Playground 3
Delivered to Stack subscribers in May 2025

by Steve Watson in June 2025

A bright and sunny magazine, Playground showcases inspiring people working across the creative industries. Published between Vilnius and Stockholm, it has a northeastern European identity, but it reaches out to include people and organisations from across the continent.

Caption reads, “Book sniffers!”

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Name
Auste Skrupskyte Cullbrand

Job title
Editor-in-chief & Creative Director, Playground

What is Playground?
Playground is the magazine that dares to explore, question, and re-envision the creative industries. Through thought-provoking essays, reports, and bold, honest conversations, it’s where curiosity meets play and inspiration. Packed full of smart insights and egoless advice, Playground is a must-read for those working in, or curious about, Europe’s vibrant creative and cultural sectors.

What makes it different to the rest?
The goal of Playground has been to really get under the skin of the community – to put the ego aside (go against the internet’s show-off culture) and try to capture the raw conversations and observations you only get with friends in a bar. I think that feeling of “Yes, thanks for saying that!” is what we’re looking for. Seeing patterns evolve, reacting to them, having an opinion – a stand – and inviting others to engage with it.

Who makes Playground?
A bunch of people! Nino, Emilija, Sophie, Mykolas, Deimantė. Initially, I started this game of ours and initiate each issue – then we all have a role to play, adding and contributing in our own way. For me, a magazine is a community project. Besides the team, we activate many contributors around each issue too – they all make Playground what it is today.

Who reads it?
People working in – or curious about – culture and the creative industries!

Why do you work in magazines?
I think it’s a mix of being a huge fan of magazines – their creativity and format – an old dream of becoming a journalist, and the kind of work I do. I’ve been working with content, creative projects, and storytelling in one shape or another for as long as I can remember. Publishing, and magazines especially, feel like the golden spot where my skillset meets something I’m deeply passionate about.

Aside from the magazine, what else are you involved in?
I also founded and run Stockholm-Vilnius-based studio playground. Aside from publishing, we also function as a strategy studio and creative network – where we support brands, projects and businesses with strategy-first thinking that helps them play the long game through strategic communication, storytelling, and marketing investments. Loads of fun here – we work on rebrands and strategies, but also exhibitions, and for some even print projects too!

What would you change about Playground if you could?
Tough question! On one hand, there’s always something you want to change. On the other, I’m so proud of what we’ve achieved with the resources (and remote team!) we have. In general, I’d love it to find and serve the role it deserves in the life of the creative community. The main goal is for the magazine to be used and read – not just sit on a table for decoration (we don’t mind that either, but we’re happy to see ruined corners and dirty fingerprints). So we’ll keep changing and playing around with this title until it really feels like it’s doing something and playing a role in people’s lives. I’m also very keen – and curious – to make it succeed commercially, so we can pay everyone contributing the rate they deserve. That’s an ultimate need within the creative industries.

Where do you see Playground in five years?
That’s a great follow-up. And again – on one hand, a self-sustained business that fulfils its full potential with a happy team and contributors. On the other, a platform that gathers, celebrates, and tells the stories of creatives challenging industry norms and using creativity for the good of everyone. A playground for others’ playgrounds.

I also hope we can work not only with storytelling as a tool, but also with research and analysis – really driving knowledge and conversations around the creative industries from different points of view. I hope we build a network and community that brings interesting stories to the forefront too – so we’re not building a magazine within or for the bubble only. Every issue should come with an element of surprise – like a good play. So many things. We play, we learn, and we see what happens!