About me

Hi, I’m Jack and I’m a freelance copywriter and features writer based in Yorkshire. I mostly write about technology, science, health and business but I also cover the weirder edges of music and internet culture. My work has appeared in the Guardian, Observer, WIRED UK and Japan, easyJet Traveller, Atlas (Etihad Magazine), BBC, Narrative.ly, OneZero, Mixmag, Dazed and more. This includes several front page stories for ​the Guardian​, the Guardian G2 supplement​ and Mixmag. I have worked for numerous organisations and brands as a copywriter, including Sony, Warner Bros. Entertainment and more. I have also worked and travelled overseas as an on the ground reporter, covering stories in Tokyo, Marrakech, Naples, Paris, Johannesburg and Brussels. Email me: Jneedham303@gmail.com

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Projects

• 5

  A $50m danger-filled restorationAfter Mosul’s iconic al-Nuri mosque was destroyed by IS, Unesco took on the task of rebuilding it. But this meant overcoming technological barriers and life-threatening challenges.
• ITALIAN PRIDE: WE MET THE NEW SCHOOL OF ITALO DISCO IN NAPLESTravelling to Naples via plane, train, 80mph taxi and a good walk I went in search of the new school of Italo Disco. By Jack Needham for Mixmag - mixmag.net/feature/naples-report
• 1

  HIGHS AND LOWS: A SUCCESSFUL CAREER IN DANCE MUSIC ISN'T AS EASY AS YOU THINKSpeaking with Gorgon City, Skream, Uffie, Hervé, Riton and more, DJs and musicians tell us what happens when the hype dies or becomes too overwhelming. By Jack Needham for Mixmag - www.mixmag.net/feature/highs-and-lows-a-successful-career-in-dance-music-isnt-as-easy-as-you-think
• 2

  Inside the utopian, brick-loving world of LEGO's adult fandom60 years after its invention, the Adult Fans of LEGO community – or AFOL for short – retains a healthy obsession with the humble brick… even if it means buying a second home to display your 4,000-set collection By Jack Needham for Wired UK - www.wired.co.uk/article/lego-60-anniversary-afol-community-adult-lego-fans
• The Pain and Pride of Britain’s Wildest BallgameEvery Shrove Tuesday, the entire town of Ashbourne erupts in a brutal football match where almost anything goes and the rare glory of scoring a goal is savored for generations. Jack Needham for Narrative.ly - narrative.ly/britains-dangerous-game
• Following the Hippie Trail: How Psychedelia Crept Onto the DancefloorThe influence of the Hippie Trail on dance music, by Jack Needham for Bandcamp daily.bandcamp.com/2018/02/15/psychedelia-dance-list/

Work history

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Freelance JournalistFreelance
Mar 2014London, United KingdomFreelance
From 2014 I've been a freelance culture, music, tech and human interest journalist that since September 2016 has become my full-time occupation. I spend my life writing about all that I find interesting, from Manchester's obsession with Jamaican sound system culture to music in the USSR. Yes, I mostly write about music, but I also delve into how noise pollution makes fish bad parents and the rise of the human cyborgs for Wired UK, and the story behind Britain's most brutal ball game for Narrative.ly. I'm a copywriter for major labels too, avoiding words like 'ethereal' and making artist Facebook bios glisten.
Assistant Talent BuyerFestival Republic
Feb 2016 - Sep 2016London, United KingdomFreelance
I helped book bands and DJs, negotiating artist contracts, planning announcements and managing things behind the scenes for Reading & Leeds Festival and Latitude Festival.

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Skills

• Events
• Marketing PR
• Music
• Journalism
• Sound Design
• Audio Engineering
• Creative Event
• Festival
• Live Event
• Venue Management
• Promotion
• Event Experiential Campaign Direction
• Music Journalism
• Content
• Blog Content
• Writing

Education

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BSc First Class Honours in Multimedia TechnologyThe University of Salford
Sep 2010 - Apr 2013Manchester, United Kingdom