BRIGHT Zine Issue Two

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ISSUE TWO

B R I G HT Z I N E .C O

@brightzine

@brightzines

@brightzines

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ISSUE TWO

IN THIS ISSUE - UNDERSTANDING NON-VEGANS - PAGE 6 - SPOT THE BANANA - PAGE 10 - T SHIRT ACTIVISM - PAGE 12 - CHILL TIME: TIM SHIEFF, ETHCS - PAGE 15 - VEGAN T SHIRTS: BEST OF - PAGE 18 - VEGAN SPORTSWEAR HITS THE UK - PAGE 20 - SPECIAL EDITION: VEGAN BINGO - PAGE 21 -

- A DAY OF VEVOLUTION - PAGE 22 - VEVOLUTION SPECIAL: WHAT DOES VEGANISM MEAN TO YOU? - PAGE 24 - ANIMAL RESCUE ETIQUETTE - PAGE 30 - SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RESCUE - PAGE 32 - KING’S EMPIRE GROWS - PAGE 34 - AVOCADO DREAMING - PAGE 36 - COOL SHIT - PAGE 38 - MEET VIDA BAKERY - PAGE 40 -

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Laura Callan Editor / Writer Laura is a writer, teacher and vegan queen from London.

Laura loves bears.

™lauralollipop .

Tamsin Callan Creative Collaborator Tamsin is an animal behaviour student from London.

Tamsin loves donkeys.

™tamsinrose .

Roxane Dewar Illustrator Roxane is an artist and illustrator from London.

Roxane loves cats.

™roxane_dewar .

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- LET TER FROM THE EDITOR Hello and welcome to Bright Zine Issue Two. You may know us from Issue One, you may have met us at one of our events with Vevolution or LUSH, you may have picked up a copy of Bright Zine from one of our amazing retailers. Welcome!

This issue has been such a joy to put together, we’ve got a range of interesting articles and beautiful illustrations in store for you.

I’ve followed Earthling Ed’s activism work for some time and am thrilled to be able to publish his article on dealing with and understanding non-vegans in this issue. Ask a vegan what the hardest part of being vegan is, and they’ll likely tell you it is dealing with other people. Ed helps to put an explanation to why they are the way they are, and how talking to them is indeed effective.

Back in November we hosted a workshop at Vevolution, huge thanks to Judy and Damien for having us. We loved meeting such a wide range of interesting people, and it was amazing to see so many zine page creations, see page 24 for more. Our Vevolution report comes from writer Adam Callan (not actually a relative of mine, a fellow vegan Callan, spooky), thanks for coming on board!

Bright Zine is continuing to grow and expand. Our online store has grown with a range of prints, stickers and pretty things you should have in your life. We are expanding and hope to show you more very soon, keep up to date with our website and Instagram for more.

And with that our team is growing too, so writers, bloggers and media types get in touch if you’d like to work with us.

Of course, a huge thank you to my fellow #veganqueens Tamsin and Roxane, this would not have been possible without you.

We hope you enjoy Issue Two! Laura Callan, Bright Zine ™lauralollipop ™brightzine

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UNDERSTANDING NON VEGANS Written by Ed Winters aka Earthling Ed Illustrations by Roxane Dewar When you speak with someone who isn’t vegan, it’s important to remember that you’re dealing with the deeply ingrained concept, Carnism.

Carnism, a term coined by Dr. Melanie Joy, is the invisible belief system that conditions people to eat certain animals and has been ingrained in non-vegans by years of indoctrination and societal conditioning.

This is done through heavy advertising and a complete desensitisation from the consequences of our actions, effectively disconnecting us from the suffering our purchases cause and thus creating a morally schizophrenic ideology in our society. Using lies and manipulation, the industries profiting off of animal exploitation have successfully convinced us to adopt a lifestyle of selective compassion, which in reality mirrors selective discrimination - just as we show compassion to certain species we also discriminate against certain species as well.

We have become content buying into this philosophy of selective discrimination, deciding an animal’s worth of life on wholly irrelevant criteria such as intelligence, cuteness and a capacity to serve humans.

Our collective selfishness causes us to believe that each animal is here only to satisfy our needs on some level, when this was never the case. Our eagerness to be the dominant species will ironically be our undoing, in our conquest for wealth, power and ownership we have destroyed the one thing we actually need

to survive, the planet. Sadly, we have become so blinded by consumerism that we have lost touch with this simple fact.

So few people are willing to make changes in their own life, even if this results in the eventual demise of not only themselves but their loved ones as well. So keen for convenience and luxury we pollute, waste and exploit not only each other but all of nature, whilst at the same time arrogantly believing that our actions won’t have consequences, or being too apathetic to care. Unless we drastically alter not only our actions but our consciousness and mentality as well, we cannot expect our planet to accommodate our convenient yet ultimately destructive lifestyles.

It often feels that we evolved too quickly, that our mindsets are still tribal and we never adjusted to a world that is interconnected.

We are unable to grasp and comprehend the magnitude of our actions - as vegans we use figures such as 56 billion to illustrate the number of land animals killed each year but even we can’t fully understand the significance of this figure. So it’s no surprise it often falls on death ears, for until we are affected as individuals we lack the ability to truly appreciate the suffering of others.

