Oct 31 2024 10 mins
Welcome to the sixth episode of Season 5 of the WAB podcast. In this episode, we were joined by three Grade 12 students - Polly, Lily, and Sophia - who are the driving force behind the Youth Magazine, Utopix. Together, they discussed the development of this student-founded magazine, its organizational structure, its mission, and the challenges they have overcome along the way.
Polly introduced Utopix as an online magazine dedicated to raising awareness about various social issues and highlighting changemakers through submissions from teenagers worldwide. Submissions can take various forms to tell stories, including written projects like poems and articles, paintings, photography, and other art. She also discussed how the magazine's publication, design, outreach, and communication teams collaborate.
Explaining the meaning behind the name "Utopix," Polly described it as a fusion of "utopia," symbolizing a perfect society, and "pics," representing pictures. The aim is to work towards a more equal and joyful environment for everyone to live in using art to convey this message.
Lily elaborated on the magazine's mission, emphasizing that it is driven by their passion and aims to address diverse social issues through submissions from teenagers worldwide and amplifying their voices.
Sophia, part of Utopix's graphic team and a magazine leader, shared some of the challenges faced when starting the publication. Initially struggling to receive submissions, they relied on friends and people around them for content. Later on, they leveraged social media platforms and collaborations with community partners to expand their reach and get their publications noticed. Polly added that through social media outreach, their latest issue received 30 submissions from teenagers worldwide.
"It's really nice to see the magazine grow and evolve into what it is we initially wanted it to be," said Lily.
For those interested in contributing, individuals who are passionate about art and storytelling are invited to submit through https://www.utopixyouth.com/. Submission guidelines and details can be found on the website.
To learn more from these students on how they founded a magazine to spread awareness and create positive change through art and storytelling, don't miss out on this episode.