Author: Oliwia Jackowska -
PaperspACE’s latest issue ‘Childhood’ has been shortlisted for the Stack Awards, and the ceremony, where results will be announced takes place on Thursday 14 November 2019 in Somerset House in London.
Even though the magazine is receiving recognition this year, it is not a novelty – PaperspACE was founded over 6 years ago by a group of Architecture and Civil Engineering students, who had a passion for publication and wanted to create a platform, where students and staff alike, can share their ideas, interests and opinions. Issue 12 ‘Childhood’ is a result of the evolution through the previous 11 issues that this fully student-led magazine experienced.
PaperspACE is published twice a year: at the end of the winter term and at the end of the summer term (after all academic submissions!) The way we make it happen is actually very informal and brings a lot of fun to the process. We usually meet every week to discuss ideas, topics, themes or… favourite foods. Making the magazine is not only about the final product, but it is about the discussions, debates and thought exchange, all happening throughout the process of making each issue.
There are many reasons why we brainstormed the theme of Childhood for the latest issue. Our discussion about the topic has been extremely fascinating right from the start. It comes from a very simple fact – everyone has had a childhood. It might have been very positive or less so, restricted or without boundaries, some might not even remember it too well. But one thing is certain, the earliest years of our lives shape us into the adults we become, therefore children are the most sensitive demographic group and users and therefore most important in shaping the future.
The issue looks at the topic from different perspectives: the one of an adult, and one of a child; one looking from the Northern hemisphere and one from the very South. For example, a school as a place of children’s first interaction with strangers has a great impact on shaping their thinking. Moreover, often the impact differs drastically depending if it is a sheltered private education or public school open to the city in places like Zimbabwe, a country of huge economic disparities, with this topic being explored in one of the articles ‘The school is a city; the city is a school’(page 30). Even though children around the world have a different understanding of what home is, their parents going separate ways is universally one of the biggest problems that children must increasingly face at a very young age. What if home is plural and the child’s feelings and belongings need to be shared ‘In between two homes’(article on page 32)? The articles and graphics in the issue are varied, considering the importance of healthcare, education, toys or the future of the climate, but all of them put the child at the centre.
In the race for the Stack Award in the category of ‘Student Magazine of the Year’, we are competing against 14 amazing and very creative magazines whose focus ranges from photography, through fashion design to the unity of Europe. The Stack Awards are international, and the magazines come from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, as well as all the way from across the ocean. Being shortlisted along such strong contenders is a great honour for PaperspACE, but also a well-deserved recognition for all contributors.
Responses
This is great! More paperspACE, please! Keep up the fantastic work 🙂