@feministprintnetwork-blog - Tumblr Blog

The Feminist Print Network is a newly-established platform for artists, writers, publishers, printers and all those who are interested in ‘print’. We work collectively to make independent print and publishing practices in the UK sustainable into the future.

The Feminist Print Network functions as a space for all genders. We believe in feminism as a politics to “dismantle the world that is built to only accommodate some bodies” (Sara Ahmed). Therefore, we only believe in a feminism which takes into account the racism, transphobia, classism, ablism, homophobia, sexism and other oppressions that are experienced simultaneously.

For us this is a politics of solidarity, to work collectively to support each other - and our vital creative work - to exist.

Through engaging with the creative and political importance of self-publishing, and the legacies of radical print, we’re developing our activities (slowly) online and through physical meetings. Join us!

What we do

We hold regular general meetings online (over Zoom) to discuss how to organise collectively, which are open to all.

We also hold monthly peer-feedback sessions, for sharing work-in-progress with others. These meetings (on Zoom and occasionally in locations around the UK) provide a regular space for both receiving and offering advice and support.

Follow us on Instagram HERE for the latest updates on our next sessions, and to join in our conversations.

You can also sign up to our newsletter HERE which shares minutes from the general meetings and information about upcoming projects and events around the UK.

Past activities

Presentation at DWAN’s Artists in Archives event, December 2017

‘What do you Need?’ online survey, launched end of 2017

Presentation at Book Works’ Library Examined event, Senate House Library, January 2018

Feminist Publishing since the 1960s panel discussion at the Feminist Library, March 2018

Peer-Feedback Session at North West Zine Fest, May 2018

Interdependent Publishing Panel at Process! Somerset House, July 2018

Peer-Feedback Session at London Art Book Fair, September 2018

General meetings on Zoom (Since April 2018)

Monthly Peer-Feedbacks on Zoom (Since May 2018)

Follow us on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/feministprintnetwork

October’s online peer-feedback session https://tinyletter.com/FPN/letters/october-s-online-peer-feedback-session-and-events-in-manchester-and-london-this-weekend

Read the first issue of our newsletter here:

https://tinyletter.com/FPN/letters/newsletter-1-welcome

Why not support the great work that @fanzines does on Patreon?

https://www.patreon.com/fanzines/

“FANZINES is creating resources for zinesters and people who love zines.

I spend a lot of time exploring and documenting zines, zinesters and zine fests from around the world - sharing what I find, in the process. I run a global zine calendar - a Google Doc charting most of the world's zine events, which I started last year as a way of giving greater visibility to the global zine scene and which I'm told is a very useful resource.

Any support you can give me will help me explore more of zine world (particularly zine scenes in other countries), documenting it to share with you and others through my channels.”

This presentation was given at DWAN’s event ‘Artists in Archives’ in December 2017. It gives some context about the Feminist Print Network Consultation Survey V.1 and our research into feminist organising in the Women’s Art Library at Goldsmiths

The rest of the slides can be seen here on Esther’s blog:

http://seeyouatthepotluck.tumblr.com/post/168568608372/heres-some-context-and-info-about-the-feminist

From Living a Feminist Life by Sara Ahmed

“The Library Was, published by Book Works in conjunction with Open School East, sees OOMK reimagining the function, aesthetic and user culture of the library. After the success of the sold out first edition in 2016, we invite you to the celebration of the 2018 reprint of The Library Was at Senate House Library. The publication will be available for purchase and a Future Libraries themed talks programme will run throughout the evening including Cherry Styles (Huddersfield), The Serving Library (Liverpool) and Thick/er Black Lines (London).”

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-library-was-by-oomk-at-senate-house-library-tickets-41419249089?ref=estw

In our survey (which can be accessed here: https://goo.gl/G1AEBE) we’re asking for suggestions and advice on naming our network - how can we most effectively communicate our aims and objectives in a name? In asking which key words our name should include or avoid, we hope to build up a picture of how language speaks to individuals. What is inviting and exclusionary?

I thought it would be worth including this quote from Sara Ahmed, taken from the introduction to Living a Feminist Life, to shed some light on why we included ‘feminism’ in our initial consultation phase of the network. It communicates so well what drove us to start discussing the network, and what we think it could achieve. Feminism fills us with hope and energy too, giving us momentum to work collectively for the good of all of us. It teaches us to listen and to act (and when each is necessary).

But feminism doesn’t elicit the same feelings and associations for all of us, and we’re eager to understand which words make you feel hopeful and strong. In sharing what feminism means to us, we’re hoping to give some context to our initial choices and to encourage you to share your own feelings towards empowering language and feminism.

(Sara Ahmed blogs at https://feministkilljoys.com)

The Feminist Print Network has formed over the last few months through conversations with people from around the UK involved with self-publishing, archives and community initiatives. We’re looking to forge links with existing community groups, public archives and individual creative practitioners at all levels to open up the process of the group’s development. We will start holding public meetings and consultations in 2018 to discuss how to take our observations and suggestions forward collectively.

Feminist Print Network Consultation Survey v.1

Who is this survey for? We’re eager to hear from people working with publishing and print in the broadest sense, including those who are interested in exploring these activities.

Where is this information going, what is it for? We are using your responses to gather a picture of what people’s experiences of creative work are like in the UK today. We’d like to work with you to construct a supportive network for print and publishing practices. This survey was initiated by Cherry Styles and Esther McManus who will be reading through these responses to get a sense of what support is needed across print and publishing practices. We’d love it if you’d stay in touch and join in with the organisational process, but there is no obligation to do so. All testimonies are of value. Fill in the survey here.

We’d love to hear from you if you work with printing or publishing, at any level, or have a desire/interest in doing so, including those who have a casual interest in self-publishing but have no idea where to start. Especially you.

If you’d like to keep up to date with our progress over the next few months, sign up to our newsletter here.

Gypsy Lou Webb on the cover of the Outsider, 1961

#The Outsider #Gypsy Lou Webb #Loujon press #1961

via the Vancouver Women’s Library

#library of free thought

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