After months of ups and downs and very hard work from all of the Fusion Magazine Team tonight we were finally ready to unleash our Medina High School blend of editorial, creating a voice for young people on the Isle of Wight.

Fusion Magazine is produced by a dedicated team of Medina High School students with a drive and enthusiasm for media studies, our hopes are to produce the magazine every quarter, with the next one due out in November. 

From Festival Funk 2007 to the Real World of local business and careers, it was refreshing to see so many business people and members of the local council supporting our Island project, long may it continue.

Fusion Magazine is Free and out now pick up your copy from HMV, Sainsburys, Switch 45 and other selected outlets.

Local celebs can look cool too, as they endorse Fushion Magazine, our esteemed headmaster Mr Williams, Ex Chairman of the Isle of Wight Council Charles Chapman, Chair of Governers Val Taylor, Island MP Andrew Turner with his partner Carole and Mr Maurice Barton.

Fusion  Born from a Profusion of Medina Student Skills.  

Medina High School students, worked to a tight deadline, to produce the first edition of Fusion a unique Isle of Wight community magazine just for young Islanders.
 
To create Fusion a mixed ability team of Medina High students have been expected to work in a variety of roles as editors, sub editors, reporters, marketeers, graphic designers and technical experts to produce what is hoped to be the only cutting edge magazine aimed at 16 to 25 yr olds on the Island.

As the quarterly magazine is to be written and produced by young people for young people, it will also help to increase literacy ICT and communication skills between peer groups and hopefully give the pupils a realistic insight into the complex issues surrounding the media industry.

Funding for the Fusion Magazine project was accessed in association with Southampton and Isle of Wight Creative Partnerships.  The students having limited access to media knowledge and equipment are being assisted by former Medina High School student David Harrigan, who was approached by Medina High Director of Arts Stephen Lines last year with the idea of establishing a magazine for Medina High School.
 
A selection of Fusion Media students, were out and about at the Isle of Wight Festival.  Privileged to be given access by Solo, the students, in at the deep end, on a steep learning curve, were able to discover first hand some of the pitfalls of the media and film industry.

Student Photo Journalist Lucy Johnson aged 15 said:

I have already experienced lots of Island events in a media role with my parents, but going to the Isle of Wight Festival for the first time and into the main stage arena solo was really quite scary.

Happily, Lucy, stuck to the brief and was able to supply Fusion and Island Pulse with very good coverage of the Festival click here

Creative Partnerships funding was also allocated to set up a separate student Film Production Team to document the Isle of Wight Festival from a young persons perspective. 

Anna Moreton as Medina High school Community Arts Co-ordinator assisted the Fusion Film Crew and the finished DVD is expected be included as a free gift with the first edition of Fusion Magazine.

Fusion Magazine content will initially be of Island interest, regular event reviews, environmental issues, arts, sports and fashion guide for shoppers.  There will be feature profiles of prominent Islanders and the unique Get Off The Sofa, which will feature the experiences of couch potatoes and hopefully give them ideas of activities with which to get them off the sofa.

The free 36-page magazine will be produced with an initial print run of up to 15,000 copies and will be available free at selected supermarkets, garages and other outlets.

Fusion Magazines Official launch coincides with Medina High Schools annual Arts Blast week.

View Fusion Photo Journalist Lucy Johnsons Article:  Isle of Wight Festival Photo Journal HERE

Reported by Lucy Johnson for Island Pulse