Shelby Connolly Launches Issue 2 of Creative Arts Magazine 'c0mm0n'

The second edition of creative arts magazine c0mm0n was launched at an event in Newry's new bookshop, The Bookshelf on Friday night, 19 December. Edited and published by Shelby Connolly the magazine showcases local creatives in a gorgeous glossy publication. It was a perfect location for the launch with music from young musician Connor Reavey creating just the right ambience for visitors.

The magazine is all about putting local creatives out there and there's a political flavour to it also.  Speaking about the publication Shelby explained: "I thought it would be something that would be good for Newry. This issue has a few more people from across Ireland, but we wanted to focus on art and also politics. Every issue is slightly political. Everything I've done with Common Ground has been slightly politics based, because I feel it's important to always highlight issues locally and highlight issues within Ireland."

Shelby launched Common Ground Theatre with a debut performance of 'Almost Functional'  in The Meadow in Newry last January and currently lives in Dublin which contributes to a few Dublin slanted pieces. 

"Since I've moved to Dublin, there's a few things about being from the north and feeling like an outsider, even in your own capital. There's a few things about Palestine, of course. My friend Matthew wrote a piece on femicide in the north of Ireland. Obviously, that's a big issue at the moment. That was the main topics within the magazine but the rest are local artists from across Newry and up to Dublin."

Shelby doesn't have a background in arts concentrating instead on politics at university in Liverpool. "When I came back here, I was like 'I've done that now', I want to branch out to things that are true to what I was interested in as a kid. There isn't that much in Newry at the minute focusing on contemporary issues so I wanted to bring that. We sold out the play [Almost Functional], It was great,  one of my best memories. Then after that, we did the creative showcase for Palestine so I knew that there was a bit of energy in the air locally for arts and creative stuff, but there wasn't any outlet for it. I just thought, you know what, we'll take people's art and we'll actually produce it and put it out there. That was issue one, and issue two, is pretty much the same but obviously, as I've moved to Dublin, we've expanded artists as well."

Shelby believes that anyone born in the north of Ireland is automatically political!

"Since I was 18, I joined Sinn Fein. I've always been involved in politics, and politics is very close to my heart and I do speak about it in the magazine. I think when you're born in the north, you automatically become political. Your existence is political, and I've noticed that, being in the South as well. I wrote in the magazine, that your accent walks into the bar before you do. I think everything that I'll do in the future and going forward will always be slightly political."

Shelby is starting an acting course in Trinity in January and thinks the next idea will be a play.

"I'm thinking of writing, directing and maybe playing a little cameo in the next piece. I'm hoping to do maybe two nights here, because it's the hometown. I think we could probably get two nights sold out here, and one night in Dublin. I'm going to do a period piece this time. Almost Functional was very contemporary, It was about growing up here and being in the north, and the switch from college life to actually adult life in the north. But I think next I'm going to do a period piece, maybe 1916 and the Civil War. That's what's in my thought process at the minute ... and issue three eventually as well."

Copies of c0mm0n are for sale at The Bookshelf in Monaghan Street, Newry.