It goes without saying that a person’s ability to feel empathy is the cornerstone for almost all progressive change in society. In many regards empathy is possibly the salvation for our species and that is why our current

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B R I G HT societal thinking limits as far as possible our ability to use empathy, for if we could truly position ourselves in the situations of those more disadvantaged than us we would never allow ourselves to perpetuate a system of poverty, war or human and non-human animal exploitation.

With so much at stake and a complete reimagining of our most basic values and principles needed, is it really any wonder veganism can be so hard to get across to people? Veganism is grounded in logic and objectivity, it’s better for us, the animals and the planet but up against such a hedonistic society it is often met with extreme resistance, including violence.

Stories of a vegan cafe being attacked by nationalists in Georgia is sadly an abrupt wake up call from the comfortable and ultimately dangerous echo chamber many vegans find themselves in.

We can’t allow ourselves to become content in close knit groups of like minded individuals whilst turning a blind eye to the systematic oppression that those all around us still partake in, our journey as a vegan only begins when we first make the transition and it doesn’t end until we exist in a vegan world.

So when we begin to communicate with non-vegans what are the most common reactions vegans are met with? Interestingly, guilt seems to be one of most common traits expressed, followed by a refusal to accept responsibility using lions or something equally

as disingenuous as an excuse for the artificial insemination, enslavement and slaughter of billions of animals. What is most interesting about the guilt response is that it highlights how as humans we don’t have the natural desire to hurt others. If we truly believed that slaughtering animals was acceptable then we would hold no guilt towards doing so. If we take the lion comparison that non-vegans like to use and apply it to this situation, nobody thinks that a lion feels guilty once it has killed the gazelle because true predators do not feel guilt when they kill out of necessity. Likewise, lions have no problem witnessing their prey being killed nor do they hide the truth from their cubs.

One of the most striking things about doing The Earthlings Experience or similar forms of activism is the reluctance parents have to let their children see the footage, people always exclaim “think of the children” but if eating meat was so natural and the process we use so righteous then why do we need to hide the truth from children?

We live in a mostly indifferent society, where to question these most fundamental questions is often too challenging. In fact one of the core defence mechanisms for non-vegans is denial, a denial of the suffering that trillions of animals must endure, a denial that eating animals and their secretions is destroying the planet and a denial that it is killing us as well. Essentially, if we deny there is a problem in the first place then we don’t have to do anything about it.

Furthermore, in a generation that actively

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“

CARNISM IS A RESULT OF BRAINWASHING AND THE UNWAVERING COMMITMENT OF ITS FOLLOWERS TO BLURT OUT ILLTHOUGHT-OUT COMMENTS

seeks instant gratification and convenience it is seen as an extreme to question your own morality and this is precisely why one of the other most common reactions to veganism is anger. Vegans force those that consume animals and their secretions to look at their own behaviours, it showcases how entirely unnecessary it is to kill animals because vegans prove that you don’t need to eat them to survive. Once this has been established the only reasons for consuming animals becomes entirely redundant, holding no real justification. Hence we hear animal eaters state just how much they love the taste of meat in an act of defiance against the logical and all encompassing rationale of veganism - because when it comes down to it, sensory pleasure becomes the only remaining excuse that can be used. Ironically, the foods I eat as a vegan contain more flavour and are more pleasurable to eat then any animal product I used to consume but blinded by their own conditioning and the manipulation of false advertising, non-vegans can’t understand how this could ever be the case.

To follow on from this idea of marketing it always struck me as amusing that veganism gets called a cult and that those who choose a compassionate lifestyle are often told they are brainwashed, when in reality quite the opposite is true. In many respects vegans have broken away from the obedient attitude of non-vegans, who continue to unconsciously absorb all the propaganda they are fed by the animal agriculture industries and instead have chosen to adopt a way of living that not only aligns with their morals but comes from

”

independent thought and research. Carnism is a result of brainwashing and the unwavering commitment of its followers to blurt out illthought-out comments such as “bacon” are more indicative of a cult mentality than that of a varied and diverse group of people who simply don’t want animals to be hurt for unnecessary reasons.

All this being said some reactions to veganism can be incredibly raw and empowering: often, people when introduced to the truth don’t allow their ego to intervene and react in a genuine manner, breaking down in tears, sometimes even apologising to us for their transgressions.

In a world where heartfelt emotion is frowned upon it takes a special kind of courage to cry openly and admit to your mistakes and it is the strength of these people that gives activists the strength to continue. It is the man on the underground who wrote a message on his notepad, thanking us for showing him the suffering of animals who gives me strength. It is the lady in a busy marketplace who cried over the suffering of dairy cows, exclaiming that she simply did not know, who gives me strength. But most importantly it is the knowledge that every second of every day innocent beings are being killed and the burden and responsibility that places on not only my shoulders, but the shoulders of every vegan, that gives me strength. Until every cage is empty, until all are free.

Earthling Ed (Ed Winters) is a vegan activist working to spread compassion through vegan outreach and education. earthlinged.com ™earthlinged

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SPOT THE BANANA

#SPOTTHEBANANA

T SHIRT ACTIVISM

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T SHIRTS HAVE BEEN USED AS A MEDIUM FOR PERSONAL AND POLITICAL EXPRESSION AND PROTEST THROUGHOUT RECENT HISTORY. EDITOR LAURA CALLAN LOOKS INTO THE HISTORY OF THE POLITICAL T SHIRT AND HOW VEGAN T SHIRTS HAVE BECOME A FORM OF THAT SAME EXPRESSION. T Shirts started off in 1890s with a perhaps unexpected birthplace: the US Navy. They were introduced as a thermal layer that was functional but smart enough for their strict uniform standards. The t shirt gradually moved into the mainstream, and made its screen debut in 1951. Worn iconically with blue jeans by Marlon Brando is ‘A Streetcar Named Desire,’ the white t shirt became a mainstream fashion statement.

