Fan Club Issue 6 - Galentines Zine

by Olivia Ehrhart

Fan Club’s focus is to promote female-identifying artists, designers, musicians and creatives, whilst hanging out and making friends in a safe space, all while dancing to a female-influenced soundtrack.

Fan Club parties happen on the first Saturday of every month at Rough Trade, Broad Street, Nottingham.

We want to make the night super inclusive, so if you feel you want to get involved with any aspect of the event or zine, just shout!

Event: fanclubnotts@gmail.com Zine: fanclubzine@gmail.com Twitter: @fanclubnotts Instagram hashtag: #fanclubnotts Facebook.com/fanclubnotts

Event Production / zine & design: Kaylea Mitchem Managing Editors: Rachel Nelson Francesca Vaney

Special thanks to: Sue Ryder Goosegate Lee Nicholls Julia Scheele for bringing us Leslie Knope in illustrative form <3 Contributors: Emily Catherine Julie Gough Francesca Vaney Rachel Nelson Natalie Passingham Meryl Trussler Mouni Feddag Olivia Ehrhart Black Heart Creatives TYCI (Lauren Mayberry and Amanda Stanley) Noel Pearce & Ganda Media for printing our zines (http://www.gandamediasolutions.com) & to everyone who requests songs and dances on the tables xo

Nikki Mina j is a divisive figure and often splits the ideas of both feminism and femininity. People who are divisive within popular culture almost always appeal to me as an illustrator because I like to present an illustrative paper world for them to exist without criticism.

Nikki particularly makes me smile as she often re-approriates negative words and actions and makes them her own whilst remaining deliciously aesthetic.

by Emily Catherine Illustration www.emilycatherineillustration.com Emily also stocks in Cavology, Cobden Chambers.

Leslie Knope Compliment Generator Leslie Knope knows you need to show your best gals some love, so we here at Fan Club HQ are taking a leaf out of her book!

Follow the steps to generate a Leslie-approved compliment for your very own Ann Perkins this Galentines day, and every day after that too!!

Which day of the month was your BFF born on?

1 - Beautiful 2 - Glorious 3 - Dazzling 4 - Glowing 5 - Precious 6 - Loyal 7 - Badass 8 - Magical 9 - Strong 10 - Iridescent 11 - Stunning 12 - Luminous 13 - Tough 14 - Mind-blowing 15. - Incredible 16 - Majestic 17 - Effervescent 18 - Sparkling 19 - Super cool 20 - Heavenly 21 - Amazing 22 - Wonderful 23 - Innocent 24 - Inspiring 25 - Shimmering 26 - Flawless 27 - Vibrant 28 - Lovable 29 - Big-hearted 30 - Delicate 31 - Miraculous

which month was your bff born in?

January - Tropical

February - BeyoncĂŠ-like March - Sun April - Diamond May - Rainbow June - Golden July - Space August - Glitter September - Sparkle October - Wonder November - Angel December - Glow

Ask your bff to pick a letter from a-z.

A - Pineapple B - Babe C - Rock star D - Moonbeam E - Waffle F - Peach G - Sunflower H - Goddess I - Flower J - Mermaid K - Dream L - Snowflake M- Cherry pie N - Fish O - Masterpiece P - Star Q - Kitten R - Queen S - Cupcake T - Ray of sunshine U - Baby V - Princess W - Femme fatale X - Lioness Y - Riot girl Z - Genius

leslie knope

by Julie Gough - illustratedwomeninhistory.tumblr.com

Photo by Jason Ruffell

I really like how there’s such a mix of people with differing backgrounds and interests. It means that roller derby doesn’t become cliquey and it’s more interesting than exclusively surrounding yourself within one subculture.

- Shock ‘N Awedrey

Friends, Sweat and Tears.

They are strong, driven, creative, kind, supportive, nerdy, inspiring and ridiculous. These are the women I get to practice roller derby with in a sports hall every week. I didn’t realise just how much I would get from roller derby when I decided to try it five and a half years ago, as an attempt at doing some exercise. Turns out team sports are sort-of my thing. There are so many things I could write about on the subject of roller derby, but the friendships that I have gained are the most important to me.

