The Wade Radford Archive

It goes without saying that helping organise a yearly event keeps time in check- it’s also indicative of how quickly that time goes!

Tees Zine Fest returned for its annual M’Boro event, the third one!

I’m lucky enough to be a director of Tees Zine Works alongside friends, it is our CIC that makes the festival possible. We facilitate not only these events but our work ultimately is about creating artistic opportunities for young people – the next generation of creatives, the art resistance of tomorrow.

This year we teamed up with Dundas shopping centre, and Navigator North – it’s these partnerships that create community; I thank them sincerely.

We’ve all agreed that this year was the most successful, the vibe that ran through the event was one of sincerity. Artists supporting other artists, visitors supporting stall holders with purchases. Maybe what I am most thankful for is the attention given to our youth group stall. Our youth group meets on a Tuesday evening, seeing everyone encourage them, welcome them, and support their work is something that was seen, and cannot be understated. For me, that reassured me that the time we spend putting these projects and events together is every bit worth it. Thank you EVERYONE for the support you showed those teenagers!

The event looked the part, the stallholders were as courageous as ever to share their dreams and work with the general public.

I had a table – but I spent so long jawing with others and soaking up the atmosphere that I almost forgot to stand behind it very much at all!

We will be bringing an event to Hartlepool later this year, we intend to make it as nice as this event just completed. Zines continue to be a statement in a mixed up world – voices that can be heard in the tunnel of noise… resistance can be subtle. Many zinesters are the exasperated voices of artists that can at last have their say, that is often about our polarised politics and everything between that. Of course, an anarchic call to arms is not the buck zines stop at.

Zinesters are the writers, illustrators, poets, sketchers and so much more. They are bold voices, the voices that fight for better tomorrows – those who call out the cruel racism in our society, the brave trans activists, the queer folk who refuse to be silenced, and on and on these voices of liberation continue. But zinesters are also parents creating with their children, the lonely people who pass time indulging in creativity – it is hard to define what a zinester is, it is an opportunity to be everything and anything that you want to be! It’s your chance to simply enjoy, or to draw attention to stuff that is so much larger than just any one of us. It is a community!

The fight never stops, it just changes course! Zine making can be a rebellion, it can be at the very least a chance to state your case, to inspire, to inform.

That is what we will continue to encourage throughout all we do!

Cheers stall holders, thank you public, and as ever I’m proud of what we do, and immensely grateful to the rest of our board that make it happen – Miki, Sadie & Liz.

Well, I’ve got a fuck load of filming to undertake and will squeeze in some zines between that I’m sure.

W