The blank canvas of the t shirt was quickly filled by music artists of the 1960s, creating some of the best known band t shirts that are still recreated and worn to this day. It didn’t take long for political movements to join in, with the infamous Che Guevara shirt that shows no sign of going anywhere anytime soon. It’s unclear when this shirt was first created, but it was well photographed and documented in the late 1960s and has remained popular since. Ironic really, that Guevara dedicated his life to communism and anti-capitalism, yet his image has made vast amounts of money for companies selling t shirts and merchandise in the almost 50 years since his death.

In heavily-censored 1990s China, entrepreneur Kong Yong Qian had huge success with a range of ‘cultural t shirts’ with ironic and tongue-in-cheek statements.

Kong saw his work as not overtly political, but hoped different sections of the population could use the t shirts to make their own personal statement without having to talk and more importantly, without censorship. He saw it as an opportunity for like-minded individuals to have a silent dialogue and understanding, and give people an opportunity to release pent up aggression and frustrations, be they political, social or personal, through a safe and collective medium. This unspoken

conspiracy of self-expression was not well received by the Chinese authorities, who eventually declared that they were “harmful to socialist morality.” Kong was eventually detained by the authorities, who, “to prevent the dissemination of unhealthy ideological tendencies,” destroyed all his t shirts.

Katharine Hamnett has been a pioneer of ethical fashion and the political t shirt in the UK since the 1980s, with famed shirt slogans including “Choose Life,” “Use One,” and “Save The World.” In 2013 she designed two shirts for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament with the words “Education Not Trident” and “NHS Not Trident” across them. Other British designers have used the political power of the slogan t shirt, including Vivienne Westwood’s “I Am Not A Terrorist,” “Save The Arctic” and “Politicians R Criminials.”

This political fashion landscape opened the market for slogan t shirts for all beliefs, causes and expressions of personality, and veganism has become an ever-growing participant. Talking to vegans in the UK about why they wear t shirts with the word vegan or images related to veganism emblazoned across them, I have found a reasoning reminiscent of what Kong Long Qian hoped to achieve with his creations. For some, veganism is a diet or a lifestyle choice but is not definitive of their personality. For many others though, veganism is at the core of themselves, their beliefs, values and outlook on the world. Wearing something related to veganism is an extension of self-expression.

For Tim Shieff and Millee Johnson, founders of London-based vegan clothing company ETHCS, wearing clothing that shows your vegan lifestyle is all about connecting with a community.

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First on screen in 1951 film ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’

Famed Rolling Stones t shirt, created in the 1960s.

infamous Che Guevara t shirt, first seen in the late 1960s.

Katharine Hamnett’s ‘Choose Life’, 1984

“I think it goes back to community, because a lot of vegans feel so isolated, not everyone is as fortunate as us to know other vegan people.

Sometimes it is just a way of branding yourself and putting it out there, like “I’m here, and if you are a vegan or you want to talk to me about it, please do.” That sense of community and connection is there.” says Millee.

“Some people obviously use clothing like this for political reasons, but I think people who wear our clothing do so they can identify with someone else, it’s about connection.”

We are now more than ever being made aware of the unethical working conditions in clothing factories that produce the high street’s ‘fast fashion’, as well as the environmental damage it causes. This is prompting many of us to think much harder about where we spend our money. Tim Shieff believes this conscious consumerism may be at play in the growth of vegan clothing’s popularity. “I think people want to give money to a company they can trust, so that they know it’s going to the right place,” he said. “They know that we’re ethically sourcing everything, and if we’re making a living from this, then our money is going on vegan items and food. If you buy from fully vegan companies then you know that your money is only going to help other vegans.”

The statement t shirt has a long and varied history, with many intents, purposes and audiences. Whether it’s making a statement to those around you, sharing a staunch political belief, looking for belonging and community or just wearing something you think looks good, slogan t shirts are as popular a tool and accessory now as they ever have been.

And with the steady growth of veganism in the population, seems to be the growth of vegan companies and indeed, vegan t shirts.

See our gallery of some of our favourite vegan t shirts, old and new on page 18.

Join the conversation over on Instagram. Show us your favourite vegan t shirts and tell us why you choose to wear them.

Vivienne Westwood, 2005

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CHILL TIME: TIM SHIEFF Written by Laura Callan Photos by ETHCS

EDITOR’S NOTE: O N T H E S E P A G E S W E O R I G I N A L LY R A N A N I NT E RV I EW W IT H T I M S H I E F F , B UT H AV E DECIDED TO REDACT THEM AS HIS ATTITUDES A N D A CT I O N S H AV E C H A N G E D C O N S I D E R A B LY SINCE ORIGINAL PUBLICATION.

