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We are happy to announce Founder of the It's OKAY Project, Sara Prinsloo, will be joining a panel of guest at Coventry Zine Festival to talk all things Zines!
Exploring the Creativity Behind Zines – a Panel Discussion
Join Coventry University for a dynamic panel discussion; exploring the history of zines and how they have shaped the City of Coventry, whilst also looking into the creativity behind each zine and how they play a vital role in today’s society, by communicating important messages and translating untold stories. Sitting on the panel are artists, Zine enthusiasts and Zine owners. Offering insight into the creative process and their expertise into the industry. There will be an opportunity to ask questions at the end of the session. See the full line up of speakers below.
Date: 10th August 2.00pm - 3.00pm Price: Free booking required Location: Virtual online - zoom
Ioana Simion - Artizine UK
Ioana Simion is a visual creative and arts facilitator, who believes creativity and play are essential for self-development. Ioana started Artizine UK in 2019, as a platform aiming to connect communities together through zine-making. Since then, she’s been collaborating with artists, not for profits and galleries to facilitate zine workshops, inviting individuals to celebrate the joy of art-making and the process behind it.
Lyndsey Green
My illustrations are inspired by my passion for animals and conservation, and also my love of fantasy and mythical creatures. I studied Illustration with Animation at the Manchester School of Art, which is where I first discovered zines. I took a book making workshop which really ignited my love for making little zines by hand. After I graduated in 2012 I opened an online shop and started making my own zines, the first of which was the Tiny Book of Bunny Behaviour! I was a new bun-mum and was very keen to help promote proper care of rabbits, as they are so often neglected. My favourite zine that I have created is the Jackalopia, a fictional guide to the different species of jackalope that I created that live all around the world. I’d love to turn this one into a full book one day!
Sara Prinsloo - illustrator, Sculptor and Founder of the It’s OKAY Project
Sara has a wealth of experience in the artistic field, achieving a BA and MA in Fine Art & Illustration. Sara’s creative knowledge has been used to deliver not just her own work, as a freelance artist, but also a personal project presenting the work of others in the form of a Zine. The It’s OKAY Zine was born in 2020 as a not-for-profit publication displaying creative work in many formats, alongside written accounts of mental wellbeing experiences. The aim is to produce an alternative, creative intervention, breaking stigmas surrounding mental health in modern society.
“It’s a way to offer others a platform to discuss their own mental wellbeing in a safe environment, as well as a celebration of all things creative! We have creatives in all forms, from all over the world and most importantly we work to build a community of like minded people and help others feel less alone.”
Alan Rider is a musician and editor of iconic 1980s Coventry post-punk fanzine Adventures in Reality.
He also co-edited 1980s Coventry Agit-Zine Not The Jobhunter, produced one off Coventry fanzines Certain Substances, Sticky Fingers, and Negative Response as well as contributing regularly to national music publications including Spiral Scratch and NME. Alan and Adventures in Reality were featured in the 1983 Channel 4 documentary ‘Enough is Enough’.
Adventures in Reality has featured in Professor Teal Triggs (Royal College of Art) book Fanzines (2010, Thames and Hudson), The Art of Punk (Russ Bestley , Alex Ogg, Omnibus Press 2012), and 2017 anthology And All Around Was Darkness, the third of the Tales from the Punkside series of books on anarchist punk culture. He has also lectured on punk fanzines to Graphics undergrads at the Norwich University of the Arts (see Youtube video here).
Alan is the author of the recently published book Adventures in Reality – The Complete Collection (Fourth Dimension, 2021) and is currently writing and recording music for new projects and completing a new book on Coventry punk fanzines 1979-1985, featuring in excess of 50 titles published over that period during the punk fanzine ‘heyday’.
Aaron Ashmore Owner of three Coventry-based businesses; Etch & Pin, Watches For Weddings and Zapped Marketing. Winner of ‘Role Model of the Year’ at the Midlands Business Awards, Aaron is focussed on promoting the best of the city, most recently releasing a series of Coventry children’s books and founding a free graduate mentoring programme.