The DIY punk ethos is alive and well with Scunny Zine Fest
- Upnorf
- Jul 28
- 6 min read
Scunny Zine Fest is more than just a celebration of DIY print culture. It’s a growing movement grounded in community, creativity, and a fierce belief in making space for expression in places that are often overlooked.
Born out of frustration with traditional zine circuits and a desire to prove that smaller towns can host meaningful cultural events, the festival has become a grassroots success story in Scunthorpe. In this interview, organisers Graham, Kat, and Zarah reflect on the festival’s origins, its evolving ambitions, and why championing local creativity matters more than ever.
How did Scunny Zine Fest first come about, and what was the initial inspiration for starting a zine festival in Scunthorpe?
Graham: Prior to SZF I'd been doing the circuit on zine fests with my own work and collaborative zine Null Point. I'll be frank there is a mix of success with these events for zine makers; people over charging to apply, poor promotion, gate keeping of topics or venue space and yet, at its core, these events are for creatives and should be simple to set up and as open as possible. This, combined with what people in the scene had to say, and how “they wished they had something like this”. and how they had issues applying for funding, getting permissions from councils and the various red tape trying to get events going, I decided to see if I could alter that perception.
A lot of my personal inspiration is trying to break that cycle of being beaten before you begin, something a lot of working class communities deal with, having to define their “value” to committees and provide “business plans”.
In reality, just the existence of local opportunities in itself is the value, and encouraging others to try something new is more important for education and growth of a community than a profit margin.
Zarah: Kat and I were in firm agreement with Graham on this, so that's where we came onboard to make it happen.
Are there any new additions, themes, or ambitions for the 2025 festival?
G: Honestly right now we're very focused on making sure people know it's happening. It takes time to grow an audience and rightly so, as communities can be suspicious of the new. We hope each year to provide new perspectives and show great artwork. We'll be doing the same this year!
How would you describe the vibe or ethos of Scunny Zine Fest? What do you hope visitors and exhibitors feel when they take part?
Kat: Community, solidarity, smiles.
G: Creative, encouraging, cathartic.
Z: I’d echo Kat and Graham. What we've seen at SZF is how zines spark conversation and imagination and we hope that all who attend feel welcome, connected and inspired.
Why is it important for a town like Scunthorpe to have a zine festival? What does it mean to champion DIY and print culture in a smaller northern town?
K: I think it's important to remind smaller, industrial, working class towns that the DIY punk ethos is alive and well. I don't think it's a secret that Scunny has been dogged by negative perceptions and has been somewhat forgotten about. We can work together and create something that challenges that.
G: Agreed, it's a reminder as well of how simple these events can be for institutions who watch us and ask what we're about. We're very transparent with how much the event costs and between the three of us manage and maintain the event. These open accepting spaces are valuable and small towns are hives of lively and important people looking for opportunity so we hope we can at least encourage that.
Z: Creativity is in everyone, it's an inherently human trait. So it's important that people have easy access to creative spaces and that events like this aren't just consigned to larger towns and cities.
How has the local community responded over the past two years?
K: Well, we're still going after year 3! And we couldn't have done that without the community. Our venue really supports us and understands our philosophy. And other independent creative ventures like @fountain_arts have been encouraging, too. Wider than Scunny/North Lincs, other Zine Fests have cheered us on. Cohesion is something we try to encourage and always invite our fellow zine fest organisers along to our event.
You're open to people applying from across the UK. How do you balance national interest with nurturing local talent?
K: It's always a tricky thing to balance. Growing up round here, you are aware there is a lack of creative opportunity and we all want to make sure there's dedicated spaces for people who are connected to Scunthorpe/North Lincs. One of the ways we do that is through our opportunity to design our poster for the year. One of the requirements is that they should have a connection back to the area, if they've gigged here, if they grew up here, or even that they love the steelworks. We also want to be a destination that welcomes people from out of town, too. So if you have something important to say, or something we think Scunthorpe should see, then we'll give you a table.
Z: We’d also love to start seeing table applications from locals who have previously attended and been inspired to make and showcase their own work!
Are there any stand out zines, people or organisations that have taken part in the Scunny Zine Fest over the years?
Z: Like a lot of things, “it takes a village” and everyone who gets involved is equally important and instrumental in making the day what it is. When it comes to the zines themselves, one of the things we aim for is to have a wide variety of styles and topics, so that there's something for all.
K: Absolutely.
Every single person who contributes to the day is stand out to us.
What’s your dream for the future of Scunny Zine Fest? How would you like to see it evolve in the next 5 years?
G: Personally I'd love to see it grow. More artists, returning creators and being able to expand into other ideas. We introduced music performances last year and I've attended events with live shows after the zine fest and that was wicked but also live talks and supporting workshops through the year not just the event would be on my bingo card.
What advice would you give to someone trying to start a creative event like this in another town or city?
K: Be transparent, know your values, remember it should be fun.
G: What Kat said and remember there is no shame in starting small and building in what works and what doesn't.
Z: Talk with people who share the same vision but perhaps have different skill sets, teamwork is key!
Tell us about the venue that is hosting the event this year.
K: Our venue is Café INDIE, on the highstreet in Scunthorpe town centre. As a place and a building, it's pretty vast and multifaceted. At its core, is a cooperative youth project and grassroots music venue. But it's so much more than that, that I'd just have to say, come and see it yourself.
What’s one moment from past festivals that made you feel, “this is why we do this”?
K: For me, it's when a young person comes along to an event and says ‘this is cool, I'm going to make one of these’. You never know where that journey will take them.
Z: It's the combination of engagement, really. Seeing people throughout the day interacting with the creators and their work, absorbed in reading at the zine library stand or getting crafty with the supplies at the workshop table.
G: I rely on Kat and Zarah and they are amazing collaborators so getting to see them enjoy the day and the various tags we get from people who attended their first fest or found their new favourite artist is amazing.
Now entering its third year, Scunny Zine Fest continues to offer a welcoming space for artists, zinesters, and curious locals alike. With dreams of expansion and a deeper community involvement, the team behind SZF is proving that powerful creative energy doesn’t just belong in big cities. As they look to the future, they remain committed to the core ethos that started it all: making art accessible, nurturing new voices, and building a culture of encouragement, one zine at a time.