Ballarat resident Jade Standing is starting a new arts initiative. After her move to Ballarat from England she was encouraged by some of the local artists she met and decided to launch a new journal. Ex Parenthesis. is a collection of local Ballarat writing and is looking for new content. I caught up with Jade to learn more.
Tell us about Ex Parenthesis, what will it be about?
Ex Parenthesis is a new creative writing journal of short stories, poems, pictures, sketches and reviews to be published quarterly. It will feature the work of local writers and artists, both published and undiscovered.
Will it be more imaginative creative short stories, or non-fiction articles?
The creative element of the journal will predominate, but interesting articles and reviews that fit the theme will also be considered for publication.
You've gone for a theme for each journal, what are the benefits of this approach?
Yes, the first issue's theme is: The Book as a Material Artefact. Responses to this theme are encouraged to be broad and imaginatively varied, but I think it is good to impose a theme for the sake of overall narrative cohesion. Themes also help to inspire new works, so writers are less tempted to recycle their work. Different themes will also speak to different writers, so a theme that really works for one writer one issue may not do anything for them in the next. The theme works as an important part of the selection and editing process as well as functioning as a structuring device.
What inspired you to create Ex Parenthesis?
I come from a background of teaching and studying literature and I am a massive supporter of the arts. Since I arrived in Ballarat from England, I have met a very diverse bunch of talented writers and artists, and am very aware that there are many others out there that I haven't had the good fortune to meet yet! I started up Ex Parenthesis back in England for the students I was working with and think it will translate well to the Ballarat community and help us to celebrate the work of writers and artists who we will come to be more aware of and who also will come into a greater awareness of each other.
Who do you think will find the journal of interest?
Anyone who enjoys reading, having their imagination stimulated and thinking outside of the brackets should find something to enjoy in Ex Parenthesis.
There seems to be a move away from printed journals to more of an online presence. Why have you chosen to complete a printed journal rather than an e-journal? Is there any plan for a blog or website to accompany it?
Yes, the theme of the first issue is really all about celebrating the more traditional aspects of a printed journal; such as being able to feel and smell and change the story as you physically interact with the pages you are turning. I think that the act of reading is such a personal process that it is nice to consolidate the emotional attachment one feels towards a particular narrative with a physical attachment to the journal as a material artefact.
I'm not blasting online journals - I tend to use them far more than paper journals because of the speed and convenience of their accessibility. In fact, I do intend to accompany the publishment of Ex Parenthesis with a blog as the easiest way of conveying news about it and connecting with readers and writers.
However, I want the reading of Ex Parenthesis to deliver a sense of occasion, and for that it needs to exist and have a material life of its own. It is comforting and extremely satisfying to produce a tangible testament to work that you can hold and carry about with you. As a traveller, I particularly value the idea of having something to show for my time in Ballarat.
Can you explain about how you plan to create the journal particularly in Ballarat?
The plan is to keep it all very low key at the moment. It will be produced on recycled paper at my own expense, so contributors will unfortunately not receive pay at this point. There are pipeline dreams of accessing funding... and of course any interested and relevant advertisers should feel free to get in touch! The production team consists of a small circle of friends, including Amy Tsilemanis and Georgia Rowan with myself as editor.
Why do you think Ballarat is the perfect place for this venture?
Ballarat is currently home to Art Sparks Creative Gatherings, run by Amy Tsilemanis and assisted by me. These gatherings are hosted at a different venue every second month and feature the works of writers, musicians and artists to encourage Ballarat's artistic community to get together, socialise and support one another. (For more information about these events , contact Amy at
amy.voicefm@gmail.com or on Facebook: Ballarat Arts Alive / Art Sparks in Ballarat.) The journal caters for the same community that is so receptive of these events.
What does success look like for Ex Parenthesis?
Success looks like a beautifully crafted creative journal whose content is of high quality, is imaginative and diverse. Something that pays for itself would also be good too though! At the moment there are plans for Ex Parenthesis to be sold at all Art Sparks events, and they will also become available at bookshops and coffee shops around town - so keep your eyes peeled for them!
Can anyone submit work to be considered and how can we get more information?
Anyone with a talent and a passion for writing is invited to give it to give it a go!
Potential advertisers and contributors should contact me at: heathcliff.and.the.world@gmail.com before 20th Feb for March publication!
Jade Standing is an MA graduate in Shakespeare Studies. She currently co-hosts the Tinderbox on Voice Fm with Amy Tsilemanis. She is a writer, teacher and editor from England.
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