• Variant recognises the general lack of representation of the arts across the UK and Ireland - and Scotland in particular - and will attempt to both address and examine this imbalance, providing a platform for the arts that would otherwise not exist.

• Variant will promote debate within cultural areas which are otherwise ignored, hidden, suppressed or censored, working for a greater number of voices to be represented.

• Variant will provide forms of support outwith the magazine, such as being a focal point informing and bringing together individuals, organisation and audiences that would not otherwise meet or interact.

• Variant will work towards making the arts visible to all those who wish to take part.

• Variant will promote writing which stimulates interest and involvement in the arts by people from disadvantaged socio-economic groups.

• Variant will make a strong contribution to removing barriers which prevent people seeing, hearing and taking part in the widest possible range of arts activity. The contents of the magazine will also help arts organisations to respond better to need and to demand, and to open up their activities to more people throughout society. Very many people who are interested in reading about the arts cannot afford the high cover price of most magazines, including artists themselves.

• Variant will tackle this barrier to inclusion by distributing and offering the magazine to the public for free.

• Variant will encourage and generate discussion on issues of social importance, encourage greater public participation in the arts and make the outcomes publicly accessible.

• Variant will freely distribute a magazine of high quality throughout the UK and Ireland, and genuinely attempt to reach as wide an audience as possible, enabling greater access to the arts.

• Variant provides in-depth coverage of art in the context of the broader social, political and cultural issues which determine its production.

• There are simply no other attempts to freely distribute a magazine of such high quality throughout the UK and Ireland.

• Variant produces an arts and culture magazine and distributes it across the UK and Ireland. Three issues are produced a year, with a print-run and distribution of 10,000 copies per issue.

• Variant organises and participates in educational events such as panel discussions, conferences and seminars.

• Variant isactive in the promotion of cultural and social issues.

• Variant provides in-depth coverage of art in the context of broader social, political and cultural issues.

• Variant documents and promotes debate within cultural areas which are ignored, hidden, suppressed or censored, working for a greater number of voices to be represented.

• Variant supports the collaboration and development of experimental and innovative work created by artists.

• Variant is committed to critical debate and analysis.

• Variant makes lateral links across media in both a local and international context & examines how this manifests itself in visual, intellectual & social cultures.

• Variant documents and promotes debate within cultural areas which are ignored, hidden, suppressed or censored and in doing so allows for a greater number of voices to be represented.

• Variant is not run by an Institution; this gives the magazine more freedom of expression, including the freedom to be critical.

• Variant is appreciated by a broader public than any other arts magazine in the UK and Ireland.

• Variant makes an important contribution in encouraging the collaboration and development of experimental and innovative work created by artists working across art forms.

• Variant welcomes contributions and also criticisms of the magazine itself from our readers.

• Variant is committed to debate and critical analysis.