Forge Press’ Arts & Theatre section has launched a new social media presence on Instagram. The account, run by Arts & Theatre Editor Sophie Layton, is the first time the section has held a dedicated platform on social media.

In a post launching the account yesterday, the section editors said: “We’ve been busy rebranding our section & reimagining our content to make the Arts & Theatre coverage fitting of the U.K.’s second largest theatrical hub!”. The post went on to explain what types of content the section covers, as well as asking for potential contributors to get involved. The account also launched two additional posts, with 2024/25 editor announcements.

The social media account has promised a range of content, including featured stories, society events and interactive elements, as well as providing the section a space to share national and international stories that would not regularly be covered by their content. It is hoped that this will allow the section’s remit to expand, engage more readers and allow a greater focus on student and Sheffield stories, whilst still covering content in the wider arts community.

The new social media presence is the latest element in the section’s rebrand, beginning last month, and follows the use of new design elements within written articles, including presentation of figures’ headshots within circular frames and a stylisation of cover images. The rebrand has focused heavily on the use of white and the orange section colour, which was formerly only associated with the printed edition of Forge Press.

Arts & Theatre 2024/25 Editors Sophie Layton & Jasmine Pegg. Image Credit: Sophie Layton & Jasmine Pegg

Taking inspiration from a range of media and other sources, it is hoped that bringing the colour to the forefront of the section’s design would give Arts & Theatre an identity which previously has eluded the section and may help to bring in new readers and contributors ahead of the 2024/25 academic year.

Whist in its early days, the new social media presence seems set to breathe a new lease of life into Forge Press Arts & Theatre and is hoped to allow the section to reach out and embrace new frontiers in the arts industry in the upcoming year. With the account officially launched, we await the future of the account and the section, to see what it will bring to Forge Press.

Forge Press Arts & Theatre can be found at @forgepress.arts on Instagram

Image Credit: Sophie Layton