Roller derby is intense; we are super passionate about it. With the adrenaline, the competition and the full-contact nature of this sport, we can see each other at our very worst, and very best.

We sweat, we bruise, sometimes we break and sometimes we cry. We encourage each other, we understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses, we know what we are capable of and we constantly remind each other of this. We might only spend a few hours together each week but we really get to know each other in that time. The bond we have formed is so strong, it goes beyond the game of roller derby.

“Being surrounded by strong, smart, competitive, loyal and brilliant women is the single greatest thing about being involved with roller derby. It can be hard to make friends as an adult, but roller derby has given me a second family” - Fran Solo I feel free to be my weirdest, most confident self around these women. They have helped me become proud of my body and of what it can achieve.

These are the women I have off-key singalongs with on road trips. These are the women I trust to give me piggybacks but then launch me across the floor of a service station. These are the women who will send their husbands to pick me up so I can stay at theirs when I’ve come back home from Christmas to find that my kitchen ceiling has caved in. These are the

MDP images

women I lose my voice with when cheering on roller derby teams. These are the women I dance interpretatively with - once so hard that I gave myself a nosebleed. These are the women I travel to Blackpool with, wearing capes because... roller derby. These are the women I wouldn’t have been able to complete a marathon on skates without. These are the women I share creepy hotel rooms with. These are the women I cried laughing with because of sleep deprivation and ridiculous news articles. We are the women who look out for each other, who help each other through our heartbreak and through grief.

These are my dear friends. These are the women that energise me.

On the 16th of April, we’ll be hosting the ‘Louisey Rider Cup’, a tournament in honour of our brilliant teammate, friend and total babe who sadly, we lost a year and a half ago. She had a huge impact on our team and the roller derby community and we’re so excited to celebrate what she was all about with members from across the derby community. So come along and join us on the 16th of April at the Lee Westwood Sports Centre, Clifton Campus.

Photo by Jim Eyre

“Being injured was super hard... Watching practice and not being part of the team was difficult because it made me feel even more left out.

The close bond we have as a team felt like a missing limb when it was taken away from me!”

- Greek frightening Words by Natalie ‘Natastrophe’ Passingham of Nottingham Roller Girls Check out www.nottsrollerderby.co.uk for more info on NRG’s games, events and beginner courses.

By Mouni Feddag

BFFAEAE (Best Friends Forever and ever and ever)

by Rachel Nelson (@rachellous) When I was a child, I was obsessed with the idea of ‘best friends’.

I wanted to be someone’s best friend so badly. I wanted to wear half of one heart around my neck and hear the clink of metal as my best friend joined her jewelry with mine. I browsed the Argos catalogue on a regular basis for best friend necklaces, and bracelets, and rings, and hairbands. I crafted conversations with friends that were designed to lead to the inevitable declaration of ‘you’re my best friend’.

When I was 13 and one of my friends confessed that I was her best friend - after months of us pretending to be close to make her old best friend jealous of course - I looked her in the eyes and whispered ‘you don’t know how long i’ve been waiting for you to say that’. I’d like to pretend that this is pure hyperbole for your entertainment, but sadly it isn’t. Friendship for me was pure romance.

Amongst my school friends, the term ‘best friend’ was powerful. It was a status claim, it meant something not only to you and your friend, but to everyone else around you. More than once in my first year of secondary school, I was broken up with by a best friend. To be clear “I don’t think we should be best friends anymore” was a phrase I heard MORE THAN ONCE. And honestly, at the time, it was the worst feeling in the world. I often felt like an outsider during secondary school; I had opinions that were not shared by most of my peers and I was determined not to fake it to make it. Having a best friend was a security blanket I wanted to wrap myself up in. I wanted to be sure that at least one person would be on my side, would defend me until the end. Best friends were soldiers, they were armour, they were bicycle helmets. When one of my classmates told me no one would care if I died, my friends just looked at the floor; there was no defence, no shielding my heart, no protecting my brain.