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This Spring, clothing brand Ethics and Antics was transformed into the simpler, cleaner ETHCS. Launched in 2015, the brand that started ‘V Gang’ has steadily grown, and their t shirts are a staple in many vegan wardrobes. We talked to the parkour athlete, Ninja Warrior, YouTuber, and ethical vegan clothing entrepreneur behind the brand; Tim Shieff Firstly, let’s talk about ETHCS, formerly known as Ethics and Antics…

Ethics and Antics started about a year and half ago. I saw a lot of vegan activist shirts but I never really wanted to wear something that said ‘vegan’ on it. I feel like people see it as me putting a judgement on them. People may think “Oh look at that vegan guy who thinks he’s better,” even if it’s not my intention and I’m not saying anything. So I wanted to create something that was more subtle, that was more creative. Ethics and Antics the name sort sort of summed up what we are about: being ethical doesn’t have to be boring brand. Nike can’t do that, people don’t want and straight, you can have fun and play and to wear Nike any more, that’s starting to be creative as well and that’s theI antics TH S Ppart.

A G E Hchange.

A S BThere’s E E Nstarting to be shift and once Our clothing is more fun…It’s black but the people start to realise “oh if I buy this shirt, I N T Ethan N Tjust IO N A L L Y animals L E F TareBgoing LAN slogans are more creative “vegan.” to K be protected” we’re And they’re all ethically sourced! going to have more sanctuaries pop up. In the long term we’d like to open a sanctuary What made you change to ETHCS? ourselves somewhere like the Lake District, We want to rival the big companies in this that’s the long term but for now we’ve just got industry, and to do that we wanted to simplify to focus and we have to be business-minded. the message. We are ETHCS, without an We want to be spiritual and “you don’t need ‘i’, because there’s no ‘I’ in ethics. We want money” and all that, but you’ve got to play the people wearing our clothes to be the ‘I’ the game for a bit. If you want to make big in ethics, in ETHCS. It’s up to you and the changes you’ve got to play the game. decisions you make.

How have you found seeing V Gang What’s your aim as a vegan business? develop and become it’s own thing?

The vegan community is growing and we’d Within the vegan community there’s different like to grow with that. We know there is more pockets, and the V Gang is those that are and more money coming in, especially with like the Cook Daily, a bit more trendy. They food and plant-based milk, we are seeing a don’t necessarily see themselves as activists change in the industry. We’d like to be a big who go and do all the pig saves and stuff like company and therefore change sanctuaries. that, but they still care and they still wanna We want to turn Huggletts into the most represent, you know? You could be vegetarian balling sanctuary, we can’t see it at any time and be V Gang. If your aim is veganism, that’s soon but down the line that’s what clothing your goal and you acknowledge it, you don’t companies can do. People want to represent have to be vegan to be in the V Gang. It’s the something on their chest that stands for mindset and your intentions. It’s a community something like Sea Shepherd or a vegan which is nice.

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B R I G HT What else do you do outside of ETHCS? Run. We like to run. We’re very active people.

And for me, spirituality. The real roots go much deeper then just animal agriculture and how we treat animals. That’s the root of a lot of evil in the world, that we can look at another being that can feel pain and be so indifferent to its suffering. That’s fucked up.

That we can teach kids ‘Old MacDonald had a farm’ and then we’re killing those farm animals and feeding the kids chicken. That’s really messed up. So the spiritual journey is like, “Why are we like that? Why are we so indifferent to that? And what are the other things that are going on in the world?” We recognise that this is the biggest issue; we had civil rights, we had women’s rights, we have animal rights, this isn’t the end. This is a big step of the trio and once we what do this we’ll find a whole new way new wave of treating the planet right. But there’s still other shit going on and I enjoy truth-seeking and understanding where our beliefs come from, and how my own perceptions differ from other people’s beliefs. And thinking, what’s the next question? We askedTthese H I Squestions PAG and discovered that our diet was bad, and

wrong and causing suffering. So what are the questions that we can be asking that are going to lead us to some different answers?

What are your favourite London hotspots?

Fed By Water do the best vegan carbonara and the best vegan lasagne I’ve had. Black Cat are amazing for portion sizes, price and community. And now Mooshies is a really good new community burger place. Vantra in central is one too. They just do it right!

What advice would you give to other vegan entrepreneurs, YouTubers and creative types that want to do more?

Be understanding. I think the real key is to do what works for you, do what you’re good at.

With the rebrand and a fresh start, what can we expect from ETHCS in the future?

We want to rival the big companies in this industry. Ethical clothing companies are the future, and we want to be on the top of that.

See more from ETHCS, their new look and

at N ethcs.com E Hlatest A S range BEE

™ethcs ™humantimothy

I NT E NT I O N A L LY L E FT B L A N K

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VEGAN T SHIRTS: BEST OF Picking the best vegan t shirts in a growing world of vegan merchandise was not an easy task. But here it is, our top picks of the best vegan t shirts, by vegan companies.

Think we’ve missed something amazing? Tweet or Instagram us with your favourites and we’ll add them to our online gallery. ™brightzine t brightzines

‘Vegan Ninja’

by ETHCS. ethcs.com ™ethcs .

‘Eating Animals Is Weird’

by Vegan Bros. veganworlddomination.com ™veganbros PA G E 1 8

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‘In Plants We Trust’

by BeetXBeet. beetxbeet.com ™beetxbeet .

‘Vegan Drake’

by Vegan Gamer Shop. vegangamersshop.com ™vegangamersgram .

‘Vegan Shirt’

by Veganized World. veganizedworld.com ™veganizedworld .

