wementhe booklet

1

introduction

Over 14 days, 24 participants from France,

Portugal, Spain, Germany, Turkey, Bulgaria,

England and Poland explored the potential

of comics to address gender clichés. Artists,

educators and activists have created comic

stories to propose alternative representa-

tions of the world in which we live, and to

present diverse ways of living and seeing

reality.

About ‘WeMen’

We are surrounded by gender. It manifests

itself as a pattern of relations that develop

over time to define male and female, mascu-

linity and femininity, simultaneously struc-

turing and regulating people’s relation to so-

ciety.

Gender is embedded in our institu-

tions, our actions, our beliefs, and

and our desires. It is rooted in the family, the

neighbourhood, church, school, the media,

walking down the street, eating in a restau-

rant, going to the restroom.

About this book

In this little booklet, we share with you the ac-

tivities and exercises we went through during

the project to explore gender, the roles of the

socially assigned behavior patterns and they

we feel about it.

Comics for social change

Gender is asymmetrical. Whatever a person

may feel about their current position on the

social ladder, there is no question that male

and female are not simply two equal sides of

a coin. Inequality is built into gender at a

very basic level, and what we experience as

individuals emerges within a far-reaching so-

cial order that oppresses each of us.

While the world is still obsessed with the

continual differentiation of male and fe-

male, it is our job as activists, youth workers,

scholars and artists to examine gender from

a new perspective and research how this di-

chotomy came to be seen as common sense

and contribute to our oppression. With our

comics we wanted to look beyond the gender

binary and try to re-appropriate it.

As images are quite powerful in sending mes-

sages to the humans, it is definitely a way

for us to address all sorts of daily challenges

we are facing. Therefore, we designed our

workshop “WeMen” especially in that con-

text: to challenge gender clichés with rich

and powerful imaginary and tell stories with

the visual language of the comics!

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building the team and the setting

In this group of activities we are introducing

the project, the rules, and create a safe place

to build a trusting team.

personal storytelling

Participants are asked to think about themselves

for a while: Who are you? What are you doing in

your life? What are you proud of? What are your

advantages, hobbies, interests? Make them think

about what would they like to share with the rest

of the group. Let them draw in comic grids per-

sonal graphic narrative (comic about them-

selves). The only rule is that they can’t talk to any-

one or write any words. Then, ask them to visit

other people’s comics and write 2-3 sentences

about each visual story.

With this exercises participants not only get to

know each other but also learn how to tell a

story by using pictures.

30 min - personal drawing

20 min - writing texts about others

meet our surroundings

Participants are divided in groups of 3, go for a

walk with a notebook and collect (or created) the

following ‘data’: one doodle of an animal, a plant

or an object, a few words describing one smell

they liked; three words from signs, one texture

they liked, the name of someone living in the

area, the title of a book of comic, name of femi-

nist activist.

Each group receives a random headline of a news-

paper. This title is the title of their new piece of

art that they have to write and draw: a short vis-

ual story that incorporates all the data they have.

Finally, each group shares their stories with eve-

ryone.

This exercise contributes to team building proc-ess as well as encourage to free creativity within group.

90 min - walking60 min - story creation30 min - sharing stories

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creative methods,feminism andgender challenges

The visual arts in modern times give us quite a big

and powerful toolset of methods. Using comic, fre-

estyle drawing, maps, stamps, monoprint and many

more, we can turn our thoughts and message into

something that people can see, understand and refer

to.

In this group of exercises we explore different types of

creative methods and apply them into the topic of gen-

der and social change.

is this a comic?

Divided in 4 groups, participants receive different

visual materials like a cave painting, Egyptian papy-

rus, Van Gogh’s painting ‘Starry night’, safety in-

struction from airplane, medieval tapestry, street

signs, Anders Pearson’s abstract comic, New Yorker’s

cartoon. A discussion among the groups focus on

whether these visuals are actually a comic. Finally,

participants will need to come with a definition of

the comic and to describe its essential attributes. To

share their outcomes with the other groups, they

create a poster.

The facilitator presents the definition by McCloud:

“Comics are juxtaposed pictorial and other images

in a deliberate sequence, intended to convey infor-

mation and/or produce an aesthetic response in the

viewer” and facilitates a group discussion.

The aim of the activity is to reflect on the na-

ture and origin of the comic but also on every-

one’s personal perception and understanding.

30 min - discussion and poster design

15 min - group discussion

life drawing

At first participants create some costumes with mate-

rials such as fabrics, paper and use some masks that

are provided by the facilitator in advance. Those out-

fits could be random or represent some idea, story,

personality or a historical person.

For the rest of the workshop, groups of 3 to 5 people

start posing for 10 minutes on the stage and the rest

of participants draw them. It is really interesting to

see how the drawing outcome evolves in time, starting

with people trying to draw what they see and going to

an abstract and stylized representation of imaginative

scenes and concepts.

