WORKSHOP: Fold, cut, and stitch #01: An intro to zines and instant books

What we know today as zines started by being called fanzines. A descendant of the magazine, fanzines were small publications on niche subjects, directed at small groups of fans. Throughout the decades zines served many purposes from bringing together sci-fi fans to fighting for civil rights, assuming whichever format they needed in order to become an effective vessel for anything a small group of people wanted to communicate.

Starting with a brief overview of the history and context of zines, we will look at all small publications and their formats, allowing you to understand the medium and its relation to the message. In the workshop you’ll learn how to make 6 models of instant books – including the basic, the accordions, and infinite cards – test them out, and create your own little books, exploring whichever themes and techniques you prefer.
This workshop is part one of the two independent publishing formats workshops. It works both by itself, and as an introduction to the second workshop, where we’ll explore additional bookbinding techniques and mixed-media practices.

The possibilities are endless: in the words of E. K. Smith, “Books are containers. They hold things: pictures, words, information. What will your book contain?”

About Daniela:

Daniela Gonçalves (1993) is a Portuguese maker of colourful things.
She has a bachelor’s degree in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon (FBAUL) and a Masters in Editorial Design from the Polytechnic Institute of Tomar (IPT), specialised in book design. She is currently undertaking her Doctorate in Artistic Education (a joint venture between FBAUL and the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon), leading a research project on illustration and its artist-teachers in portuguese universities.
She is a mixed media illustrator, whose personal and freelance work ranges from traditional to digital media. She works mostly with gouache, oil-based pencils and collage.
She teaches workshops and college classes on instant books, bookbinding, and Illustration. Her main goal as a teacher is the development of practices and the creation of spaces in which adults may allow themselves to play and create, as freely as children do.

Collage Working Club (CWC) is a weekly open workspace for artists working in the medium of paper. Organised in the format of alternate ‘drop in’ sessions and workshops masterclasses, it has both a regular facilitator, whilst also involving the artist community in the sharing of knowledge and skills. Providing materials, education and connections is the primary aim of CWC, and it will do this through the interdisciplinary art of collage as both an art form and a tool for personal growth.

O Collage Working Club (CWC) é um espaço de trabalho semanal aberto a artistas que trabalham com o suporte papel. Organizado no formato de sessões alternadas e masterclasses, tem um facilitador regular, ao mesmo tempo que envolve a comunidade de artistas na partilha de conhecimentos e competências.
Fornecer materiais, educação e ligações é o principal objetivo do CWC, e fá-lo-á através da interdisciplinaridade da colagem como uma forma de arte e uma ferramenta para o crescimento pessoal.

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