‘Eat What Elephants Eat’

by Crazies And Weirdos. craziesandweirdos.com ™craziesandweirdos .

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VEGAN SPORTSWEAR HITS THE UK: ETHCS SPORT As well as creating ethical vegan streetwear for the masses, ETHCS have branched out to take the sportswear world in a new, ethical direction. We spoke to founder Tim Shieff to find out more.

What can you tell us about your new sportwear range ETHCS Sport?

ETHCS is our spiritual, food, activist side, but there’s also our whole sport, athletics, being out in nature side and so this is a balancer for us. People always ask us to do running vests and stuff, and no one’s really doing the ethical sportswear yet. The demand is there. It’s easy doing activist shirts, but it’s a bit more of a commitment as a company to do something like sportswear. But we’re the team to do it.

We live that life, we’re active, we’re always out in the Lake District and places like that.

While we’re there and taking photos we want to wear a brand that’s ethical, so why not start that brand?

How have you found the process?

Everything worked. For me, I need things to balance me out, and I think this just gives me another focus. I’ve done a podcast for ETHCS, so I’m doing a training mix and workout mix for ETHCS Sport. We do supper clubs and meet ups for ETHCS, so we’ll do running clubs for ETHCS Sport. This is part of my life, so now I can bring my business there and enjoy doing both. And the key is collaboration as well. We’ve collaborated with Freet, who are a vegan shoe company. I bought a pair

of their shoes at VegFest last year and I’ve been wearing them ever since. So now we’re collaborating with them. We want to do our own stuff and collaborate with other ethical brands too. But the products don’t all have to say ‘vegan’ on them, you can just feel better knowing that your clothing is ethically sourced.

What have you released?

We launched with a tracksuit, a cotton shirt, a running hat and recovery shoes. We’re going to release a fuller athletic line soon. We’re working on a race vest, it’s a cool one too, we’ve got a good design. And that might help people who don’t run to start running. It might help people to start doing Couch to 5Ks. It might inspire them to go out do a run, to go out and do a park run. We can do meet ups at park runs with everyone and run together.

See more from ETHCS Sport and stay tuned for their full range at ethcs.com

™ethcs ™humantimothy

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“OH, SO YOU’RE VEGAN?”

How to play: Stamp each square as somebody says it to you. Fill one line for “bingo!” Fill all for a full house.

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P

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IA

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IT

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BINGO Something about canine teeth

“I only buy organic”

“What about human rights?”

“It’s tradition to eat meat”

“Local farmers look after their animals”

PROTEIN!

Something about lions killing zebras

“Your shoes are leather though”

“Plants are alive too”

“I couldn’t live without cheese”

“Bacon”

The food chain

“Cows need to be milked”

“I only buy free range eggs”

“You can’t change the world”

“What about when you step on ants?”

“Are you forcing your cat to be vegan?”

“But meat tastes good”

“Cows would overpopulate the earth”

Something about being stuck on a desert island

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Written by Adam Callan ™callanadam Photos by Vevolution / Entirety Labs In November 2016, 500 people congregated at Oval Space in East London for Vevolution, ‘a new festival bringing together game-changers in the vegan and conscious living movement’. It was an exciting and vibrant day of talks, panels, and activities around ‘Activism and Ethics; Health, Nutrition and Fitness; Inclusivity; and the Environment’.

The event covered a lot of ground. Mike Hill of One Planet Pizza, the first vegan frozen pizza concept, and his long time collaborator Phil Akilade were among the big personalities of the morning talks and covered in their amazing story of having been vegan since the 1970s a number of issues from the health

myths and truths of a vegan diet, to the difficulties of identifying as a vegan when it was an outlandish idea. Phil also shared his experiences of being both a vegan and being black leaving him with no obvious social peers.

The diversity in the room was evident throughout the day, in the topics of the discussions, the people leading them and in the audience, and one thing became increasingly clear – although the phrases ‘vegan community’ or ‘movement’ are positive and useful, everyone in the room had their own passions, beliefs, and understandings of what their diet, consumer choices, and lifestyle mean – and there isn’t one voice that speaks for all.

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There were those focused on animal welfare and saving animals’ lives, such as Natalie Cargill of sentience politics, or Clea Grady of Veganuary - and it was clear that many people in the audience were vegan because of their discovery of the horrific elements of animal agriculture, or simply that they didn’t believe an animal should have to lose its life so we can eat.

But it was also the case that there were speakers and audience members who had come to a vegan or mostlyvegan diet for health reasons, or for the environmental evidence that a plant based diet is the only sustainable way forward.

Jez Kaur, ‘the hipster veggie’ explained on one panel at Vevolution that she has seen a vegan diet help specific health ailments within her South Asian community, and has become a very vocal advocate for the diet. However, for her it’s not 100% about animal welfare and so if there is a product, like honey, which she believes is medicinal and helpful, she will use it and encourage others to. Honey is traditionally a medicinal food in the Ayurvedic tradition of South Asia and since she sees it help her community, she sees it as an important part of their diet. Jez also said that as she became more aware of the issues around animal welfare it was possible that this is something that could change, but her priority at this point was the health of her community. It felt important that we heard Jez’s story, to know that not everyone is vegan for the same reasons, and really anyone’s approach is helpful and valid and should be seen in context.

