Strings (magazine)
Saiten has been published monthly as a culture magazine for Eastern Switzerland since April 1994 and is specifically available in numerous cultural venues, shops, restaurants and public institutions in the Eastern Switzerland region . It was originally initiated by the musicians' association " Pop me Gallus ", which has since been dissolved . The main impetus for the launch was the lack of cultural reporting in the local and regional media. The Saiten association has been the publisher since 1999. The founders included Roman Riklin, Gögs Andrighetto, Jürgen Wössner, Giuseppe Grazia, Rubel U. Vetsch, Johannes “Jowi” Widmer, Markus Sauerwein and Thomas Straumann.
Event calendar as the centerpiece
An important part of the magazine is an event calendar. Month after month, it presents a comprehensive and clear overview of the cultural and leisure activities throughout Eastern Switzerland . The need for a lively presentation of urban and regional life has affected the circulation. Today it is 7,000, of which 3,000 copies are sent by subscription.
Cover topics
The “culture term” for strings is defined very broadly and openly and is not limited to music, theater, film and art, but extends to all areas of life. This is reflected in the cover topics that shape the magazine and have given it its character, such as interculture, dialect, football, neighborhood life, traffic and the new women's movement.
Culture magazine of Eastern Switzerland
Saiten is the only culture magazine of its kind in Eastern Switzerland . The design of the magazine will continue to appear consistently in black and white against all color fashions. The magazine contains reports, interviews and portraits from culture and society. The central idea is to open borders between city and country, world and “province”, old and young, “elitist” and “alternative” culture.
The Eastern Switzerland culture magazine Saiten is self-financing and does not receive any subsidies.
Saiten also sees itself as a service to the population (events calendar) and as a forum that reflects and reflects cultural and social developments in the region and thus represents a supplement to the regional daily press.
From 1998 to 2005 the comic book Herr Mäder appeared in the magazine , which was drawn by Manuel Stahlberger and later also appeared in book form. From 2005 SAITEN has been working with changing comic artists. Various publications by regional authors are published. Giuseppe Grazias “Riss”, Roger Walch's illustrated book about “Kyoto”.
On a long-standing initiative by Freddie Geiger “Gagi Geiger”, SAITEN launched the “IG Kultur Ost” association in April / May 2019.
Prices
- 1998: Award of the City of St. Gallen
- 2003: Annual Prize of the St. Gallische Kulturstiftung: “With the annual prize 2003, the St. Gallische Kulturstiftung honors the cultural and publishing achievements of the initiators and editors of the Eastern Switzerland cultural magazine 'Saiten'. With its high-level contributions and the wide-ranging calendar of events, it has become an indispensable part of the regional cultural scene. In addition, the magazine is a podium for independent art and culture. Strings gives them a lot of space. "
- 2007: Eastern Switzerland Media Prize: Saiten received the Eastern Switzerland Media Prize in the reporting category for the title topic on the city of Winterthur (September 2006). The authors: Felix Reich, Bettina Dyttrich, Noëmi Landolt, Etrit Hasler and Kaspar Surber.
- 2008: Eastern Switzerland Media Prize: Tobias Siebrecht is honored for his pictures in the December 2007 issue on the subject of “ Hair ” in the “Press Photography” category.
- 2008: Award of recognition from the city of St. Gallen
- 2010: Eastern Switzerland Media Prize: Milo Rau is honored for his text “Du coté de chez Ceausescu” in the “Reportage” category. The article appeared in the April 2009 issue.