Children of the Revolution: Folklore Zine Workshop
Unleash Your Inner Zine-Maker!
Join us for an inspiring and hands-on creative zine workshop for writers and folklore fans where you'll learn the art of zine-making and create your very own folkzine. Whether you're a seasoned folkloristor just starting out, this workshop is the perfect space to explore your creativity, share folk stories, myths and legends (new and old), and connect with like-minded individuals.
A zine, short for "magazine" or "fanzine," originated in the 1960s music culture when passionate fans produced unofficial magazines about their favourite bands. In the 80s and 90s, as counterculture music grew more politicized, zines followed suit and have a rich history of being used for activism and advocacy. They allow creators to address social, political, and environmental issues, raising awareness and inspiring action. Nowadays, while zines can be political, this is just one aspect of their diverse nature. They can be funny, reflective, or even modern chapbooks aka poetry zines. Incorporating elements from cartoons and comic books, some zines resemble artist books, while others remain closely tied to the grassroots music scene.
The Papercut Library, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Whatever kind of zine you want to create, these handheld bundles of creativity and power provide a platform for voices that might otherwise be marginalized or underrepresented in mainstream media and are the perfect form for folk counter culture. They allow creators to share unique perspectives and experiences, offering total artistic and editorial control. Creators can experiment with different styles, formats, and content without the constraints typically found in traditional publishing. What’s more, creating and distributing zines is relatively low-cost, making them accessible to a wide range of people, fostering a sense of community among the like-minded. They often serve as a means for people to connect, collaborate, and support each other's creative endeavours.
Perhaps one of the most exciting things about zines is that they capture and preserve the culture and subcultures of their time. They serve as a historical record of individual lives, alternative movements, artistic expressions, and grassroots initiatives. In a world where digital media dominates, zines offer a tangible, hands-on experience and record of the moment that feels intimate and personal.
You should have a think in advance about the sort of zine you'd like to make and bring some writing and ideas that you can elaborate on in the workshop. Our theme is folklore, contemporary and historical, so take that as your jumping off point.
If you’re a poet, bring some poems that you can publish together in the zine – perhaps on a similar theme; likewise flash fiction, creative nonfiction, a fragmentary essay, short story …. You get the picture!
While we will use images, shape, colour, etc. in the workshop, we will be foregrounding WORDS.
Feel free to bring your own materials to make your zine with (pens, pencils, collage supplies, papers) and we’ll also supply some for you. We will also bring some source material from the archives of Gloucestershire folk tales to help inspire you.
We’ll explore collaging, using zines as storytelling machines, expressing your unique voice; we’ll get hands on with layout and design and share ideas and collaborate with fellow zine enthusiasts.
No prior experience is necessary for this workshop - just bring your creative spirit!
By the end of the morning you will have at least one zine to take away … and reproduce.
Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot today. Let's make something amaZINE together!
Date: Friday 2nd May 2025, 10am - 12.30pm
Venue: Studio (2nd floor), Subscription Rooms, George St., Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1AE. This venue is fully accessible and a lift is available to the second floor Studio space where we’ll be holding our workshop.
Cost: £30
Tutor: JLM Morton
Winner of the Laurie Lee, Geoffrey Dearmer and Poetry Archive Worldview prizes, JLM Morton’s work has been published in Poetry Review, The London Magazine, Rialto, Poetry Birmingham, Magma and elsewhere. Lake 32 was her debut pamphlet about a year in the life of a lake (Yew Tree Press, 2020). Juliette is currently poet in residence at Sladebank Woods, a semi-urban woodland sandwiched between a housing estate and the ‘National Landscape’ of the Cotswold Hills. Her first collection, Red Handed, is a Poetry Society Book of the Year, out now with Broken Sleep (2024).
Juliette has more than 20 years’ experience facilitating workshops with adult learners and is the Co-Director of Dialect.
