Welcome to Lost & Found!

WELCOME one and all to the new and exciting LOST & FOUND!

Let me shake you warmly by the hand and offer an introduction to our little blog, its aims and why we decided to create it.

The idea for Lost & Found came about at the start of 2013. Having moved to Southampton in December, I was struck by the excitement amongst the artists and writers in the community. I wanted to work creatively with other like-minded individuals after my band separated, so I took tentative steps into The Art House and The Cellar in order to meet other poets and to join events.

Photo: Nisha Haq - Southampton Docks at sunset. 

I was in awe of the talent on display and went home to share what I had seen with my partner and friends. We knew instantly that we wanted to shine a light on what was going on within our city. As the idea continued to roll along, we picked up new members who each brought their own interests to the team - photography, fashion, design, film – you name it! What we had created was no longer just a magazine to feature poets and writers - Lost & Found had become a fully-fledged portal to the artistic world within the city.

Today is the beginning of Lost & Found. It is the start of a project which we are hoping to continue long into the future. It will be your guide, for new and existing members of the community, suggesting where you can find the best art and culture that Southampton has to offer.

It is an exciting time to be an artist in Southampton: our Cultural Quarter is under construction and consequently the poetry scene is thriving; new and exciting artists and photographers are cropping up in the city’s exhibition spaces while independent retailers and galleries are still going strong. We’ve never had it so good.

We love the idea of walking into Waterstones or the Southampton City Art Gallery and seeing your friend on the front cover of our magazine. After all, it’s the people of these streets, in the bars and cafes, who are creating the work that inspires us. Lost & Found wants to acknowledge the ‘everyman’ artist out there - the person who has to work a job from 7am until 7pm, attend an evening course, or look after a child, and still have the time to get their pen to paper, brush to canvas.

The magazine and blog are here for you. Its fundamental purpose is to give people like you, from within the arts community, a larger platform to display their work. Have you created something you’re really proud of? Want to show it off? Send us your work to: lostandfoundsouthampton@gmail.com! We are excited to see what more Southamptoners have to offer, so every submission is carefully considered and you might even feature in our blog and in the Lost & Found magazine!

We look forward to hearing from you!

Matthew Holliday

Editor

Credit goes to Laura Shepherdson for being the queen of proof reading & editing.