OWT Creative is a four strong design collective based in Manchester.

The four of us that make up OWT creative met whilst studying Design & Art Direction at Manchester School of Art. After seeing how difficult it can be to stay creative after leaving uni and entering work we decided that a project we could work on collaboratively would keep us motivated and working on self set briefs we enjoy.

After setting up the collective we decided to make a zine we could use for self promotion for our new collective and also a tool to show off other designers from the Northwest. This grew into the monthly zine we now work on. Each issue and our blog has a call for entries asking creatives to respond to a theme and then these responses form next months zine. We change the format up when it’s appropriate and profits from the previous issue go straight into the next one. We’ve been working together for about fifteen months and been producing zines for about twelve of those. We’ve also had one exhibition and are busy planning our second one.

We work in a half collaborative, half self initiated fashion where we create our own work separately, but come together for art direction, screen printing and binding of the zine. Time in our studio is split between personal projects and making OWT. It’s a style that works for us and allows us to do our own thing whilst still working towards a common goal and deadlines so we’re all still on the same page.

You can get a copy of OWT zine from Magma, Good Grief and Cornerhouse in Manchester, we’re also available online and in Project Space in Vancouver. We try to go to as many zine fairs as possible, it’s a good way to meet other people working on independent publications and see what the scene is like in other cities.

Facebook | Twitter