University News Last updated 15 June 2020
Lockdown during the Coronavirus crisis has been an unusual time, but for some it has offered the chance to work on projects they may not otherwise have had time for. BA (Hons) Graphic Communication with Foundation Year student Charlie Brazier, is a great example of this, having used his extra time at home to create a zine that raised money for the NHS and a local foodbank.
During his one hour of exercise over the course of several weeks, Charlie took numerous photographs of his home village, Willaston, as he walked around it. During a tutorial with staff on his course, he mentioned that he was going to put them into a zine and they provided tips on how to edit the photos, print the zine and more.
Following their advice, Charlie created ‘Lockdown Wanders’ a 24 page zine that includes 20 photos of Willaston. The booklet cost £7 and Charlie set a fundraising goal of £300, with proceeds going to Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and to Nantwich Foodbank, a charity that provides emergency food for families in times of crisis. He spread the word through his social media accounts and in local Facebook groups and through the help of people sharing his posts and purchasing the zines, he raised a fantastic £345.
Charlie’s work caught the eye of local media and he was interviewed about his success on his local radio station The Cat, as well as BBC Radio Stoke. Explaining a little more about the inspiration behind the project Charlie said that having to go home due to lockdown gave him plenty of time to practice what he loved: photography and graphic design. This then made him think about how he could utilise his skills for a good cause in the situation, which is how he came up with the idea of the zine. He added:
Charlie has since released a second zine and has found both projects to be a great catalyst for enhancing his own personal freelance work. He’s also in the process of creating another photography booklet to raise money for some more local charities.
Commenting on Charlie’s fantastic achievement, Joe Miles, Lecturer for the Foundation Year in Visual Arts, said:
“It’s great that the Foundation Course that he has just completed has encouraged him to use his full range of artistic ability, particularly his photography and graphic design skills. What Charlie has done also shows others that there is visual inspiration all around you, even on a walk around your local town!”