About

STAT is an anti-profit arts & culture zine made for the North West.

Publishing print issues every quarter, STAT aims to redistribute cultural focus to smaller towns in the North West, showcasing left-field, radical culture outside of Manchester. Content tends toward the hopefully melancholic, darkly funny, and compassionate fringes of a modern North.

We believe that artistic opportunities should be spread equally across our island. STAT is dedicated to fighting the over-exposure and over-reliance of Manchester City Centre as the cultural hub of the North West of England. And so we publish writing that helps to define the art and culture happening across our villages, towns, and boroughs. In truth, we publish stories on the areas that nobody talks about.

Roughly 80% of journalists come from an upper-class background; 87% are white. Working class people make up a measly 8% of all professional artists. When the media decides who gets to create art and who gets to cover it, you are not even in the conversation. This is why STAT was created – to rebalance the UK’s cultural landscape, to open up the floor to the people making and experimenting on the ground floor. STAT is not just for you, it’s written by you, illstrated by you, designed by you.

STAT‘s TEAM and contributors are from a range of different sexualities, identities, and backgrounds – including queer, disabled, marginalised, and racially minoritised voices.

Who makes STAT?

STAT’s team is currently made up of 4 people: Pete, George, Connor and Phoebe – all of whom work on a largely voluntary basis for the benefit of STAT’s readers and contributors.

Read more about STAT’s TEAM.

Where is STAT based?

STAT was founded in Leigh, Lancashire. We’re still there, operating out of a 5th floor space at Leigh Spinners Mill, a now centenial former cotton mill.

STAT’s team and contributors live and work across the North West.

Visit our CONTACT US page to find us.

How is STAT funded?

STAT is not only not-for-profit, but stringently anti-profit. Our priority is not the accumulation of wealth, but the creation of sustainable and communal cultural infrastructure. Because of this, we will never accept funding from advertisers and instead rely on the financial support of our Patreon subscribers.

Besides subscriptions, STAT also generates income through our SHOP, and the hosting of ticketed EVENTS. In the past, we have received funding from public bodies, such as Wigan Council, but always on the condition of our editorial independence. All proceeds are funnelled back to contributors and the production of future issues.

How is STAT structured as an organisation?

STAT is a worker-owned co-operative. Specifically: a private company limited by guarantee without share capital. In laymans terms this means STAT is under the ownership of its workforce, and that shares cannot be purchased in the company. Worker’s are paid for their work and have a say over the direction of the organisation, but no-one receives a bonus.

In practice, STAT has at least 2 directors at a given time, these are elected by STAT’s membership on an annual basis and act as the lead decision makers in the interim. Membership of STAT is obtained by becoming a “worker”, and this is achieved voluntarily through: becoming a contracted employee, or receiving a minimum of 4 commissions (with one in the last 12 months).

How do I work with STAT?

Just shoot us an email! Whether you’re giving us a tip-off, or suggesting a collab, we’re keen to hear from you, no experience necessary.

Visit our CONTACT US page.