Looking back, it was all very ridiculous. I am so glad to be an adult, let me tell you. As I got older and found more people who were on my wavelength I stopped obsessing so much over who was best friends with who. I was comfortable with my group of friends and just happy to have so many great people around me. But the desire to have strong friendships did not fade; if anything I’ve found it even more vital now that I’m an adult.

My parents don’t have many friends- we weren’t the kind of family who got together with other families for celebrations. I wondered for a while if adults really had friends once they were married. The media places so much emphasis on growing up and finding a partner and then ensuring you have

a healthy relationship with that person. This is a worthy cause, but I think it would be remiss to ignore the value of healthy friendships in adult life. When I was younger, I thought that adults were experts who knew what they were doing at all times. Now I know we’re all as clueless and confused as ever; we still need advice and hugs and laughter and dependability.

We still need soldiers and shields and safety equipment.

Friends shape the world around us; they influence us with their stories and their advice, they colour our environment with their attitude and their opinions. We are changed by the way in which we fit together with our friends; we compromise and sacrifice and are rewarded by the same in return. Friendship provides us with so much; a different viewpoint, swift agreement when we need it, an honest opinion. It can be the act of sitting together and watching TV because neither of you has anything new to say. It can be adventures and letters and emails and coincidences. I think friendship makes us better people; it is truly rewarding to be a good friend, to know that you’re able to help someone with just a few words, a hug, or a shared glance.  As with romantic relationships, mainstream society believes two is the magic number- those best friend necklaces I pored over usually came in a pair. What I know now is that two isn’t the magic number. Forget the tyranny of two.

Collect and share as many best friends as you can- you will only be stronger for it. These days, I feel rich in friendship. I have friends of all kinds whose different ways of living in the world give me hope. I have learned to appreciate the many types of relationships that can form between people, whether you consider someone a contender for the role of new-best-person-in-your-life- ever, or just a casual friend you see at a bar sometimes. The exchange of friendship is always valuable.

BFF, Best Friends and Mixtape illustrations by Julie Gough

By Mouni Feddag

too tat for int fect u r p er , yo P rd pa ces. alike any o ay r le kla es ou nec ntin ll to s g t e r l n o i uc hea d Va e scr ke. li h rod le an Int ll sty nes ise t you i o t m d r r n sc ale usto wo G nc ca

Newly designed, the pastel inspired lipstick brooch is laser cut on our new perspex colours of mint, lilac and baby pink, whilst retaining the metallic peirspex for the lipstick tubing. We have added a little heart accent for pastel punk cool points.

The Black Heart Creatives Galentines Gift Guide!

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I have been doing Galentines for 3 years now with my pals - we go out for dinner and make cards <3â&#x20AC;?

The Black Heart Creatives have put together a few of their favourite products, ideal for your galentines on their special day.

Purchase these, and other perspex goodies at blackheartcreatives.com

Introduc ing ou necklace r tattooed-knuc kled Gir in light, l Gang F da Lasercut ist on to pe rk and alien skin ach, bro tones. perspex wn or m , each kn int green uckle ha inked in s been e old-s tched an Finished chool traditiona l tattoo fo d with a pe nt. rfect red manicure Best Friend Forever (or BFF if your prefer!) . broken heart necklaces. Laser cut and engraved on silver or gold perspex acrylic sheets, all you need to do is choose who to give the other half of your heart to!

Women We Love: TYCI

We recently attended a talk about Women in Music, in which a panel of women who worked within the music industry discussed the issues surrounding their place in the scene. Sadly, a lot of the conversation concerned the clothing that female pop musicians wear, and whether these outfits were ‘appropriate’. Here at Fan Club, we believe women should be able to wear whatever they feel awesome in, without being reprimanded by society. The experience of attending this talk made us realise how important it is to celebrate and showcase women supporting other women. We will be featuring an interview with an individual, a group, collective or organisation that we adore, focusing on their projects and events, as well as asking them to tell us about other women who inspire them.

We’re delighted to open this feature with the women of Glasgow’s TYCI collective, who we think are amazing!

