Us. There is something incredibly extraordinary about humans. Do you ever contemplate the fact that who we are and what we do is entirely made up of how our brains function? The universe has blessed us with legends: Stephen Hawking, Nelson Mandela, Oprah Winfrey, Bob Marley…These gifted individuals possessed the ingredients to change the world, and you do too. Any one of us can accomplish anything… who is stopping us? The youth of today are the successors of tomorrow. We are inspiring and what we do inspires others. Why not share it? PEOPLE is dedicated to creative individuals doing their thing. We will bring you exclusive content from unique characters that work hard to show the world what they have to offer. We are talking lifestyle and fashion bloggers to Instagram photographers and people from behind the scenes of some of the UK’s most intriguing music festivals. This is their chance to showcase their talents. Delve into their world and be inspired by what people just like us do to make them stand out.
PEOPLE will feature photo shoots with the aim of telling stories. The imagery will contain real people doing real things in their real lives. Our exceptional minds will go down in history. Our talents will shine brighter than the galactic universe and we will take this world by storm. One of us will be the next Picasso, the next Anna Wintour and the next JIMI HENDRIX! Be unconventional. Be free. Our minds have no limits, we should let them flourish and travel distances that we have never seen before; because remember‌
“You are a ghost driving a meat covered skeleton made from stardust, riding a rock that is floating through space. FEAR NOTHING.�
GARAGE FASHION
Herd up some musical beats in Lancashire's most friendly festival, Beat-Herder.
SKANK LIKE NOBODY IS WATCHING
Music festivals are a time of escapism. That one weekend where reality disappears into thin air as soon as you enter the gates of what can only be described as another worldly dimension. We have all heard of the legendary Woodstock and Glastonbury, but what about independent festivals? A dying breed. Independent music festivals are non-multi corporation events that put their profits back into the festival, making it greater each year. One independent festival that you need to know about is Beat-Herder festival. Born in 2006, Beat-Herder is the love child of six individuals who work 365 days a year to make the festival happen.
Held in the rural lands of Ribble Valley in Lancashire, once a year the Beat-Herder community climbs out of their everyday lives and party away, morning till… morning. Beat-Herder has welcomed many famous faces upon their eccentrically built stages, from Chic and Basement Jaxx to the Happy Mondays and various DJs. The festival hosts a broad range of music genres such as Rock, Reggae, Drum & Bass, Folk and many more. Famous publications such as Mixmag have involved themselves in the Beat-Herder magic. They reviewed the festival as “littered with quirky venues” and “an excellent crowd with vibes aplenty, reasonably priced beer and not a selfie stick in sight.”
This is why many people who attend Beat-Herder are more than likely to return. It is a place where individuals can skank like nobody is watching and inhale the immense atmosphere. Jamie, 1 of 6 organisers of Beat-Herder describes the festival as weird, wonderful and wacky. “Beat-Herder was born from a free party. We would rock up with our home made tents, home made soundsystems, cobbled together electrics, a café, a makeshift cinema and make the most cosy, most exciting, most special of parties.”
To this day, there is still an element of this baby Beat-Herder through the likes of its inviting, comfortably adorned tents that offer a cup of tea and place to relax; or the opposite yet just as important: music tents where the bass is booming and the vibrations from the soundsystems can be felt in your chest.
Although Beat-Herder is only 3 days of the year for 15,000 people, for the six talented individuals who make it happen, it is a demanding 24/7 process. “We live and breathe Beat-Herder; it really is a full time operation working all year round: from booking bands, meeting folk, collecting and building things, the work is endless.” Beat-Herder is like no other festival. Take this from B-Traits, an internationally recognized DJ who, after her set in 2014 claimed Beat-Herder as her “gig of the year so far”. NME magazine certainly agreed when they described Beat-Herder as “A completely back to basics festival, it’s built upon the simple principles of having fun, having a dance, and escaping the corporate machine for one weekend.”
It takes special people to create a special festival. Jamie admits that himself and his peers fit under the spectrum of “wonky individuals”. “We have travelled the world seeking things that inspire us, from little craft fairs, to huge festivals, to religious gatherings. We just try and bring everything we like to the party.”
2000 people have beat-herder tattooed on them
The installations and stages that you find at Beat-Herder have been planned outrageously well; there is no one stage or theme the same. Jamie admits that he has an obsession with scrap yards. “Our installations are inspired from what we find, it is amazing what can be made out of scrap. Take the fortress; we cobbled it together from rusty sheet and old plywood destined for a bonfire. Trash manor was made from an old wagon and the bars are made from old mill floor boards, it really is a case of seeing what is out there in abundance and then brainstorming what we can make.” The memories made at Beat-Herder are unforgettable. Jamie recalls some of his favourite memories ranging from “the time an airplane flew over the site with a Herd Em Up Banner” that they knew nothing about. “The bravery of the naked camel riders (on real camels, in the rain at 4 in the morning), or the 2000 people that have Beat-Herder tattooed on them.” One thing is for certain, when you attend Beat-Herder, you gain an experience like no other that you have had before. Happy times and good vibes, and at the end of the day, that is really all that matters.
SHOOTING FILM WITH 35mm CAMERAS
Photography by Oliver Houseman
Photo by Oliver Houseman
PEOPLE spoke with Oliver Houseman, a “relaxed, driven and confident” 19 year old from a small town in Yorkshire who shoots 35mm film at underground music events and festivals. Documenting life inside the rave. “I take photos of bold individuals, urban cultures/scenes and extreme interests.” Oliver’s work is a modern reminder of the legendary Ewen Spencer and Ryan McGinley, both renowned documentary style photographers who capture “in the moment” so elegantly.
