Welcome to Silly Gooze Editions where we blend tradition with rebellion, to create, unique art that speaks volumes.
Our name takes inspiration from printmaking ‘wayzegoose’ celebrations. A wayzegoose is a centuries-old tradition where printers and workers come together for a festive gathering, typically held in late summer. The purpose was to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of the season when printing by candlelight would become necessary due to shorter daylight hours.
Today, wayzgoose events often include food, games, live music, demonstrations, and the production of a keepsake or printed material to commemorate the occasion. In other words, a time to celebrate print, share knowledge, and strengthen friendships - all of which we aim to do throughout the year at Silly Gooze Editions!
Our logo and mascot goose come from the ‘Be Gay Do Crime’ goose meme, which originated in LGBTQIA+ and activist communities, who adopted the goose from ‘Untitled Goose Game’ to humorously and playfully challenge societal norms and expectations. The phrase encourages embracing one's identity and expressing oneself authentically, even if it means defying conventional rules or norms, i.e., “If love is a crime, then I want to commit it.” Although in this case, our goose wields their own print pallet knife!
Our founder Dylan Fox, has experienced first-hand the discrimination faced by LGBTQIA+ people and has worked tirelessly within his own artistic practice to challenge societal norms in this area. Therefore, Silly Gooze Editions is committed to this cause just as passionately. One of our core aims is to champion the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ and neurodivergent people via printmaking.
OUR~AIMS
OUR~AIMS
OUR~AIMS OUR~AIMS
At Silly Gooze we have 7 Core Aims
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We are committed to ensuring a welcoming space for all and we actively work to accommodate access needs wherever possible. Our ground floor studio has step free access, free on-site parking, toilet facilities and mini kitchen, helping to minimise difficulties and maximise your time with us.
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If you are running a not-for-profit or Community Interest Company within the Midlands and would like to access high-quality sustainable print products, we are happy to discuss discount options on a case-by-case basis. We believe everyone should have access to high-quality sustainable prints!
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It is widely understood within the arts and graphics communities that Adobe holds the market for pre-press / digital creative software. This is something that our founder discovered was diffcult to access and continue post-university. Therefore, we extend the offer of access to the full Adobe Creative Suite to work on designs in house.
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We ensure we have up-to-date books and valuable knowledge in potentially endangered printmaking, finishing and binding crafts, and invite artists to host educational sessions in these endangered crafts.
Our research library is free to use, but booking is essential. Please get in touch and we can book you in.
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We do this in two ways. Firstly, we proudly pledge 10% of our profits to local LGBTQIA+ charities, and charities that support neurodivergent people. With each order of our exclusive prints, posters, zines, books, merchandise or materials, you’re supporting a cause that matters. Secondly, we prioritise the publishing of works through our editions store by people who are part of those marginalised communities.
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Through our events, workshops, talks, gigs and work-in-progress events, you are invited to join our community. We love having a full studio, with creatives working away at their own projects, so if you need a creative space to get stuff done, then feel free to message and arrange a time to share our studio with us.
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We are minimising our environmental footprint without compromising our print production values.
For us, sustainability is superseded by resilience. In the context of the Anthropocene, where human activities have significantly impacted the planet's ecosystems, "resilience" means not just sustaining existing conditions, but actively building the ability to cope with and recover from disruptions caused by human influence.
By focusing on resilience, we acknowledge the need to address the complex and interconnected challenges of the Anthropocene, working to enhance the capacity of our systems to endure, adapt, and thrive in the face of ongoing changes.
We do this by using plant-based inks, no harsh chemicals or solvents and 100% recycled and FSC certified papers, ensuring that our print output is resilient to the challenges of the Anthropocene era.
Much of our waste enters our own circular economy where offcuts and test prints become examples. As for everything else, cardboard and food waste go to our allotment to be composted, any plastics are reused or recycled where possible. We are open to suggestions for reusing and recycling in new and innovative ways, so get in touch!