Aesthetica: The Beauty of Creativity

By Rachel Olatokunboh

Edited by Naomi Adam

The latest contributor to The Letters Page, Clive Cass, has an avowed passion for art history, and in his spare time ‘read[s] a lot of factual information on art and artists’. So what better way to thank him for his letter to us than with a year-long subscription to Aesthetica, an innovative, York-based magazine which covers all forms of art, from architecture to photography to film and fashion and, of course, creative writing.

With an outreach of over 500,000 copies for each of their bi-monthly issues, the publication aims to keep its international readership up-to-date with the latest journalism and art news. The magazine was founded by Cherie Federico and Dale Donley in 2002, whilst the pair were still university students, with the simple aim of promoting equality and diversity in the creative industries.

As a forward-thinking publication, Aesthetica pride themselves on spotlighting upcoming artists and creatives. Their annual art prize favours experimental artists who think outside the box and contribute new ideas to the creative dialogue. As a part of the UNESCO’s City of Media Arts network, Aesthetica offers winning artists an opportunity to display their work in a major public gallery alongside an impressive £10,000 prize. The competition is open to artists working in digital media, installation, painting, photography and sculpture, encouraging boundary-pushing creativity that redefines artistic expression.

Similarly, Aesthetica’s yearly Creative Writing Award prioritises experimental works of prose and poetry from new writing talent, offering a £5000 prize, a prominent platform and access to literary agents. Meanwhile, Aesthetica’s annual Short Film Festival, which is both BAFTA- and BIFA-qualifying, paves the way for independent films to have their projects recognised on a global scale. From 5–9 November 2025, Aesthetica will welcome filmmakers, games developers and VR experts from around the world, as the festival celebrates its fifteenth anniversary. The event will be held both in-person in York and online, providing a space for an exciting blend of digital and human creativity in the biggest film festival in the UK.

Aesthetica aims for an impact which extends beyond the pages of their magazine and into the contemporary culture, organising numerous exhibitions, symposiums and networking opportunities on a regular basis. Each year the publication hosts the Future Now Symposium, which features leading artists, creatives and academics discussing prevalent issues in the creative landscape, such as the role of AI in digital art. A further focus of the magazine is the future of the creative industries, with virtual reality and tech-driven collaborations frequently incorporated into the work they feature. This acts as a means of bridging the gap between digital and traditional art forms, as opposed to pitting the two against one another as we see so often in the media.

Alongside looking to the future, Aesthetica also uses art to reflect upon our past and present, publishing a variety of thought-provoking pieces about current, polarising topics and social issues including racial injustice, gender identity and political resistance. Overall, Aesthetica is a pioneering force within the contemporary creative scene that seeks to underscore art’s intrinsic relevance whilst encouraging progressive thinking through art.

To discover more about Aesthetica, you can visit their website at aestheticamagazine.com

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The Letters Page team are back in the office, and ready to read your real letters again. We publish stories, essays, poems, memoir, reportage, criticism, recipes, travelogues, and any hybrid forms, so long as they come to us in the form of a letter. We are looking for writers of all nationalities and ages, both established and emerging.

Your letter must be sent in the post, to:

The Letters Page, School of English, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD, UK

See our submissions page for more information