DAY 1

Elisa from Pangaea (a collective based in Den Haag currently working on a publication about collectivity in the field design, architecture and art) and Lu from Not Just a Collective (a publishing practice collective based in Arnhem dedicated to promoting accessibility and community) are excited to host a talk during zine camp 2023.

Elisa and Lu facilitate a conversation between different collectives to discover and reflect on the different shades of what working together means and implies. They aim to explore the notion of "authorship" within collective projects and delve into the advantages and drawbacks of being “officially registered”. If collectivity seems to be the answer, what is the question? How can we work together in this individualistic world?

This interactive discussion, spanning approximately an hour and a half, will unfold through a series of questions and small ‘exercises’ that touch upon various themes. Their objective is to provide a platform where to exchange collective strategies, share poignant stories, and address common challenges, extending an invitation to all participating collectives at zine camp, as well as other like-minded groups or individuals interested in the concept of collectivity, to join them in this enriching discourse.

The talk will be informed by their personal experiences, the experiences of the participating collectives and it will be enriched by the research Pangaea has undertaken over the past year for their forthcoming publication on collectivity. As a meaningful conclusion to the conversation, each collective is invited to conjure a metaphor that best encapsulates their collaborative approach. Together a “cookbook of metaphors” is created for collectives that will also inform Pangaea’s ongoing publication.

In his talk, Hamja Ahsan from Shy Radicals explains how Neurodiversity in DIY and zine culture unsettle existing languages of power, inclusion, accessibility, diversity and equality. The presentation explores the new presence of Neurodiverse identifications - Autism, ADHD, Bipolar, Dyspraxia - in DIY and zine subcultures, across the UK and internationally. How does the attitude of this subculture resisting bureaucracy and technocrat mirror itself in the style and formats of zine culture? How Neurodivergent zine creators as a way of subvert knowledge-power axis. How did Hamja Ahsan the Festival DIY Cultures festival (2013-2017) form new alliances and coalitions? How can we make cultural spaces more inclusive? How were theatre formats such as the long table readapted for neurodiversity? Hamja will reference how his Shy Radicals film & book & Vote Aspergistan art project grew out of Zine cultures.

Maya Strobbe/ RAMSDAM recently published a book called BAD IDEAS. It's a book about failure. Maya will introduce herself to all standholders on the 4th of November during Zine Camp and ask about their failures in bookmaking. "I'm sure every publisher will be able to point out mistakes in their books, hidden in plain sight". These collected stories of failure will be the base of a casual presentation the next day.

Students from the Piet Zwart Institute's Experimental Publishing Master (XPUB) explore and create techno-social protocols for potential active archives of Radio WORM while making radio themselves.

DAY 2

This talk by Lilith (Lea) Cooper is an engaging and accessible adaptation of their PhD research, which is a practice-based research project working with the zines around health, illness and medicine at Wellcome Collection, London UK. "People writing about zines often describe them as marginal and coming ‘from the margins’ in a way we can understand the significance of through the works of Black feminist writers such as bell hooks. But when researching contemporary zines, which are made in a rapidly changing media, cultural and political landscape, does thinking about them as “liminal” offer something different, new and useful?" Through looking at zines made from the liminal space of the sick bed, and zines that birth or doula disability (after Stacey Park Milbern), Lilith will discuss how liminality or inbetweeness might offer a different way of thinking and talking about zines. As the research is practice-based Lilith will bring along the zines made throughout, and talk a little as well about the possibilities and challenges of zine making as a research method.

This talk by Lilith (Lea) Cooper is an engaging and accessible adaptation of their PhD research, which is a practice-based research project working with the zines around health, illness and medicine at Wellcome Collection, London UK. "People writing about zines often describe them as marginal and coming ‘from the margins’ in a way we can understand the significance of through the works of Black feminist writers such as bell hooks. But when researching contemporary zines, which are made in a rapidly changing media, cultural and political landscape, does thinking about them as “liminal” offer something different, new and useful?" Through looking at zines made from the liminal space of the sick bed, and zines that birth or doula disability (after Stacey Park Milbern), Lilith will discuss how liminality or inbetweeness might offer a different way of thinking and talking about zines. As the research is practice-based Lilith will bring along the zines made throughout, and talk a little as well about the possibilities and challenges of zine making as a research method.