To celebrate the publication of its second issue, we speak to founder and editor Meg McWilliam about being called a ‘gobby bitch’, the rise of Reform in the north-east, and what it means to be radge
People might say that ‘print is dead’, but it’s certainly alive and kicking in the north-east of England. Radge, edited and founded by Meg McWilliam, is the new publication that’s for the people of the north-east, by the people of the north-east. McWilliam’s aim? To shake up the cultural landscape and give working-class creatives a platform that’s fun, provocative and, well, radge, to showcase their writing, artwork, and activism.
To celebrate the publication of issue two of Radge, we spoke to McWilliam about how she created the magazine, the importance of keeping print alive, and her love of Cold War Steve.
How did Radge magazine get started?
Meg McWilliam: Issue one was actually my university final project, so I wasn’t expecting it to blow up. Before Radge I was a freelance graphic designer and the longer I spent in the art scene I became more and more aware of its issues, especially those impacting working-class queer women.
What really made me think that I needed to do something for working-class creatives in the north-east is when I had some artwork shown in the Baltic. It was the exhibition’s opening night, and there were two queues for entry, one for the artists and one for the people waiting to see the exhibition. I obviously went and joined the one for the artists, and someone who was also in the exhibition turned to me and said ‘this is a queue for the artists, you need to be in that queue, get to the back’. I was just shocked and turned around and said ‘I am a fucking artist!’
People have such a preconception of working-class artists. If you’re a man, it’s alright, they think you’re a working-class hero – the likes of Sam Fender, no one says they’re sick of him talking about being working-class – but often if a woman starts talking about being working-class, then they’re just a gobby bitch. So then I was like, you know what, if it’s happening to me it’s probably happening to a lot of other people. And I’d always wanted to start a magazine – you can say a lot with a single piece of art, but I wanted to do something that wasn’t just about me and my art.
Radge is such a good name because it has so many meanings and is such an iconic word in the north-east. For people who aren’t from around there, how would you distill the meaning of ‘radge’?
Meg McWilliam: I would say it’s how you might describe something that’s chaotic and controversial, but in a good way. I also see it as linked to people who are underdogs. You can’t be middle-class and radge. It’s a word you take for granted being from the north-east, it’s got such a cultural weight to it. If you ask someone what radge means, no one will give you the exact same answer. I think if you’re calling your magazine Radge you have unlimited opportunities.
To me radge means someone or something that is fun or funny but also a bit maverick, maybe doing something a bit questionable, but it’s always meant in good spirit.
Meg McWilliam: Yeah, it’s always an appreciation, it’s not punching down. Some people might think this is just a working-class stereotype but then I’m like, well, these are the sort of people I’ve grown up around and feel some sort of nostalgia for and the way they are often making the best out of the bad situation they’re in. It’s not stereotyping, because these people do exist. It’s more suspicious to pretend they don’t.
Obviously the radgies of the north-east are an inspiration, but are there any other cultural inspirations behind Radge?
Meg McWilliam: When I was doing mood boards for the magazine I looked a lot at Martin Parr’s photography, the way he can make the most mundane situation exciting and bright. I find it hard to read a magazine like Grazia or Vogue. In the current political and cost-of-living crisis, I’m not interested in seeing someone in a Louis Vuitton outfit. I’m interested in seeing the everyday made interesting and funny. I’m also really inspired by Cold War Steve, my art has always been really inspired by him.
Radge has a very specific aesthetic on its front covers that is so eye catching and fun. I love the big potato smiley on issue two...
Meg McWilliam: And we’ve got Angela Rayner vaping in a canoe too. Between issue one and issue two I was thinking about what’s going on in the news. I wanted to make it relevant.
In the current political and cost-of-living crisis, I’m not interested in seeing someone in a Louis Vuitton outfit. I’m interested in seeing the everyday made interesting and funny
The articles in Radge cover a lot of different topics but there is that link to activism, politics and current events that goes throughout it as well. Why was it important to you have that?