During the same panel, one audience member raised their hand and spoke about the issue that although she was now a vegetarian she felt a lot of

pressure and was almost intimidated by some of the vegan community who took a very black and white approach - either you understand all the issues and you adhere to a 100% vegan diet, or you are not worthy.

This particular issue was also raised during Serena Lee’s panel, the founder of Vegans of LDN, who was a strong advocate for finding ways to make people think about your point of view positively, instead of making someone feel bad or stupid with negative messaging. For example, if someone is already making an effort in one direction, perhaps to eat more healthily, show them the full benefits of a vegan diet and let them make up their own mind.

It was great to get these kinds of issues out in the open, and hopefully for everyone to see that the ‘vegan community’ is not homogenous, and we all need to make room for as many different approaches as there are people, while being mindful that all our goals are interconnected - creating the healthiest, the kindest and the most sustainable systems we can while we are on this planet - and everyone’s interests and passions start at a different point on that axis.

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VEVOLUTION X BRIGHT ZINE We were very happy to be invited to hold a workshop at Vevolution, and decided to look at the very basis the festival was founded on.

Vevolution is the ‘veganism and conscious living festival,’ so we asked people what that statement meant to them.

We went back to our classic zine roots and made zine pages with classic cutting, sticking, drawing and writing from the heart, and the results were truly inspiring.

So here it is, a special edition gallery of what happened when we asked Vevolution-goers,

By Marek™spokomaro84

“What does veganism and conscious living mean to you?”

By Charlotte™welshveganfitnessblogger

By Mers Flores

By Anonymous

By Laura Callanâ„¢lauralollipop

By Sarah Club

By Shani & Lex™folkyqueer™6aiws

By Anonymous

By Roxane Dewar™roxane_dewar

By Shani & Lex™folkyqueer / 6aiws

By Anonymous

By Monika™meluzyna84

By Becky™becky.tong

By Tamsin Callan™tamsinrose

By Jane & Eddie Murphy

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RESCUE ETIQUETTE HOW TO BEHAVE AT AN ANIMAL SANCTUARY: DOS & DON’TS Visiting an animal sanctuary is a beautiful experience that we cannot recommend enough.

Everyone should spend time with animals, not only getting to experience what they are like in a more natural and free environment and getting to know their personalities, but also helping to care for them. It’s important for all people in our society to see what these animals’ lives can be like when they are saved from animal agriculture and able to live out more natural lives.

We can however, get a little excited and carried away when met with our beloved animals, putting our needs before theirs. So here’s a short guide to animal sanctuary etiquette, and how to appreciate the animals without taking anything away from them.

DO: Remember that this is their home.

As excited as you are to visit, you are a guest here, respect the animals’ space and autonomy.

DON’T: Expect the animals to behave in any way other than they do naturally. They are here to live their lives, not for your purpose.

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DO: Spend time watching the animals, interacting with them appropriately and talking to the staff at the sanctuary about them and the lives they lead there.

DON’T: Chase sheep around their field trying to get a video for your Snapchat story.

Sheep don’t care about your Snapchat story.

DO: Take pictures of the sanctuary and the animals for yourself, to share with your friends and families, and on social media to promote the sanctuary.

DON’T: Use the animals as props or furniture to lean against. Remember, autonomy!

DO: Take part in feeding time, as well as any other jobs around the sanctuary that need a helping hand. Running a sanctuary involves a lot of work around the animals, see what you can do to help.

DON’T: Feed any of the animals unless you’ve been told it’s okay to. Also avoid setting up a picnic in the middle of the animals’ garden, your food won’t last long!

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UK SANCTUARIES SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL RESCUE

All teasing aside, everyone should take time out of their busy lives and get themselves down to an animal sanctuary. Whether you have time to volunteer on a regular basis or can just visit a couple of times a year, every little bit of physical help, social media attention, money and donations helps the animals directly. For you, it is enjoyable and enriching to spend time with animals, and it’s a great day out to take non-vegans along with you too.

If you can’t visit but still want to help, sanctuaries accept donations, animal sponsorships and you can always help by spreading awareness of them on social media for others to see.

F.R.I.E.N.D. Animal Rescue 89 Bush Road, East Peckham, Tonbridge friendanimalrescue.org.uk ™friend.rescue.fanpage F friendanimalrescue Hugletts Wood Farm Animal Sanctuary Hugletts Wood Farm, Dallington, East Sussex F Huglettswoodfarm Brook Farm Animal Sanctuary Brooks Rd, Raunds, Wellingborough brook-farm.org.uk F brookfarm2005 The Farm Animal Sanctuary Manor Orchard Farm, School Lane, Middle Littleton, Evesham, Worcestershire thefarmanimalsanctuary.co.uk F FarmAnimalSanctuary Hillside Animal Sanctuary Hall Lane Frettenham Norwich hillside.org.uk F HillsideAnimalSanctuary

For more on animal sanctuaries and what you can do to help, see our UK animal rescue directory on the website. brightzine.co PA G E 3 2

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INSTA HEROES

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KING’S EMPIRE GROWS Written by Laura Callan Photo by King Cookdaily If you’re a vegan in London or the UK, then you should already know all about Cookdaily.