They blog, make zines, put on shows, and have recently started a podcast, which so far has featured a fascinating interview with Carrie Brownstein, which took place at the Glasgow Women’s Library. Find out more below, and at www.tyci.org.uk.

Who are TYCI? Lauren Mayberry: TYCI is a multi-media platform dedicated to promoting and empowering women.

We aim to create safe, open and welcoming spaces where women’s voices are prioritised. TYCI is not for profit and run completely by volunteers with a core team based in Glasgow but with contributors based around the world.

How did you begin?

Lauren: TYCI started as a clubnight in Glasgow in 2012 but has since expanded into live events across the city, a radio show, podcast, website and zine. Initially I had wanted to meet other like-minded creative women in the city and to try to provide a platform for female artists, and it feels great that we now get to collaborate with others online, and real life local communities as well.

What inspired you to do what you do? (Was there an event that was the catalyst?)

Amanda Stanley: I think it was not so much an event, but in fact a lack of events or discussions in Glasgow, but also Scotland or even UK wide, that inspired TYCI to become a thing. Although Lauren was the founding member of TYCI, after the first meeting it was just incredible to hear how many women shared similar feelings, observations and experiences of the creative scene, be it as a journalist, a musician or a fan.

Are there any other female groups/collectives you love?

Amanda: The Portland based feminist organisation, Bitch, are firm favourites of ours. I’m also personally enjoying Lena Dunham’s Lenny letters right now too. There was a great essay in a recent newsletter by Hari Nef on trans-visibility that i really enjoyed. In London, there’s an all-women choir called Deep Throat who make awesome noise! Their cover of Björk’s Stonemilker is

beautiful. Also ‘The Girls Are’, and ‘She Shreds’ music magazines are brilliant publications too.

And although, not a group, but more of a movement, we have to mention the Riot Grrrl era, too. It’s something we have always tipped our hat to with our DIY approach to zine making or our events series. I think it’s important to look at what or who has paved the way before yourself, and identify what you agree with from that movement and then use that to build on and broaden the discussion.

Tell us about a female (musician, artist, politician, anything you want!) who you think is underrated, or that everyone should know about.

Amanda: This question is so tricky because i could list people for days. But, one of my favourite records/discoveries of last year was O.K by eskimeaux. I’ve been going back to that album time and time again.

Anything upcoming you’d like to promote?

Lauren: We’re hosting the Tuff Love album launch at Stereo in Glasgow on 5th February with the amazing Bossy Love and Frances McKee of the Vaselines suporting.

Photo by Lesley Cunningham (Jumeau Photography)

Gal Pals through Space and Time (and the media) Nic

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Abbi and Illan a from Broad C ity are definitely frien dship goals!

Their shenan igans in New York are always hi larious always have ea and they ch other’s back no matte r what.

- Vinny Munho z

Broad City is a great show with great ch Ilana are auth aracters. Abbi entic and hila and rious and so They may alw is their friends ays end up in hip. absurd situatio be succeeding ns and they m in life but they ay not their friendshi have definite ly succeeded p. I love how with th ey celebrate failures, bringi their weirdne ng something ss and po sit iv e: they alway other’s suppor s have each t. - Ana Herná ndez Sánche z

Princess Bubblegum and Marceline from Adventure Time.

Despite their differences and their mistakes they still love each other, its a real friendship <3 - Isabel Jury

Romy & Michelle

I love Xena and Gabrielle’s relationship.

They compliment each other and even though they have their differences and weaknesses, they always end up together.

- Laura Mould

Foxfire Okay, I know the Spice Girls may not really think “friendship never ends”, but I teared up when Geri Halliwell wished Emma Bunton a Happy Birthday on twitter last week.

- Rachel Nelson

Angela

and Ra

yanne

- My S

o Calle

d Life

le ty of fema e complexi e on th g s n w o ve sh re exact s Club to y tr n e m First Wive m e wo ows fe ale - initially th imately sh lt u it r ve e friendship w Blake sbands, ho ent.- Nicole rm e w o their ex-hu p m nd e solidarity a

and Re Enid becca Cher, Tai &

Dionne

By Mouni Feddag