Meg McWilliam: I think when you’ve got a platform you need to use it and that there’s no excuse at the moment not to. All art is inherently political, at least in my eyes, but I think it’s really important especially in north-east where we are seeing the rise of Reform to have media out there that combats that. It feels like every news outlet I see is becoming a cesspit of right-wing shite and it’s important to have alternative media that says no, we are against this. The thing with Reform is, and I don’t want to big them up, they are really good at PR. They’re horrible fascists but they know how to put stuff into words. It’ll be misinformation, but it’s compelling because it’s so easy to understand. I think it’s easy for working-class people to fall into that right-wing pipeline and want someone to blame for the position they’re in. Politics is quite gatekept and middle-class whereas Radge has no political jargon; it’s just matter-of-fact and the perspectives of people from all around the north-east, so we really see a breadth of working-class life and opinions.
Why was it important for you to have a print magazine? So much culture now is digital first.
Meg McWilliam: I’m just absolutely sick of scrolling. When you read something online you sometimes aren’t really connected with it, your notifications pop up on your phone and distract you. There’s such an oversaturation of posts online as well, and this feeling that you have to constantly be posting something new to stay relevant. With physical media, you can take a break from that. And you’ve got the magazine forever!
A lot of people spoke to me at the launch event about how exciting it was to have their work in print. Radge gives a platform to people who are really underrepresented in mainstream media and culture; it’s been super important to them to see their work in print. In Newcastle there are a few magazines but they’re mostly focused on music, so unless you’re a music journalist you don’t have that opportunity to be in print. I want to be able to give people these opportunities. At the launch event for issue two I had a college student, Maisy Stewart, do the photography, and fashion communications student Ellie Webster did the social media. If you don’t do stuff like this there’s just going to be another 20 years of the same nepo babies in the industry.
What’s the most surprising thing that’s come out of doing Radge?
Meg McWilliam: People literally stop me on the street and say ‘OMG you’re the Radge girl!’. People sometimes stop me for photos and I’m like, ‘wow, local celeb!’. I wasn’t expecting it to take off this much this quickly. I think even people who might not even want to contribute to the magazine are still interested in it.
Who are some of your favourite north-east cultural icons?
Meg McWilliam: I have to give a shout out to Meg Jepson who does all my photography for the magazine features. Her work is amazing – it has that Martin Parr effect of making the mundane exciting. She does a lot of stuff with the Hoppings [annual funfair in Newcastle] and gives voices to the traveler community who don’t get a lot of recognition, because the north-east has a big traveler community which is not very well known and no one really speaks on... but that’s for issue three. There’s also the comedy troupe called Metroland. It’s like Vic and Bob but on crack. They find that humour about being working class without being patronising, there’s a fine line and they’ve got it down. Also, Bob Mortimer is my ultimate north-east icon, I would love to have him in the magazine one day.
Durham University students are my anti-icons of the north-east. So many people go to the uni and leech off the north-east culture and then make fun of the people who are actually from here. I was speaking to The History Gossip, who is one of our features in issue two, because she went to Durham and she speaks a lot about how she was made to feel like she wouldn’t be successful at what she does because of her accent. It’s just like, ‘you’re coming here, and then telling us we won’t be successful?’ Even when there’s things like the Miners’ Gala they never get involved. It’s a good day out with tons of history but the majority them would never contemplate it.
If you had one thing you want to get out there about Radge, what is it?
Meg McWilliam: Everyone better watch out, Radge is going to take over. I think there needs to be more places that don’t portray the north as stopping at Manchester. People don’t want to have difficult conversations about why other places in the north have been so left out. Media and art influence politics and we need to be broadening what and who we are seeing so we don’t end up in a horrible, fascist society where everyone hates those who aren’t like them. But we also need to have fun and get together to move past this feeling that a lot of creatives have in the north-east of ‘what’s the point?’ you know, what’s the point of even trying if you’re not from or moving to London. When you have something like the launch event for issue two where so many people came together you realise that this is the whole point, to meet people who are passionate about the same things you are.
Radge issue two is available to buy here.