Gone Norf
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It’s an unassuming evening in October, and the stylish book and magazine store UNITOM is packed to the rafters with young people. Creatives across the city have gathered here to celebrate the release of Gone Norf’s 200-page print magazine. The publication, much like its launch event, is overflowing with Northern talent, celebrating artists of all disciplines from across the region.
This isn’t the first time Gone Norf have brought diverse, vibrant voices together. Having hosted an array of social clubs, DJ nights, fundraisers and more, they’ve solidified their reputation as one of the city’s most exciting collectives. The group was started back in 2025 by three friends and creatives, Rosie Callaghan, George Groucott and Tad Dzimwasha. They had a clear aim: amplify working-class creatives and champion Northern, grassroots talent through print, events, collaborations and more.
Since launching, Gone Norf has worked tirelessly to profile the best and brightest of Manchester’s creative scene, over and over again, connecting local artists and spotlighting their work. Since launching, they’ve worked with Foot Locker on their Christmas campaign, been invited to speak at Factory International, and even collaborated with everyone’s favourite peach lager Jubel.
And this is just the beginning – it’s clear the trio of founders has lofty ambitions for Gone Norf. On a typically rainy Wednesday evening in Manchester’s Northern Quarter, I spoke to the collective about their ambitions to de-centre London as the epicentre of British creativity, the challenges they’ve faced as Northern creatives and their plans for the future.
What was the motivation for starting Gone Norf?
Rosie Callaghan: What motivated me was being fired from my job […] When I was made unemployed I struggled to find work within the creative industries and it was so frustrating. I was so passionate to get into the industry, but it felt like the industry didn’t want me. I had a look around and thought to myself, ‘if I can’t get into these industries, I’ll make my own community.’ I wanted to build my own network of people in a similar position: other young people in the north of England, struggling to find opportunities, who can come together through events, campaigns, projects, print, and build things together, rather than all individually waiting for the opportunity. We can make our own opportunities.
The creative industries can feel so London-centric, however, I feel like over the past couple of years things have started to shift, with more focus on the north. Do you guys feel similarly?
George Groucott: I still think there’s a long way to go. I’ve always been very tempted to go to London for the creative opportunities, but I’ve been quite resistant in staying and trying to prove a point that so many things do happen up north. The opportunities are slim, but I do think there’s a change in the tide. There are more big businesses wanting to get involved with young creatives. We’ve been witnesses of that. I don’t think it’s a very quick change though. There’s also a worry that people are going to use the north, and once they’ve got what they want and done one or two things here, they’ll go back to London.
Rosie Callaghan: Coming from Sunderland, London to me almost felt like a foreign land. Growing up, everyone I knew who got into the creative arts or cultural industries always moved away to London. It felt like in order to make it you had to be there. When I moved to Manchester, it was amazing. I love this place […] but I think something we really want to encourage through Gone Norf is doing more events in smaller towns and smaller areas. We can show people you can appreciate where you are and grow creatively and professionally there. You don’t have to move to London, or even to Manchester. If there aren’t those creative opportunities where you live, you can make your own opportunities. We want to branch out into smaller towns: Rochdale, Carlisle, Appleby, and show people they can build around what they’ve already got.
You don’t have to move to London, or even to Manchester. If there aren’t those creative opportunities where you live, you can make your own opportunities
In Manchester, there’s a significant split between the corporate and grassroots creative worlds and I feel that the two rarely cross over. But Gone Norf has done that: you’ve kept your authenticity, but simultaneously worked with big brands. How has your experience been working with larger brands like Foot Locker and Nike and how did those opportunities arise?
Tad Dzimwasha: Working with big brands was obviously a big opportunity. We’re getting to put people from small towns and places people might not have even heard of on a bigger platform, and show what young creatives can actually do. Even though sometimes we question whether or not it’s worth working with big brands, at the end of the day we’re putting people on a pedestal […] If you’re younger and you’re seeing someone who might be from your small town working with these brands, it shows that you can do it too.
Rosie Callaghan: We felt quite intimidated going into those projects. We’re from a grassroots background, and showing that and emphasising the fact that we’re young makes brands a lot more lenient working with us. We’re not a studio, we’re not an agency, we’re a group of young people who are progressing in our careers. So luckily the brands that we have worked with have been pretty aware of that and pretty understanding that we might make mistakes that someone with years in the game might not make. We’ve learned a lot and we’re not going to sit here and say that everything’s been perfect. We’re young, we’re all in our early twenties, but the beautiful thing was bringing in people who would never get that experience.
