Subterranean is a magazine created by four final year media and communications students at Goldsmiths University. We publish online and in print, and are passionate about subcultures, music, activism, and amplifying marginalised voices. Read a letter from our editors to find out more.
According to UK Aid Direct, “Marginalisation describes both a process, and a condition, that prevents individuals or groups from full participation in social, economic and political life”. Many demographic groups in England, such as immigrants, women, the LGBT community and the working class, experience this systematic marginalisation and are subject to hate crimes, wage gaps, and other forms of social discrimination. Throughout history, those groups shunned by their communities have formed their own communities away from the public eye- what we now call subcultures.
In the words of Dick Hebidige, author of Subculture, the Meaning of Style, “Some groups have more say, have more opportunity to make the rules, to organise meaning, while others are less favourably placed, have less power to produce and impose their definitions of the world on the world”. We are here to celebrate those who are less favourably placed. For the last century, subcultures have defined eras, whether it’s 70s punk or today’s grime music scene. England’s working class have created vibrant, unique communities that have influenced pop culture from the margins. This magazine is a exploration of those subcultures. We celebrate the solidarity and solace these communities find in each other, creating their own fashion, music, cultures, and ways of living.
In a time when Conservative austerity is causing a steady increase in wealth disparity and class differences, along with statistical increases in hate crimes across many marginalised demographics, there could not be a more relevant time to amplify those subcultural voices, and give them a platform to speak out. That is what we aim to do in Subterranean.
subterranean.home.blog 