2016 was a big year for King Cookdaily, with ongoing success in his Shoredtich eateries Cookdaily and Home, launching his own signature sauces and feeding Stella McCartney’s team, it’s been a busy one. Spreading to South London, the second Cookdaily opened up in Boxpark Croydon in November to an instant following as dedicated as those in Shoreditch. And 2017 certainly hasn’t seen things slow down. King told his Instagram followers in April that he was closing down his Shoreditch eateries, causing a short-lived panic before he announced he would be relaunching with a much larger unit in Boxpark.

We caught up with King to see how he’s found the continuing growth of his company and what we can expect to see from the vegan food empire next.

How was 2016 for you and Cookdaily?

2016 was a massive year for the team and I and the vegan scene all over!! I’ve kicked down the doors and disrupted the catering industry in a big way by feeding the people and being myself and now you can find vegan places popping up left, right and centre with a similar style and mentality.

Your empire is growing, what can you tell us about your new unit opening at Boxpark Shoreditch in June?

It’s going to be another Game Changer!!

As you know world cuisines and food culture is my thing!! I’m relocating to a more personal and bigger space, I will create a proper multicultural eating culture here in London that happens to be fuelled and driven by veganism and my love for southeast Asian food culture.

So you can expect a bigger menu, Vegan meet-ups, events and collaborations! It’s going to be fire Last year you opened Cookdaily Croydon, how has the response been in South London?

We are smashing it here at Boxpark Croydon not just for vegan grub but for good food in general! My cousin Junior from Paris is the Head Chef at Cookdaily Croydon. The kitchen here is more spacious so it gives the cooks and I more room to express ourselves.. Whether it being new menu ideas or just having fun with staff meals. The menu here consist of a mixture between #Cookdaily and #Home of Boxpark Shoreditch with a couple of exclusive bowls inspired

by Jamaica and the Philippines. The response from the locals have been very warming.

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You’ve hinted at spreading the Cookdaily brand across London, is this a plan for the future?

I would love to have CookDaily’s all over the capital but realistically I think my ‘brand’ and concept is too personal for it to be the next Vegan franchise!! I’ve had big corporations approach me regarding #COOKDAILY. I refuse to compromise on the concept and vision that I have!!

For most of my career I’ve followed a set of catering rules that doesn’t serve me anymore. Right now I’ve got to a level where I’m free to express myself in a way that I never thought I could in this game! I really don’t give a shit about all that fancy meat eating crap anymore! I’m

connecting with the people!! It’s more than food!! That’s what’s up What can we expect to see you up to in the rest of 2017?

Working on my COOKBOOK and Winning Professional Master Chef with shit loads of kale!!

Treat yourself to a bowl of Cookdaily’s vegan goodness at Boxpark Croydon, and at his new unit in Boxpark Shoreditch from June 2017.

Cookdaily, Unit 27 Boxpark, 99 George Street, Croydon CR0 1LD cookdaily.co.uk ™kingcookdaily

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A VEGAN QUEEN

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COOL SHIT

- PLACE Did somebody say “vegan croissants?”

The Fields Beneath in Kentish Town, North West London gave up animal products this year and went 100% vegan. I don’t know about you but I love croissants. If anyone ever asks you the usual “What do you miss?” question, the answer is croissants.

And now I don’t need to. A croissant and an Oatly milk latte = breakfast for vegan queens (and kings).

™fieldsbeneath

- SHOES -

- APP -

Stella McCartney and Adidas have teamed up with Parley and their Ocean Plastic Program to create this buff shoe made from recycled ocean plastic. Yes, it’s another pair of white shoes but I like them a lot and you should too because they’re made from plastic packaging and bottles that are filling the ocean. Parley clear plastic from our oceans and with eco innovation turn it into yarn to make fabric for a range of industries.

These shoes are £169 and you’re helping to clear the ocean.

Buddhify is a mindfulness app that helps you fit short meditations into your day no matter how busy you are. If you can get past the name, it’s a pretty good app with easy meditations you can do at any time.

Mindfulness has been proven to help anxiety and stress, and Buddhify helps to make meditation sort of effortless. If you’re like me and have zero focus and find meditation really hard, this is the app for you.

#fortheoceans stellamccartney.co.uk

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buddhify.com

™buddhifyapp

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COOL SHIT CURATOR TAMSIN CALLAN BRINGS YOU THE BEST VEGAN FINDS THIS ISSUE. YOU’RE WELCOME.

- FACE I like coffee so much I like to cover my face in it. This face mask and scrub will wake your face the fuck up with rich coffee smelling goodness, while your skin gets a good scrub and moisturise in one.

Use it and you feel like you have a new face. lush.com

™lush

- FILM 100 Women I Know is a short docu-film telling honest personal accounts of rape, sexual assault and harassment from real young women. This is an important subject that needs coverage, and to be spoken about truthfully and frankly.

The short documentary film

by Phoebe Montague, Grace Campbell and Edie Amos (Disgracefool Productions) sheds an important light on the experiences of 100 young women, working to lift the taboo of talking about sexual assault. #endrapeculture #smashthepatriarchy 100womeniknow.com

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-EATYou need to eat this. It’s called Cashew Caramello.

You need to buy one and eat it with a spoon out of the jar. Go and order a jar now.

Stop reading this and go and order one. Seriously, why are you still here? almightyfoods.co.uk

™almighty_foods

MEET EAST LONDON’S NEW VEGAN BAKERY Hold onto your sweet cravings... VIDA Bakery have arrived and are here to stay with their very own bakery in Shoreditch. Their beautiful cafe is 100% vegan, gluten free and delicious.

