To celebrate Student Hubs’ 15th birthday in August, we are creating a limited edition Zine to highlight our passion for student social action and raise money so we can continue to support our work in the community to champion causes, develop and expand the variety of training and programmes we have continued to deliver over the past 15 years, and in support our network of Hubs to make this impact happen in the first place.
We are able to see the passion and the actions of students on a daily basis. We know that students are, and will continue to be, central to the creation of positive change. It is through their work to create this positive change, such as protesting or volunteering, that we are able to see the emergence of their own unique voice. Here at Student Hubs we have found that the voice of students has always added creativity, energy, and hope, to the conversation of social and environmental activism.
The Zine
For our limited edition social action Zine we are asking creators, current students and student hubs alumni, to submit creative pieces in response to our theme of ‘connected with social causes.’ This statement reaches to the heart of Student Hubs, having previously been our tagline.
We are looking for up to 20 pieces to feature in the Zine that cover a range of creative mediums, allowing for full creator expression and variety. A number of creative types will be accepted, for example:
- Written: poetry, personal essays, fictional stories
- Visual Art: photography, illustration, art, typography
We want those who take part to highlight the causes that they are passionate about, and use this Zine as a way to elevate their voice.
We have seen some really creative pieces so far, ranging from an illustration commenting on food poverty to a star concertina that focuses on nature and climate change. If it is a cause you think is worth highlighting we want to hear from you, and we want your work to be a reflection of your voice and passion so you can express yourself in the way that best speaks to you.
We want everyone who takes part to be able to highlight the work they have done, and so as recognition of your input and hard work every contributor will receive a free digital copy of the completed Zine.
You don’t have long to get involved though, submissions are closing on April 24th so make sure to get your work in before the deadline, or reach out to the team to express your interest and commitment.
Why are we doing this?
We have brought together staff from across our Hubs to work on this project, with team members working on the design of the Zine to others who are focusing on reviewing submissions and spreading the word.
This is not only because we want to help others highlight their voice and spread the word about the causes that matter but to also allow us to keep doing the work we have worked passionately at for the last one and a half decades.
We are aiming to raise £500 from the distribution of the Zine, with a plan for a limited edition batch of the Zine being printed to sell,as well as a purchasable digital copy. The Zine is due to be released in late spring/early summer.
The funds raised from the Zine will help with the running costs of the many projects we run at Student Hubs. For example, just £20 (4 Zine sales) could pay for a lunch time meal for 10 Branch Up children or £15 (3 Zine sales) could support the cost of a DBS check for one of our Linkages or Schools Plus volunteers.
Other ways you can support us
You can submit your piece to the Student Hubs Zine here. As well as our Zine we are running a number of fundraising events to celebrate our 15th birthday.
This includes a 12 hour Twitch Livestream on Saturday May 28th (sign up to support on the day here), and our 15 for Student Hubs Challenge, where staff members from across the Student Hubs team are each doing their own 15 themed challenges to raise money for Student Hubs. Look out for more content and details about these on our social media platforms and blog soon.
Why not support us this spring and summer by sharing our campaigns with your network or organisation, and get involved as a donor or match funder?
You can also keep an eye out for any future announcements about events or other activities that we are running to celebrate into Autumn.