Greens welcome The Skinny being saved
Scottish Greens’ culture spokesperson, Dr Q Manivannan, has welcomed news that The Skinny magazine has been saved from closure following an intervention by arts charity Outer Spaces, but has warned that urgent action is needed to secure its long-term future.
Earlier this month Q lodged a parliamentary motion about the magazine, celebrating its legacy and calling for it to be protected. They have since been in touch with The Skinny’s editor-in-chief, supporting efforts for the magazine’s preservation.
Q said:
“This is really welcome news, and an important day for Scotland’s media and cultural landscape.
“The Skinny is a vital part of our independent media and has played a crucial role in championing and encouraging the artists, venues, events and creative communities that make Scotland’s culture what it is.
“But while we should celebrate its survival, we should also recognise the cost that has been paid.
“The Skinny is, ultimately, its people. The uncertainty surrounding its future has deeply affected its team, with some moving on, and that is a real loss for the magazine.
“The new team will have a big task in safeguarding the future of the publication, regaining momentum and continuing to do what it does best.
“Independent cultural journalism matters. It gives artists a platform, connects audiences with the culture around them, and helps our creative communities thrive. The Skinny’s near-closure is a symptom of the culture sector’s precarity.
“Scotland needs a thriving, independent cultural press, and we must do everything we can to ensure The Skinny has the chance not just to survive, but to flourish.”
MOTION Q SUBMITTED EARLIER THIS MONTH
That the Parliament notes with sadness the announcement that The Skinny, Scotland’s longest-running independent cultural magazine, is to close after 20 years, with its September 2026 issue being its last; recognises what it sees as the vital role that the Edinburgh-based title, published by Radge Media C.I.C. since its founding in 2005, has played in covering music, art, film, theatre, comedy and literature, with up to 35,000 free copies distributed monthly across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee and beyond; considers that The Skinny gave a genuine platform to countless emerging and established artists, musicians, writers, DJs, filmmakers and theatre-makers who might otherwise have gone unheard; notes that The Skinny also published Fest Magazine, which it believes was the essential guide to the Edinburgh and Adelaide festivals, and GNAW, its food and drink title, further embedding itself in Scotland’s cultural fabric; understands that the closure has been attributed to rising costs, funding pressures across the arts sector and the wider economic difficulties facing independent publishing in Scotland; expresses its gratitude to the writers, editors, photographers, illustrators, designers and all staff, past and present, who built its 20-year legacy; believes that this closure represents a significant loss, not only to Scotland’s cultural journalism but to the independent creative economy that relies on such platforms for visibility, critique and community; is concerned that this is not an isolated incident but part of a wider pattern of financial precarity facing independent cultural media and grassroots arts organisations across Scotland, and calls on the Scottish Government to engage urgently with the cultural and independent media sector on sustainable, long-term funding models that reflect the true value of independent cultural journalism to Scotland’s creative life.