lives; we’ve seen it’s importance. Now we want to showcase that to the world. We want to showcase ALL of that to the world- regardless of status, education or location. boom saloon will always strive to champion any work of talent, no matter where it comes from; this stance is central to our belief.
Way back in the early days of boom saloon, we dreamt of working with an International collective of artists who would form our contributor base. Amazingly, the dream became reality and we’re delighted to be showcasing the work of some incredible talents. It’s a motley crew we’ve assembled, and we wouldn’t have it any other way. From collage artists to writers, ad men to explorers- we’ve got a whole host of awe inspiring creatives for you to sink your teeth into. New York Times bestselling poet Rupi Kaur teams up with photographer Naomi Wood for a breathtakingly beautiful exclusive, milk and honey. Offering up an insightful take on the advertising agency is former Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Director Iain Nevill. In New York Risingwe hear from Rhode Island University lecturer Linda Welters on the the ever changing landscape of the city that never sleeps. Alongside the big names we’re very excited to also showcase some fantastic up and coming talent. In Cold Memories, Bulgarian photographerDenitsa Toshirova explores the true meaning of “home”, and how it feels to be a creative nomad. First ever contributor Nathan T. Dean teams up with photographer Charlotte Klein for an examination of modern day vagrants and beatniks- aptly titled The Last Bohemian. And right at the back of the publication you’ll find a very special feature, Tear Sheets. Here is where we commission a one-off artwork from a great talent, printing it in the highest quality on beautiful stock- all ready for you to tear out and frame. Meaning, for the cost of a magazine you also receive a specially commissioned piece of art to cherish forever.
We’ve come to Kickstarter to launch boom saloon because we want to build and nurture a community who share our sense of purpose and believe in our ideals. You have the power to bring boom saloon to life, to be one of the first ever readers and to start a movement that really changes the way creativity is perceived and enjoyed. This is the start of a hugely exciting journey and we’re so delighted to bring you along for the ride.
Furthering our belief in supporting and championing creativity are our social projects, one of which we run for every issue of boom saloon we produce. Working in underprivileged areas, our projects use creativity to inspire and empower. The format is simple: we work with established artists to run a fundraising event, garnering interest and making connections with the community. We then touch base with the underground talent- those without support, without back-up, without connections. A series of workshops is run to nurture this raw talent, delivering transferrable skills to be taken forward- from branding and marketing to event management and public relations. The workshops culminate in a finale showcase, highlighting talent and exhibiting the strength of the community. Our projects are not about pity, charity or misfortune; they are about supporting exciting new talents, wherever they may be, and providing a platform to showcase their talent to the world. Our first project will take place in North Edinburgh’s Muirhouse area, working with street dancers and grime artists. We are bringing together a wealth of local talent, including 1250 TV, Oddacity, Pieute and more. We also have support from Wideo Media and input from DanceBase and Tinderbox.
As anyone in the publishing industry will tell you, making a printed magazine is not a major money spinner- and fundraising events can only go so far. As such, we will be taking on agency work as an additional revenue stream with profits going towards running our projects. The agency arm, the boom room, will pioneer bespoke branded content across multiple disciplines and formats- from logo design and digital branding to creative direction and video production. the boom room will collaborate with brands of all sizes who share our passion and purpose; together, we will create dynamic content rich with intelligence and originality.
boom saloon is run by a team of two, Rachel Arthur and Jamie Smail. Rachel has experience in the publishing realm, having spent time at Condé Nast’s Tatler magazine. She’s also well versed in the entrepreneurial world, thanks to two and a half years at Edinburgh’s fastest growing tech start-up, Mallzee. Jamie has also been on board from the beginning and held the role of graphic designer at Scottish Field before moving to New York to assist at The Last magazine.
Creating a printed magazine which feeds into a series of social projects is definitely a tall order, but we wouldn’t have it any other way. We have input from all the right people and support from an incredibly loyal network who we feel certain will always be a strong part of the movement we hope to create.
All of our copy is in for issue one and we are ready to go to print; we simply need the funds to do so. The same applies for our rewards for backers.
the boom room has already taken on agency work and we feel confident that this will continue going forward. Should it lose momentum, we have further revenue streams from events, limited edition artist collaborations, advertising and more- these can all be relied upon to fund both the printing of the magazine and the start-up costs of the projects.
The main challenge our projects face is reaching those truly in need; as we continue to integrate ourselves into the communities we work within, we will always aim to keep this at the heart of our mission.