Political Vessels

Zines are inherently political vessels - they bypass the guardians and gatekeepers of 'acceptable' culture. CJ Reay of Black Lodge Press, Anoushka Khandwala and Jess Baines gather to discuss the use of self-publishing to disseminate radical information, facilitate political education, spread stories of resistance, and as a tool for building movements for liberation.

This event is part of Glasgow Zine Fest, you can view the full programme here.

About the panel

Black Lodge Press has been an ongoing zine and print project for over 10 years and is inspired by queer culture, working class history and radical politics.

Anoushka Khandwala is an artist and writer, who uses images and words to question colonial ways of seeing and making. She is currently a Decolonising Arts Education Fellow at University of the Arts London, and a Newman Scholar at the Essential School of Painting. Her words have been published in Elephant, AIGA Eye on Design, Creative Review and Eye, and she has been invited by institutions across the globe to speak about her work, including Parsons School of Design, Berlin University of the Arts, Royal College of Art and University of Bologna. Anoushka teaches at Central Saint Martins, in a role that challenges the canon of communication design. Her practice is concerned with disseminating knowledge that is produced in the academy to the wider public through exhibiting, publishing and speaking.

Dr Jess Baines is a Senior Lecturer in Contextual and Theoretical Studies in the Design School at LCC. Her background includes working in radical print and design co-operatives, socially engaged practice, curation and producing small magazines.

She began teaching at UAL in 2001. Her research interests broadly relate to radical and social movement cultural production and organisation. Jess presents papers and publishes widely on her subject. Most recently, she has co-authored the book chapter with Tony Credland and Mark Pawson, ‘Doing it ourselves: Countercultural and alternative radical publishing in the decade before punk’, in Ripped, Torn and Cut: Pop, politics and punk fanzines from 1976 (Manchester University Press, 2018). Jess also co-authored (with Pru Stevenson, Suzy Mackie and Ann Robinson) the extensively reviewed monograph See Red Women’s Workshop: Feminist Posters 1974-1990 (Four Corners, 2016).

She holds an MA in Contemporary Art History and Theory from Goldsmiths and a doctorate from LSE. Her MA thesis was about the domestication and dismantling of modernist urban social housing. Issues of urban space continue to be of concern. Her PhD, Democratising print? The field and practices of radical printshops in Britain 1968-98, was an historical analysis of late 20th century independent left-wing and feminist printing workshops.

Accessibility

There will be 71 attendees maximum. During this event, attendees will participate in: listening and a questions & answers portion.

There will be BSL interpretation and live captioning. The room is wheelchair accessible. For more information about venue accessibility at the CCA please visit their website.

You may be asked to wear a mask at this event.

If you have any questions or access requirements, please get in touch with us via glasgowzinelibrary@gmail.com

Full access information for Glasgow Zine Fest can be found here.