Workshop 4

Resistance Is Not Futile: Make a Zine with Cristina Pietropaolo

Morning Workshop | 10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Zines, which have been around since the 1950s but widely popularized in the 1990s through feminism and riot grrl culture, are a simple but nuanced way to self-express, to participate in community activism and to make art. Traditionally bartered, traded or distributed gratis or for a nominal fee, zine culture built bridges between people who might otherwise never meet: conversations and dialogue abounded via paper and pen, from your best friend's bedroom to a punk show downtown.

In this workshop, participants learn  about the history of zine culture and make their own, creating and assembling them with paper, scissors, glue and markers. Zines can contain anything and can be assembled in any number of ways. Participants look at some examples of photocopied zines as well as some handmade books and simple binding for inspiration, and work with some of their own ideas.

Cristina Pietropaolo’s experience as a freelance researcher, writer, editor, and folklorist. She also worked at Storytelling Toronto and Storytellers of Canada-Conteurs du Canada (SC-CC). She is currently working at the Library Collaboratory, a hub for cross and interdisciplinary faculty and graduate student research. Cristina has an MA from Memorial University of Newfoundland, studied at the University of Edinburgh, and is currently working on her Master of Information (University of Toronto), where her research focuses on book history, print culture, citizen/participatory cultures, and critical digital humanities.