About

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

STAT aims to redistribute cultural focus to smaller towns in the North of England, to showcase left-field, radical culture across the forgotten North. Content tends toward the hopefully melancholic, darkly funny, and compassionate fringes of a modern North.

Culture is never stationary. It’s changeable, often unpredictable. Beyond the art we make and the shoes we wear, the cultural is also the political. A shared culture is how we understand our place in the world, our history, and our possible futures. 

Culture can, and should, be shaped by the desire for a better world. It should be defined by those on the ground, not commentariat parachutes nor the glossy rubbish circulated by media conglomerates. They fail to represent our conditions, the messiness and beauty.

STAT was born out of a desire to grow the collective, to create space for love and criticism, to create artefacts for congregation on a regional scale. We publish writing that helps to define the art and culture happening across our villages, towns, and boroughs. We publish stories on the areas that nobody talks about. We run exhibitions, gigs, and are always expanding our horizons of the spaces we can create for the collective. Culture is an endless terrain, rooted in the present, building the future.

STAT is made for everyone, by anyone. Experienced or otherwise. From a range of identities, we strive to represent the full extent of our region. We welcome you to join us in this endeavour.

LET’S BUILD A NEW CULTURE.

Who makes STAT?

STAT’s team is currently made up of 3 people: Pete, 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. We 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 no one owns a share of the profits, they’re always re-invested, but everyone is paid for their work.

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, suggesting a collaboration, or want to write with us, we’re keen to hear from you, no experience necessary.

Visit our CONTACT US page.