Fresh from France and published in French and English, FAIM is made up of three elements: people, places and food. It’s about self-starters and entrepreneurs, a team with a dream or go-getters who have gone against the grain to do something different. FAIM goes to cities to find adventurous people they hope will inspire others, at the same time proving itself to be a handy travel guide for those searching for another side to an urban place. Co-founder and editor in chief, Naiara Reig, tells us about the second issue which tours the local and vibrant haunt of Bristol.
Hi Naiara! How did FAIM begin?
I’m a journalist, and Axel is a graphic designer, and we work as freelancers. We’re both crazy magazine lovers, so we wanted to launch a project together that’d be on paper. The idea came from a conversation we used to have about the media talking almost exclusively about what happens in big cities. We wanted to give an opportunity to all those cool projects – many of them created by young people – that are taking place is smaller cities, and get far less coverage. So we soon decided that this was exactly what we were going to do!
You went to Valencia in your first issue, and now you’re in Bristol. Why did you choose this city?
Bristol kept coming at us from all these different channels, so it was obvious to see that it would be an interesting place to talk about. While doing our research to put together a list of topics, we found it was just so easy to find amazing subjects! In the end it was a very simple choice. Once we started working on the content production and were able to really dive into the fascinating creative and cultural scene of the city, we realised we had made the best possible choice. We were welcomed by an amazing community who were so keen to help us and guide us, and it was thanks to them that our stay in Bristol was a unique experience.
How would you describe the atmosphere of Bristol?
It's probably one of the most eclectic cities we've ever visited. There’s so many different backgrounds of the community, so many stories. There are different ways to ‘live’ the city, and for us that's what makes it so great. We were also surprised by the huge amount of creativity that is present in the everyday life: new gastronomic concepts, new ways of connecting independent workers or to support local businesses, new ways of using old buildings...
Favourite places to eat or drink in Bristol?
For most of our journey we were lucky enough to stay in the Stokes Croft neighbourhood, so most of our favourites (and the ones we visited again and again) are located in this area. It's the case of The Arts House café, The Canteen, The Crofters Rights or Jamaica Street Stores (we have just published an article about them on our website). But there were also many others! Saint Nicholas Market, Nº1 Harbourside, Salt and Malt in Cargo... There were so many that we decided to include an article about the fantastic food scene in the city in our favourite neighbourhoods.
Did you face any challenges in getting the magazine to print – especially the first issue?
For sure. Creating any editorial project represents many more challenges than one can firstly imagine, and maybe even more when you are trying to publish on paper. We financed the first issue thanks to our wonderful community, who backed us in a crowdfunding campaign. But apart from creating some cool content and a beautiful layout and bringing it to print, there are all these steps that we tend to forget, like business models, distribution, marketing and communication work. We keep learning every day and of course it is hard, but yet so rewarding.
What inspired the aesthetics or design of your magazine?
We wanted something very fresh and contemporary. It is definitely a design that represents us, because we needed to be able to find ourselves in the project, but it also represents all these creative people we want to talk to. It makes FAIM very recognisable, and that's something that every publication wants to achieve. We have received very positive feedback on this topic, so we are very happy with it.
What do you want your readers to take away from reading FAIM?
Each city we choose is like putting a spotlight on the amazing people who live and work there. We want to show young creators in our generation what other people are doing around the world and inspire them with their stories. We want them to be able to experience how other members of the same generation live and work, and if that gives them an extra push them with their own projects, we'll be the happiest people. Our final objective will be achieved!
How do you feel about our innovative, self-starting, ‘hungry’ generation?
This generation of ‘hungry people’ is at the centre of the whole project. We've grown up with the boom of the internet and social media, the birth of the collaborative economy on a global level, a new way of travelling and experiencing our destinations... and all that has influenced the way we want to live our lives. It has made us hungry. We want to create new projects, find new solutions and connect with others in new ways. So, we are sure that this generation has its word to say in the cultures and societies of tomorrow. Our role in it is simply to show how other people that they might not know otherwise are doing it.
Where next for FAIM?
This is probably the question we get asked the most. And even if we would love to give a proper answer, the truth is that the creation rhythm for these two first issues has been crazy, so we haven't chosen a destination yet. But we’ll start working on it soon!
Interview by Libby Borton
http://faim-magazine.com/