The Skinny cultural magazine to shut down after 20 years

Long-running Scottish cultural magazine The Skinny is to shut down after 20 years.

The team behind the freesheet announced the magazine’s closure on social media and said the September issue will be the last.

Radge Media, the Community Interest Company which publishes the Fest and GNAW magazines as well as The Skinny, has ceased operations.

The monthly publication – founded in 2005 – covered music, art, theatre, film, comedy, and literature, with editions distributed at public places across the country.

The team behind The Skinny announced the news “with a heavy heart” and said they are “devastated” their work has come to an end.

In a statement, the magazine said: “Firstly, we would like to extend our gratitude to everyone who has been involved with The Skinny over these two decades.

“The dedication, skill and care of every writer, editor, photographer, illustrator, proofreader, designer, salesperson and member of the team has made this magazine what it is.

“Thank you all for everything you’ve done to create an incredible legacy.”

The magazine was known for its comprehensive gig listings and eclectic essays and reviews.

It gave a specific shoutout to Scotland’s creatives and artists – with whom the publication was especially popular:

“We have always drawn motivation from the energy and talent of Scotland’s creative community, even when the work has been hard and we have faced struggles, difficulties and real challenges.

“To Scotland’s artists, musicians, authors, theatremakers, actors, DJs, filmmakers, party-throwers and creatives, thank you all for sharing your work with us and for letting us share it with the world.”

They added: “We are devastated that our work has come to such a sudden end. We have not been immune to the economic difficulties in the Scottish arts and despite our very best efforts, funding pressures across the sector, rising costs and the ongoing cost-of-living crisis have contributed to an increasingly challenging situation.”

“The Skinny is a key asset to Scottish cultural life, but it was produced by a small team with all the challenges that entails.”

The magazine said its team “did the best we could with the resources at our disposal” but have been “unable to find a way to continue the work at this time”.

“This may be the end for The Skinny, but it’s not the end of what we believe in: the power of independent journalism, the value of art and creativity, and the importance of print media,” it concluded.

The Skinny has offered something very important and valuable to Scotland’s cultural scene and none of us wanted or expected things to end this way.

“The closure of this business does nothing to change our belief in the need for a vibrant Scottish media that connects with our communities, and our faith in print as a vehicle to share new stories with audiences.”

With the closure of Radge Media, the Fest and GNAW magazines will also cease operations.

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