Questioning the form:Re-imagining identities through zine-making in Kampala, Uganda

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

This project draws on research from a project called 'Language as Talisman' that exploredhow everyday language can be offer opportunities for creative expression. The team iscomposed of PI Pahl and poet Gloria Kiconco, based in Kampala, Uganda. Kiconco is apublished poet and zine maker who has previously run zine workshops for women. Togetherwith artist Charity Atukunda she will work with two organisations to create zine-makingworkshops. Each workshop will last for 4 days. There will be three workshops in total, two inpartnership with the organisations and one in order to prepare for the exhibition. Theresulting zines will be displayed in a travelling library, originating in Kampala anddisseminated via the African Poetry Fund to a library in Mombasa, and poetry librarynetworks in the UK via the newly created Manchester Poetry Library.The organisation, 'StrongMinds' argues on its website that depression is one of the mostserious challenges facing African women. Women suffering from depression have very littlesupport (https://strongminds.org/the-need/). Life is particularly hard for those on the marginsand women and girls face challenges if they are considered 'outsiders' in any sense of theword. This project draws on the idea of the zine, as a form that can be adapted andautonomously used by individuals to express themselves. Zines can be about anything; inthis project they will combine poetry and art to be formed in workshops with skilledfacilitators Kiconco and Atukunda. Equipping women with life writing and expression skills isa key part of this project. Drawing Artvism's vision that women in particular need writingskills to equip them in life, the project will place creation and autonomy at the heart of itsvision. Our vision is to do that in collaboration with these organisations dedicated tosupporting women.The project team includes an evaluator, Lisa Damon, who has experience of working withrefugee groups as a researcher, and is currently a doctoral student at the University ofMakerere. Gloria Kiconco is the lead in Kampala. She is a published poet, who works closelywith arts organisations to realise her zines, which are a mix of poetry and art. She haspreviously been part of the AHRC funded project on New Enhancements to Enhance Artists'Livelihood in East Africa (PI Andrew Burton). Charity Atukunda is a visual artist who workedwith PI Pahl on the AHRC funded 'Belonging and Learning' project, which worked with youngrefugees in Kampala to create art that would directly speak to policy-makers. The team willbe led by PI Pahl, drawing on her experience of co-production, and includes Co-InvestigatorSu Corcoran, who has developed strong links with organisations within Kampala through the'Belonging and Learning' project, and researcher McMillan, a poet, and Kratz, who isworking in the field of poetry libraries. The project will create a new travelling library of zinesthat speak to express the creativity of women through poetry and art.