Much of this issue is about the impact of the creative process, and the ever-important exchange of ideas. Definitions must be broken, the mould must be shattered, and an exploration of new possibilities must take place. It’s important to keep your mind wide open; this becomes the moment of opportunity. It’s a time of great freedom.

In art, we look at non-conformist Soviet art from the 1980s, opening later this month at Haunch of Venison, London. The venerable performance artist, Marina Abramović discusses her new show, The Artist Is Present, which recently opened at MoMa. Stuart Semple looks at popular culture and the aesthetic discourse in his new show, The Happy House. While, in Toronto, CONTACT, the world’s largest festival of photography puts McLuhan’s theories to the test.

In film, Yorgos Lathimos speaks candidly about his provocative new work, Dogtooth and the Artists Cinema Project playfully subverts mainstream cinema. In music, the film soundtrack can take a band to the top, but what’s the overall impact? The Postmarks chat about experimentation through the ultimate musical narrative. Writer, Andrew Porter, tells us why the short story is not dead, while Justine Kilkerr looks at fact and fantasy in her debut, Advice for Strays. And finally, Rufus Wainwright speaks about the decisive crossover from Pop to opera, with Prima Donna opening later this month.

This issue is about experimentation, but within the wider social context. There’s enough creativity flowing from these pages to inspire you for months.