“The main reason why I started taking photos was because I wanted to keep the memories of the events and festivals I had been to. If you know, you know.” Oliver has developed hundreds of photos, all with a story behind them. “That’s what I love, the story behind each shot taken.” Oliver’s favourite aspect of his style of photography is that “it’s very laid back. There’s no need for anything to be ‘set up’ or ‘posed for.’ I like the general feel of my images being taken unexpectedly, especially at events and festivals. You always get the best out of the ‘point and shoot’ type of shots.”
"You always get the best out of point and shoot type of shots" Oliver uses Instagram to “express best shots and for others to hopefully take an interest”. Olivers stories have accumulated over 1000 Instagram followers. “There’s nothing better than getting positive feedback on something you have put effort into.” Oliver takes his photography all over the world. He has photographed ravers at Outlook festival in Croatia and youthful travellers in Thailand. “My real dream in life is to travel and shoot photos, which I have managed to make something of in the past few years, one of the main highlights was Thailand.” Oliver is closer to his dream than ever before. He represents the fact that dreams can turn into reality as long as you have ambition.
Photo by Oliver Houseman
GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS
Photo by Mika Francis
mikA francis
Imagine your life as an exhibition. Your everyday thoughts and journeys documented so that, not only could you experience it first hand through living it but have it visually in front of you too. I spoke with the admirable mother of the lifestyle & fashion blog and YouTube channel “Wild Daze” who does just that. Mika Francis is from the UK and started blogging at a young age. Since then she has began creating exquisite YouTube videos and has reached over 50,000 followers. In her words it was the “the evolution of blogging.”
Mika describes herself as “independent, creative and loving.” Her open-minded attitude towards life allows her to create thought provoking content on Wild Daze, and in tern she increases the curiosity of her followers. Mika’s inspirations in life come from her peers. “When I see other people doing amazing things – whatever it may be, I remind myself I have the same hours in the day as they do. Awesome people inspire me to be awesome.” Photo by Mika Francis
Photo by Mika Francis
"Awesome People Inspire Me To Be Awesome"
Mika is an admirer of music. The 19 year old grew up listening to the likes of Pink Floyd and Miles Davis; she enjoys spending her summers raving at festivals such as Bestival, Parklife and Hideout festival, with glitter the colour of rainbows adorning her face. Mika’s videos of her festival experiences have been some of her most popular, reaching around 25,000 views. “My favourite festival experience so far was potentially Hideout, doing a bungee jump as the sun was coming up after a night of raving on Zcre Beach. Pink sky surrounded by mountains and still buzzing from the night before! Magical!” Mika’s spiritual personality has allowed her to influence others through Wild Daze.
Her blog and YouTube channel are about exploring philosophy, daring fashion, music, health and conscious thinking; she uses Ted Talks and other platforms to stimulate her mind on her journey of self discovery. So what is next for Mika? As her blog continues to expand, she is itching to gain knowledge of the world. “My boyfriend is currently doing up an 80’s camper that we plan to take around Europe in the summer. Then in the winter, Asia! Travel Travel Travel!” Mika is living proof that you really can do whatever you want if you put your mind to it; an example to youth culture that boundaries do not need to exist. All photographs are taken from Mika’s Instagram: @mikafrancis
the feminism of skateboarding
Street wear is evolving. Brands such as Adidas Originals, Palace and Stussy are finding themselves onto the rails of Topshop and Urban Outfitters. But what about the females who not only wear street brands for fashion but also involve themselves in the origins of where a large majority came from – skateboarding. PEOPLE met Alex Gaskin and Erika Bowes, two 20 year old feisty females who are determined to demolish gender stereotypes and show other females that skateboarding is not restricted to the messy haired, baggy clothed teenage male.
Alex and Erika recently started learning how to skateboard. “I had been thinking of learning to skateboard for a while but I always felt intimidated. I didn’t start at a young age like most people. I also felt intimidated because I wasn’t a boy. I know that sounds stupid, but it’s a very male dominated scene and boys can be intimidating! It wasn’t until Erika approached me telling me she had bought a new skateboard and was going to start learning that I decided to take the plunge and buy one too. Everything is always less intimidating when learning with somebody else.”
"IGNORING THE STEREOTYPES IS THE FIRST STEP TO GAINING CONFIDENCE"
Intimidation seems to be a key factor in why many females hold back in a male related sport. Alex admits that she needed a push in gaining the confidence to learn how to skateboard because of the uncomfortable vibe around being a female novice surrounded by experienced skater boys. However, once she got over the whole idea of gender stereotypes, she proved to be an inspiration to a younger generation. “Erika and I once went to Dynamix skate park in Newcastle for our first ever skate session. Out of the whole group there, there was only one girl. She was about 8, and she followed us about for the majority of the session. The supervisor proceeded to tell me that it was due to there being a lack
of girls in the skate scene and she was probably pleased to see a few other girls which was sweet, but also a shame. Ignoring the stereotypes is the first step to gaining confidence.” At 20 years old, these girls have shown that the unwritten rules made by society regarding gender and age are easy to break. Their advice to other females who want to join the skateboarding hype is: “If you really want to learn to skate, definitely go for it. It takes a long time, but it’s a great way to keep active and immerse yourself in a different culture. Most people think girls begin to skate to meet boys – that’s definitely not true! Girls are just as capable of learning.” Right on, ladies. Girl power.