Exciting changes …

As always at the end of a year, it is time to assess the events, the issues, the features, the covers of the past twelve months, to look and plan ahead to the next twelve months and beyond.

As with all years, 2011 has had its own unique set of triumphs and challenges – you can’t have one without the other! Ultimately, the most gratifying thing is that practitioners in all fields of the arts are continuing to produce superb work despite those ever-present funding and marketing problems. We have seen some truly outstanding work during the past year, and took part and featured many of them in CLASSICFEEL. We are all very excited and confident about what artists will conjure into existence in 2012!

As so often happens when a new year begins, one is presented with a perfect opportunity to implement some long-considered changes – not to wipe the slate clean exactly, but to change what needs to be changed, and to refresh and grow what is established and already working. Earlier this year we were proud to win the BASA Award for Best Media Partnership against some really stiff opposition and this not only reminded us of our past achievements, but encouraged us to keep moving forward and upward. With this in mind, I am happy to announce some very exciting developments for our magazine.

For quite a while now I have been talking about changing the look of CLASSICFEEL so as to keep up with the ever-shifting trends in the world of design – such an important aspect of the arts scene. As of our February 2012 issue, these changes will finally go into effect. We are changing to a larger format and an all-new look and feel, with much more space for in-depth content and stunning visuals, and a cleaner, more sophisticated layout. So please be on the lookout for the bigger, better, new-look CLASSICFEEL in February 2012.

But that’s not the only change we have in store. This will come as a great surprise to our long-time readers and supporters but this issue will be my last as the actual editor of CLASSICFEEL Magazine. As both the publisher and editor, with other projects always on the go, I have really just come to the point where there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to do justice to it all! So I will be relinquishing the editorship but will remain the publisher and keep my status as editor-in-chief for all our projects – magazine, supplements, books and new publications – which we also have lined up for the coming year. With these changes I also hope to go back to my passion for new design and layout, and to work with exciting new projects.

There was actually never a question in my mind who should be stepping into my place as editor of the magazine: our current assistant editor, Warren Holden. Having worked with him for a number of years now, I know that Warren is very passionate and knowledgeable about the arts and culture world and is committed to the CLASSICFEEL vision of being South Africa’s leading magazine in the sector. I am confident that the future of the publication is in very safe hands. I can’t wait to see what he will bring to the new CLASSICFEEL over the next few issues.

So there are many changes coming up and I know that they will only be for the better. Until then, I would like to wish all our readers a joyful and relaxing festive season (and perhaps some time to read some Scandinavian Crime Fiction on the beach) and may 2012 be a happy and prosperous year for all.

Cheers

Lore