Featured image: Kaitlyn Brockley

Manchester Met’s arts and culture student magazine, aAh! Magazine, launched its Autumn/Winter print issue at a special celebration event, marking the publication’s ten-year print anniversary.

The student editorial team unveiled The FRESHERS Issue 24-25 at the Manchester Poetry Library and reflected on the achievements of Manchester Met’s official student magazine, both past and present, as well as its future potential.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, a special ten-year commemorative book was created, offering an overview of each of the 20 print issues produced by aAh! Magazine (formerly Humanity Hallows). The book also features the stories of ten graduates who have been integral to the magazine’s history and growth. In addition, it celebrated ten years of the university’s multimedia journalism course, spotlight the stories of ten Multimedia Journalism graduates now working in industry.

In the introduction to the book, Senior Lecturer in Journalism and aAh!’s project coordinator and editor. Natalie Carragher, reflected: “Over the past decade, I have had the privilege of supporting hundreds of students each year working across our online and print platforms as they achieve their first bylines, see their work in print, cover their first live gigs, secure their first photo passes, and even embark on international press trips. Each of these successes reflects the creative, collaborative and cross-disciplinary spirit aAh! is built on.

“At the magazine, we have a running joke that each print issue is even bigger and better than the last – and in many ways, it’s true. The team is continuously evolving, introducing new ways of working, and bringing new perspectives, all while building on what has come before.”

The latest print issue offers an insightful look into Manchester’s vibrant arts and culture scene, featuring highlights on local nightlife and cafes, as well as interviews with Bicycle Mayor Belinda Everett on her workaround Manchester’s European Capital of Cycling celebrations, and legendary Joy Division and New Order bassist, Peter Hook.

Since the print magazine was launched in 2014 by project coordinator and senior lecturer Natalie Carragher, over 400 students have contributed to aAh! Magazine’s print issues.

The online and print magazine continues to offer a platform for students to showcase their talent and creativity, and this issue is no different. This mini-issue is a collaborative effort from aAh!’s multidisciplinary team, featuring the work of students from across the university. It captures the dynamic energy and creativity of volunteers from a variety of disciplines and experiences at Manchester Met.

The theme of ‘authenticity’ runs throughout the new issue. aAh! Graphic Designer Bradley Sansom explained: “We aim to put across an authentic view of the city, one that’s honest and reflects what students actually care about. That sort of became the guiding theme of the issue – authenticity.”

The event was a celebration of creativity, collaboration and community – values that aAh! embodies through both its online and print publications and multimedia projects and events. Students, including established contributors and newcomers eager to get involved, were warmly welcomed into the aAh! community.

Music Editors Jennifer Grace and Ian Burke shared exciting new opportunities for the magazine’s lively music section, highlighting plans to expand coverage and offer more chances for students to get involved in reviews, interviews, and live event coverage.

New designer Kian Godbold also spoke, reflecting on the impact the magazine has had on him: “My journey with aAh! started earlier this year with The LEGACY Issue, where I was featured as a guest designer on my own article about the ‘Right to Roam’ campaign. This sparked a love for editorial design that I didn’t know I had. I had done magazine work before, but admittedly, none of it was ever to the quality of aAh!. The beauty of working on a publication like this is how everyone has such a drive to make each issue the best it can be – it pushes you as a creative.

“Designing for aAh! has been one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done; seeing everyone’s work come together into a physical magazine that you can actually feel and flick through is so special – especially these days – and makes all the nights I’ve spent fighting with InDesign worth it.” Joking that his “Wednesday afternoons would be a lot more boring,” Kian encouraged new students to get involved.

Speaking at the event, Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing James Draper celebrated the success of the students involved in the project, many of whom are now working at prominent media organisations, including the BBC, Smooth Radio, the Manchester Evening News and design agencies and publishing houses. He was joined by Head of Department for Languages, Information and Communications Richard Silburn who gave a speech recognising the joint ten-year anniversary of the Multimedia Journalism course at Manchester Met and the achievements of the students who have contributed to the magazine and the university’s news platform, The Northern Quota.

Former aAh! Magazine journalism and Modern History graduate Ben Thompson also joined the celebration and gave a speech reflecting on how the magazine shaped his career. Now working as a freelance journalist and tutor at News Associates Ben shared how the magazine opened doors for him to build a professional portfolio and helped him grow both personally and professionally.

In a quote from the commemorative book, Ben shared: “I can’t express enough how much good it did me as a young journalist. It taught the benefit of working to deadlines and working in a range of environments, whether that was along a parade route for Manchester Day or at a poetry convention or a Hong Kong rights protest.”

Ben is currently a freelance journalist, primarily working with Supercar Blondie and teaching journalism at News Associates. His work has appeared in LadBible, The Daily Mail, Newsweek, The Sun, The Mirror, Manchester Evening News and The Manchester Mill.

A second quote, from Multimedia Journalism graduate Sian Hamer, highlighted the value of the course. Speaking about her new role as Digital Managing Editor of Smooth Radio, she said: “It’s a position I could never have achieved without my Multimedia Journalism degree. The skills I learned in my three years at Manchester – editing, writing, researching, interviewing – are all integral to my current role. But it wasn’t just the course that made this career achievable: Manchester Met has a wealth of extra-curricular activities that gave me the opportunity to build a portfolio and showcase those skills in tangible, credible environments.”

Reflecting on the extensive portfolio she built during her studies, Sian added: “My experience as co-editor of The Northern Quota and my articles published in aAh! Magazine all positively contributed to the job applications that got me to where I am today.”

Hosting the event, graduate graphic design student Bradley Sansom encouraged new students to take advantage of the opportunities on offer at the magazine. He said: “This is sort of my plea to you, whether you’re foundation, first-year, second-year, masters, PhD, anything – get involved with your magazine. Because you’re never going to find an environment that’s so positive, so encouraging, somewhere that you can explore, make mistakes, improve – it’s really something special. It’s changed my life, immeasurably.”

Reminiscing about his time working at aAh! and the experiences afforded him, Bradley added: “I’ve had so many opportunities thanks to this magazine, met so many great people, and I’ve learnt so much as well.”

Another highlight of the evening was a livestream from Trinidad where MA Multimedia Journalism graduate and Editorial Assistant Makenna Ali shared her experiences as an international student in Manchester.

Reading her article ‘Discovering a City Through Journalism’ published in the new issue, Makenna told the packed crowd of students, staff and special guests: “Journalism became my guide to the city, leading me to places I may never have discovered otherwise.”

Makenna added: “My time working at aAh! and getting involved with both the online and print issues has allowed me to connect with other aspiring journalists, designers, illustrators and photographers. Through these connections, I’ve found a community of ambitious creatives who share my aspirations: to gain valuable experience, enter the professional world, and dream big.”

Second-year photography student Kaitlyn Brockley, offered an insight into her role in the new issue: “It’s an amazing feeling to see your work in print. I worked on the ‘Fashion on Campus’ spread with designer Monica [McManaman] and I couldn’t be prouder of our spread and the edition as a whole.”

Kaitlyn added: “We wanted to spotlight the incredible fashion on display around the university, and the Polaroid design ties in with this edition’s focus on authenticity and physicality. This edition is a true labour of love, and couldn’t have happened without the amazing team leading aAh!”

The student editorial team also expressed their gratitude and appreciation for aAh!’s project coordinator and editor, Natalie Carragher. Bradley said: “Without you I don’t think any of us would be able to function, and there’d be no magazine. You’ve toiled away for ten years alongside 400 students – here’s to the next decade.”