Mag showcases London's colourful arts scene

If you've shopped on Richmond Row, grabbed coffee at a Williams or gone to any of the many other vibrant little corners of London and surrounding area, you've likely seen The Beat.

The Beat is a free magazine that has its finger on the pulse of London's thriving community of artists of all kinds, from painters to classical musicians to tattooists to arts-and-crafters. It's a fantastic way for local artists to gain exposure.

Eight thousand magazines are printed every month, and on the first day of every month, they are distributed across the city and to places as far south as Port Stanley and as far north as Blyth.

"We distribute to over 250 locations, the bulk of which are in the city of London proper," said Richard Young, the magazine's publisher. "We try to get the magazine into the hands of people who are interested in the arts and would like to know what's going on around the city."

The Beat rose from the ashes of a former local arts magazine, according to Nicole Laidler, The Beat's editor. After the other magazine fell apart, many of the staff banded together in the summer of 2009 to form a new publication.

"It was something that London needed," she said. "It was a good opportunity to jump in and keep the idea alive, while making some changes."

"(Richard) was the one who got the business up and running," remembered Laidler.

"He's the one who deals with the business and bureaucratic sides of it."

Young said he remembered another part of his job during the initial stages of The Beat: "For lack of a better term, I was the bank," he laughed. Young provided the start-up cash to make the magazine a reality.

The Beat aims to spread the word to Londoners about some of the arts events beyond what's playing at the Grand (though The Beat covers that, too). "The fact that we're all artists means that we are well connected with people and we know what's going on," Laidler said. "We understand the challenges that people face in getting the word out in what they're doing."

According to Laidler, larger publications like The London Free Press just don't have the resources to cover the London arts scene. "They do the best they can with the space, time and resources they have, but there is so much going on in London."

"We have never been hard up for stories," added Young. In the middle of January, he estimated that they had the magazine's content planned out until April. "We've got lots of stories to tell."

In fact, the magazine team's enthusiasm in covering smaller stories is what sets them apart, according to Laidler. "We will cover the smallest organizations, that we know will never have the resources to take out an ad."

The Beat is always looking for new stories to tell and new voices that want to be heard, explained Laidler. "We want to keep The Beat fresh, we want to mix it up all the time, we didn't want to make it predictable."

If you've got an arts event coming up, from a gallery show to CD release party and beyond, send Laidler an email at nlaidler@beatmagazine.ca as far in advance as possible.

For more information about The Beat, look for it around the city. You can also read the entire magazine online at www.beatmagazine.ca. The website also gives access to information beyond what is offered in the magazine, including weekly events listings, reviews and more. You can also visit their Facebook page by searching for "The Beat Arts in London magazine."