We caught up with Dani and Vane to find out all about VIDA Bakery.

Can you tell us a little about yourselves and VIDA Bakery?

Dani: We are both from Venezuela, we came to the UK about 8 years ago to study, and VIDA Bakery, is our little baby!

Vane: Dani baked so many cakes and pancakes and became very good, and I remember her going to events and winning prizes for her recipes. She always had amazing feedback and I believe her personality helped her to connect with people, I thought, “why don’t we make her and her products available to more people?” And we came up with VIDA Bakery, a place full of vegan sweetness.

What was your own personal vegan journey like?

Vane: I first tried a vegan diet in January 2015 for a year. I didn’t struggle at any

point, and it felt great. I did it for the whole year, then went back to eating everything for a few months, but I missed the simplicity of a vegan diet. So I went back to it in summer 2016. I consider myself a vegan wannabe, but I don’t think I deserve to be called ‘vegan’, not because I don’t stand for what vegans stand for, but because I believe vegans are truly spiritual people, with a real connection between mind and heart, and I think that is something not everyone can achieve.

Dani: I became vegan when I was 16, after my beloved dog passed. At that time I was living with my grandparents and my grandma kept serving me fish, I tried to explain her what veganism was but then she’d say, “It’s okay, it’s only a little fish.”

But when I moved to Brighton everything transformed, I was the happiest girl in the planet. I am 27 now, and I have never felt more grateful. As Vane said, veganism is a connection between the heart and the mind and the things you can achieve by being a little bit more compassionate and kind are simply astonishing. As a teenager I became vegan because it felt

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right, but as an adult I will continue to be vegan because I truly feel responsible for the most vulnerable humans and animals and I consider this is a way of taking some kind of action.

When did you first start baking?

Dani: Even though London has a lot to offer, the search for the perfect vegan cake was exhausting so I tried to make them myself. I started out making brownies with beans and cakes with beetroot and sweet potato but they were not quite hitting the spot of my family and friends, so I started studying the science behind traditional baking and tried to ‘veganise’ classic recipes. That was when everything changed. My passion was so intense that I convinced my parents to fly me to New York so I could study at the Natural Gourmet Institute, where I had the opportunity to be taught by the one and only Fran Costigan. a

woman pioneer in the vegan scene.

Your first shop opened at the end of 2016, what can you tell us about it and how it’s been going?

Dani: A dream come true. When we first opened the door we had no idea who the hell was going to come in, but to date we have had the pleasure to serve more than 2000 people and have baked over 4000 cupcakes, cookies, cakes, brownies, tarts and cinnamon buns. We cannot be any more humbled by the support of our amazing followers and the growing vegan community; it is still hard to believe that we are part of this wonderful lifestyle revolution.

Vane: We will be forever grateful for every single smile, hug, bit of feedback and good vibes. It is incredible how in just a few months we have seen so many people come back, and we have created so many new friendships.

Do you have a signature taste or cakes in the store? Or a favourite?

Dani: Our signature is the Double Chocolate cupcake that has VIDA written on it. ‘Vida’ means life in Spanish, and for me that is what veganism encompasses.

What do you think of the London vegan scene at the moment?

Vane: I think 2017 is going to be a huge year for the vegan scene. There are already so many talented people out there doing great vegan things, I can see places like Cookdaily and Temple of Seitan growing and expanding. And I think some other smaller but amazing vegan places will make a move to go bigger. Personally, I believe the demand for vegan options will increase, and that will push us to keep creating more and more wonderful vegan food.

Dani: The vegan scene is growing rapidly and so is the demand for vegan treats.

Walk around Brick Lane when you’re hungry and you have the choice to eat at wonderful places like Mooshies, Peanut Butter Bakery, Pomodoro e Basilico, Cookdaily, Home, What The Pitta and many more to come.

What are your plans for Vida Bakery in 2017?

Vane: We are finishing our pop-up shop at Cheshire St. soon and opening a brand new shop in Brick Lane. As a vegan business owner, I feel the responsibility of making vegan options easier, quicker, more available and more convenient, not only to vegans but to everyone. One of our objectives as a company is to bring down the myth that “being vegan is difficult,” a nd o ne o f t he w ays t o t ackle that is by offering people delicious, affordable and simple options. We don’t want to spoil anything, this is going to be a surprise gift for the vegan community and new options for everyone wanting to try how tasty a vegan diet can be.

VIDA Bakery serve vegan and glutenfree sweets and hot drinks, but stay tuned for their growing product range. Visit their pop up in Cheshire St, and stay tuned for their new store opening later this year.

Vida Bakery, 16 Cheshire St, E2 6EH. Open 1pm-8pm Tuesday to Sunday. vidafood.co.uk ™t F vidabakery

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B R I G HT “Koi Babe” by Roxane Dewar roxanedewar.co.uk

™roxane_dewar .

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SEE YOU NEXT TIME JOIN US IN ISSUE THREE FOR: VEGANS, LET’S TALK BODIES IS THERE AN ANIMAL HIERARCHY? THE FUTURE OF ETHICAL FASHION & MUCH MORE UNTIL THEN, KEEP IN TOUCH B R I G HT Z I N E .C O

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Treasure me. Keep me on your coffee table. And when you’re done with me, give me to a friend, leave me in a cafe or in a library, or recycle me.

Bright Zine

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