With this activity participants will start drawing and

loosen up with materials and images, also it is helpful

to some of them to be less afraid of plastic tech-

niques.

30 min - preparation of costumes

60 min - drawing

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creative mapsThe activity starts with the participants writing down

a word connected with gender and exchange that word

with another person. With that word each participant

creates a mind map of concepts related with that word

in a freeway, not following any king of rules or plan.

During the rest of the activity they create a collective

huge drawing following the "Exquisite corpse" idea - cre-

ating intuitive drawings, with the twist of theme con-

nected and coming from the mind maps. They do in

groups and each groups adds additional drawings and

texts on all of the posters rotating in a facilitated way.

This activity is a perfect parlor game, involving ele-

ments of unpredictability, chance, unseen elements,

and group collaboration - all in service of disrupting

the waking mind’s penchant for order.

30 min - mind map drawing

60 min - collective drawing

DIY zine

In this session facilitator is introducing the

method of creating zines as an alternative produc-

tion and editorial solution. Each participant cre-

ates different layouts and a zine individually or by

groups of their wish.

Following the purpose of the workshop, facilitator

introduces a common topic of the zines or invites

participants to follow the exploration of gender

challenges and representations.

90 min - zines creation followed by a short group

discussion

stamp & monoprint

During this workshop we are introducing the tech-

niques of stamp and monoprint. The facilitator shows

the tools and gives examples of how they are being

used and what types of results could be reached.

Then all participants are creating collective artist book

called “Danger Gender”. During this activity they are ex-

ploring gender issues and challenges in their home

countries. Each participant creates a single page from

the book with one little requirement: to leave a little

“window” on their paper, so a part of the next page will

be visible.

The session is followed by presentations of everyone’s

pages and the facilitator puts in order all of the pages.

For this workshop we arranged the tables as one big ta-

ble so everybody fits on the same working space and

participants feel connected whilst working on their

pieces.

20 min - theory and explanation of the method

140 min - pages design and creation

20 min - group discussion and exhibition of pages

character design

With this activity we are exploring the comics nar-

rative and timing. Participants are asked to create

a cartoon of themselves, and then make an hourly

comic of their daily life with it. The character crea-

tion was not limited to a human-like cartoon char-

acter, and the comic had to have a minimum of 6

panels.

When ready, everyone gets back into the group

and the facilitator introduces a discussion on the

comic narrative, timing and the use of it in the

process of creating a personality.

60 min - comics preparation

30 min - group discussion

storyboard of a song

At this later point of the workshop participants

are more aware of comic creation, so this activity

is planned to expand in a storyboard, to make a

step closer to producing a bigger work. A playlist

of music is being prepared in advance - including

instrumentals and tracks in languages which the

participants do not understand. Each person is be-

ing asked individually to listen to one of the songs

from the playlist and to think a story inspired by

it.

Then, participants can choose to work in small

groups of 3-4 or individually and to create a story-

board. They should make sure their story is easy

to follow and understand.

60 min - storyboard creation

30 min - presentation of the final works

the fotonovela

Participants are being given a place (like

France, Australia, India, Mars or else) and a

time (Pre-historic era, World War II, Medieval

times, year 2090 or else) and they are asked to

prepare a fotonovela in the setting they have.

It should be a minimum of 2 pages and should

address an interesting gender situation in the

setting they are working with.

This workshop is intended to show that story

in comics can be be told outside of traditional

means of communication and with usage of

simple new digital tools as photography.  

180 min - time for the whole activity

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tarot reading & plottinggendered stories

A cozy and comfortable setting with candles is pre-

pared by the facilitator before the activity. Partici-

pants are asked to sit in pairs and play with tarot

cards. One becomes a fortune-teller, puts three

cards in a row in front of their partner and tries to

tell what does the card represents from the part-

ner’s past, present and future life. Then they switch

their roles and repeat the exercise. For this activity,

we used the ‘Ghost Lab’ project’s picture cards cre-

ated by Jim Medway.

In the second part of the activity participants create

their own set of three cards with words or pictures

with key concepts from gender/feminism dictionary.

This time instead of reading cards, partners have to

write a story about gender utopias/dystopias includ-

ing words and images from the cards they received

from partners.

The aim of exercises is to provide participants

with intimate moment as well as awake their

imagination and writing skills so essential in

comic’s creation.

30 min - fortune-telling in pairs

45 min - creating set of cards and writing a story

15 min - exhibition of the new sets

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writing storylines

With this activity participants experiment with sto-

rylines and ideas. They are asked to write well-

constructed story with a beginning that establishes

a routine, an event that breaks the routine, a middle

that shows the consequences of having broken the

routine, a climax that sets the resolution to the

story in motion, and a resolution. Each participant

will write one sentence starting with:

• Once upon a time...

• Every day...

• But one day...

• Because of that...

• Until, finally...

• And, ever since then...

