Arts charity Outer Spaces buys The Skinny publisher to save Glasgow magazine

What's the deal? Scottish visual arts charity Outer Spaces has acquired Radge Media CIC, publisher of Glasgow culture magazine The SkinnyDealroom has a profile for this one. Try Dealroom →, weeks after the title said it would cease publication. The deal returns The Skinny to print. Terms were not disclosed.

Why now? Radge Media announced on September 10, 2026 that The Skinny would close, citing financial reasons and prompting an outpouring of concern from readers and contributors. Outer Spaces, established in 2021 as a "contemporary visual arts organisation," stepped in to "stabilise operations by acquiring the shares in the publisher Radge Media CIC."

What's the endgame? The acquisition keeps The Skinny publishing after 20 years of covering Glasgow's cultural scene, alongside Radge Media's other titles, GNAW and FEST. Outer Spaces frames the move as part of its wider aim to build "a sustainable, resilient arts ecosystem for Scotland."

What changes? Radge Media joins the Outer Spaces organisation but continues its editorial work. "We're excited to become part of the Outer Spaces family, and to have this opportunity to continue our work within an organisation whose values align so closely with our own," said Rosamund West, editor-in-chief of Radge Media.

Shân Edwards, director of Outer Spaces, said the charity was "shocked by the news of The Skinny's closure" and "pleased to be in the position to intervene with a solution to allow continued operations."

The signal: The rescue reflects the pressure on independent print media, where rising costs continue to threaten local titles. It also shows arts organisations acting as backstops for cultural journalism when commercial models falter.

Read more: glasgowguardian.co.uk

Image credit: Paul Walter, UK