It can be really intimidating being in those spaces where everyone knows each other and everyone’s been in the game for so long.
Rosie Callaghan: We didn’t know what to do at the Nike launch. We were looking at eachother terrified [laughs].
George Groucott: Gone Norf isn’t our main job. We’ve all got 9-5s that we have to prioritise first and this is something we make time to do. We are also getting people involved who do the same thing, who are also balancing time in hospitality, trying to make ends meet, but then giving them a platform they might not have the time or finances to build for themselves […] What the Foot Locker project showed me was that there are so many talented people in pockets of the north, like from Stockport or Bolton. Yes, we might have Foot Locker behind us and the big brands, but we can be that catalyst: that middle man to push these talents forward.
What are some long-term Gone Norf and for yourselves in your own creative careers?
Rosie Callaghan: Because we’re all from slightly different creative backgrounds, we all have slightly different visions for what Gone Norf could be, which in my opinion, just encourages us to see things from new perspectives. Everyone agrees the long-term goal is community first: helping young people from northern towns.
Tad Dzimwasha: I want Gone Norf to have a stamp in Manchester. A lot of collectives come and go, but I want us to be remembered. In ten years, I want someone to say, ‘do you remember that one event we went to for Gone Norf?’ Those are things I dream of. That we’ve actually made a difference to people, we’ve actually created a memory which has lasted a lifetime.
Is there anything coming up this year that you can tell me about?
Tad Dzimwasha: We’re potentially doing a grassroots rave exhibition and a panel talk for NTS Radio. I don’t know what I can say!
Rosie Callaghan: We actually had an event last night, a small community cookout event, which Tad cooked for. We definitely wanna do more cookouts.
Also, Gone Norf has become very Manchester-focused – which isn’t a bad thing, we all love Manchester. We’d be really hypocritical to be here and not appreciate and take advantage of what Manchester has to offer. We all met because of Manchester. But the north isn’t just Manchester: we see a lot of brands come here wanting to do a ‘Northern campaign’, tick that off and then go back down [south]. And as someone from Sunderland, I hate that! I hope we can be an example of a collective and community which can go to other areas outside of Manchester and do events. Gone Norf’s going regional in 2026!
George Groucott: We’ve already got great working relationships with certain places in Manchester, like Kim’s Kitchen in Hulme, we’ve always got a pull to do something there. Hulme is such a nice and rich community, and the history behind Hulme is something I love reading about. Kim’s is such a nice environment to be in.
Rosie Callaghan: My end goal is to do an event in Sunderland – don’t know where, don’t know what! But to my family back in Sunderland, we’ll do something, we’ll be paying you a visit.
If people are reading this and want to get involved with Gone Norf and help host a social club or be in your next print edition, how can they do that?
George Groucott: Message us! Don’t be shy. People think of certain attributes when they hear the word ‘creative’ or the idea of the ‘creative industry’. But being a creative is so much more than that. Working a 9-5 is full of creativity. I think everyone’s got a talent within them. It’s about being confident enough to let it shine. That’s what Gone Norf has helped me realise: I used to paint and draw as a kid and I hadn’t for ages, but we’re surrounded by so many amazing people that you’re naturally inspired to go back and explore those creative parts of yourself. Don’t be shy. Message us. Tell us what you do. We really wanna know what you do. Even if you’re from the Midlands! There aren’t enough projects like Gone Norf in the Midlands, and I’d love to see that. Get in touch.
Tad Dzimwasha: All three of us go to a lot of creative events in Manchester. If you do see us, speak to us. We’re all friendly, we’re always happy to see people. I wouldn’t be surprised if you bump into us in the Northern Quarter, having a pint at Public. And if you do, come speak to us and we’ll always want you to get involved.
Rosie Callaghan: We’re not closed off, you don’t have to have studied art at uni or dress cool, if you’re sound and wanna do something with us, either DM us [@gonenorf] or email us [gonenorf@gmail.com].
Do you have any final advice for young people trying to get into the creative industries?
Rosie Callaghan: My advice to any young person who is struggling to get into the creative industries right now is pull your mates together. Have a chat and say ‘fuck it’, let’s just join together, make something together and force your way in. Take it from us, it works. There’s power in a collective of people coming together.
