The Skinny to continue operations

Charity Outer Spaces to secure future for Radge Media CIC

Outer Spaces will acquire the shares in Radge Media CIC to stabilise operations and secure a future for the Scottish publisher, who is responsible for crucial Scottish independent cultural journalism monthly print magazine The Skinny as well as the titles GNAW and FEST.

This will enable The Skinny to continue to document and support Scotland’s art ecosystem, providing a vital platform for Writers and Editors in Scotland, as well as supporting artists and organisations through the continuation of 20 years of independent cultural journalism. 

Both Outer Spaces and Radge Media CIC are committed to empowering our creative communities, supporting the people creating art and building culture across Scotland in the ways which matter to them. T

his agreement is a product of synergy and mutual admiration, as well as our shared belief in the power and importance of art, a shared desire to remove barriers to access, and a joint aim of building a resilient, ambitious and confident arts ecosystem for Scotland.

Rosamund West, Editor-in-Chief, Radge Media CIC, said: “The Skinny has worked for nearly 21 years to shine a light on Scottish arts and culture, support emerging talent and connect people to the creative lives of their cities.

“The last month has been incredibly challenging, but the outpouring of support from contributors and collaborators reaffirmed the importance of a space for local, independent, cultural journalism.

“We’re excited to become part of the Outer Spaces family, and to have this opportunity to continue our work within an organisation whose values align so closely with our own. We’re incredibly grateful to everyone for their support and to Outer Spaces for creating this opportunity to secure our future.”

Shân Edwards, Director, Outer Spaces, said: “Outer Spaces supports a sustainable, resilient arts ecosystem for Scotland by responding to needs in the arts community, and we recognise the vital importance of art criticism and writing that places focus on Scotland’s vibrant art scene.

“Alongside many peers in the arts community in Scotland and beyond, we were shocked by the news of The Skinny’s closure, we recognise the importance of strong, consistent and critical journalism as part of the arts infrastructure we operate within – which The Skinny has provided for the past 20 years – and were pleased to be in the position to intervene with a solution to allow continued operations in for The Skinny as well as Radge Media CIC’s other titles, GNAW and FEST.”

Radge Media CIC is the Edinburgh-based publisher behind The Skinny, Fest and GNAW magazines, providing year-round coverage of Scotland’s arts and culture scenes through free print magazines and online platforms.

Radge Media also offers vital work opportunities to emerging journalists, photographers, illustrators and editorial staff. Radge Media CIC will retain full editorial control over its publications.

Outer Spaces is a contemporary visual arts organisation and charity established in 2021,  supporting a network of over 1200 artists across Scotland through studio provision, professional development, production support and a growing public programme.

Outer Spaces will stabilise operations by acquiring the shares in the publisher Radge Media CIC, this financial intervention will allow Radge Media CIC to continue to publish The Skinny, an important part of Scotland’s cultural landscape.

Also, Radge Media will continue to be based in an Outer Spaces building, allowing their operations to have a creative base and office for the delivery of their work.

Since October 2025, Radge Media has operated from the Exchange Place building in Fountainbridge, which also houses a studio community of over 155 artists, art graduates and creatives. 

The Skinny to fold

SEPTEMBER ISSUE WILL BE THE LAST

After 20 years of independent cultural journalism and with a very heavy heart, we have to tell you that September’s edition of The Skinny is our final issue as Radge Media CIC, the company which publishes The Skinny as well as Fest and GNAW magazines, has ceased operations.

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.

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.

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. We did the best we could with the resources at our disposal, and we can only apologise to our readers, colleagues and advertisers for making such a sudden exit, but we 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.

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.

Finally, thank you to all of our readers, whether you have been here from the start or are seeing our work for the very first time. If you have ever picked up a copy in a bar or read it on the bus, pored over our reviews, found a new favourite night out in the listings, shared our work online or fired up our newsletter, we really do appreciate it.

Even in dark times, there is still a wealth of vibrant, creative and exciting art being created across Scotland, and dozens of scenes and movements worth championing. That drive and spirit has inspired and invigorated us at The Skinny so many times over the years – let’s all do what we can to help that continue.


Feel free to share this statement far and wide; we only ask that you attribute the words to ‘The Skinny’ and repeat what we’re saying in good faith. For any further media enquiries, please contact Peter on peter@theskinny.co.uk