Each participant writes the sentence on the

top of a sheet of paper, folds it and passes to

the next one. The round goes until the story is

finished. Finally, participants read the out-

come and comment on what came out from

the activity.

45 min - writing rounds

15 min - reading and discussion

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gender values action

The facilitator divides participants into small

groups and selects a volunteer from the group to be

the auctioneer. Each group has 10,000 in imaginary

currency to spend on gender values and statements

they would like to invest in. They can bid on any of

the values that are presented, and have 15 minutes

to agree on a strategy how to bid and choose values

that matter to them. The bids start at 100.

Few examples on values and statements:

-Today, women's assertiveness and financial inde-

pendence is causing tension in many families.

-Unlimited access to contraception increases dan-

gerous behavior among young people.

-Female-male relationships were better before the

women's liberation movement.

-The absence of caring and sharing on the part of

men is devastating and destroying. relationships.

-Women have biological predisposition to take

care of others.

-Men's rejection of the femininity in them makes

them insensitive to others' needs.

-Men who father children should always help

change diapers and feed the baby.

-Understanding gender roles is to recognize the

creativity involved in baking a cake.

-Patriarchal callousness makes men assume a su-

perior role.

-The goals and values of lesbian and gay couples

are different from those of heterosexual couples in

terms of satisfaction, commitment and stability.

-Embracing issues like bisexual visibility and trans-

gender rights shouldn’t be considered major

women’s movement issues. It causes erosion of

core feminist goals.

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gender values action

Finally, the whole group discusses the auction. Some

key points to talk about:

-Some people spent all of their money on one or two

values, while others spent their money on several.

Why?

-What values were most important to the group as

a whole? Why?

-If any value on the list was not bought, why?

-How does knowing which values are most impor-

tant to us affect our lives?

15 min - discussions in small groups

45 min - auction

30 min - group discussion

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reaching out

The purpose of this session is to raise the discussion

about the way we communicate and express our

ideas. How easy or hard is for people to understand

what we mean? Do we really try to be clear? Why

people are misled sometimes?

Participants are divided into groups and choose to

work on one topic and one target group. The options

are written on a paper (one per title) and each

groups takes one of the two main elements. In small

groups they discuss how to address their target

group on the topic they have selected and make a

short presentation for the whole group. A discussion

in the big group follows the presentations.

The topics they get to choose from are gender vs

sex, lgbt+ rights, abortion and feminism; and the tar-

get groups are the government; millennials; teens;

everyone and senior citizens.

40 min - discussions in groups and presentation

preparation

20 min - presentations and whole group discussion

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rewriting sexist advertisements

Whether attempting to sell clothing, coffee, or

food, ads are often riddled with sexism, forc-

ing women into deeming gender roles. In fol-

lowing activities we challenge this assump-

tion.

In groups of 3-4, participants are being asked

to rewrite discriminatory ads, so that their

message can become non-discriminatory. We

do not want simply reversed power balance

and imagine a parallel universe, where roles

are inverted and men are given a taste of their

own sexist poison, but to remake in entertain-

ing and reflective.

60 min - creation

30 min - discussion

Workshop introduced by Kristina Hristova

DADA inspired gendered poems

Artistic movement DADA undermined the fun-

damental structures of rational and ordered

society -  it is all about the absurdity of life

and culture. At the heart of reason is language,

the conduit through which every rule is con-

structed and every law communicated, so to

destroy words and conventional way of creat-

ing texts was perhaps the ultimate act of sub-

version.

In 1920, Tristian Tzara gave the instruction on

how To Make a Dadaist Poem. We follow it by

asking participants to cut out from newspa-

pers random words and to create poem out of

them, on the topic of gender.

In this exercise we want to explore gender

stereotypes hidden in our subconsciousness

arbitrary relationship between words/concepts

and their meanings.

60 min - poems creation

30 min - reading and group discussion

Workshop introduced by Danny Moore

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gender comicscreation

Finally, participants are invited to create a fi-

nal project individually or in small groups of

maximum 3 people that is a comic story, has

at least one page A4 and addresses a gender

challenge, issue. Everyone is free to chose tools

and methods; and it could be digital or analog.

The hard-core creation of the comic takes up

to 24 hours and the facilitators are there to

support participants if they need any help.

The creations become part of a final exhibition

and a digital book to be disseminated online

after the project.

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as a conclusion

Our workshop in Brivezac, France, 1 - 14 May 2018,

invited youth workers and artists to lend their sup-

port to involve youth for gender equality. We had

chosen to address this topic through the use of crea-

tive digital tools because images are a powerful tool

for reflection and call to action, and digital media

has the widest impact reach. We intended to bring

everyone’s messages for gender equity and equality

through comics that we also put in a joint comic

book.

In this booklet we presented many of the exercises

and activities we included in the process of explor-

ing the rich variety of visuals creation and using

them in order to give a new meaning whilst address-

ing important social topics.

wemen . 2018 - by Nomadways