Students produce newspaper to refresh the creative identity of Redruth, Cornwall

Falmouth students across three courses have worked together to write and illustrate ‘Made in Redruth’, a brand-new newspaper for a west-Cornwall town. 

Students from Journalism & Creative Writing BA and Illustration BA have collaborated with the team at 'The Ladder’: a new creative hub to produce a local newspaper called 'Made in Redruth’. The paper celebrates the creativity and the vibrance of the local community, as well as promoting a summer events programme at The Ladder.  

Getting involved with local stories  

During the ‘Collaboration’ module on Journalism & Creative Writing BA, students were briefed to find stories and contributions for the newspaper. Not only did the module encourage collaboration with other courses, but also with local professionals and businesses. A team of seven students worked closely with clients to produce the material, with staff members Andy Chatfield and Steve Bough supporting production, and further assistance from Illustration’s Julie Monks and Linda Scott. Together, the team produced and distributed 10,000 copies around Redruth last month. 

Supporting local businesses 

A parallel collaboration between Journalism & Creative Writing BA and Marketing Communications BA students also took place to develop a marketing strategy and assets for The Ladder. 

Felix Mortimer, Director of The Ladder, said: “Working with the journalism and illustration students to bring our newspaper, ‘Made in Redruth’ to life gave it a vitality and energy that we could have never achieved otherwise. Seeing Redruth's creativity through fresh eyes and acquainting the students with the vitality of the town was such a rewarding experience for everyone involved and has given the town a renewed sense of identity.” 

Andy Chatfield, Course Leader for Journalism & Creative Writing, said: “The project was an ambitious collaboration between our students, their colleagues in Illustration and The Ladder. It gave them a good sense of the challenges of devising a new product from scratch and a valuable opportunity to seek out people and stories from an interesting Cornish community. We’re thrilled the paper seems to have been received so well – and we’re already talking about a second edition.”