Grrrl Zine Announced

Grrrl Zine Fair, dedicated to celebrating the voices of women, trans, non-binary and LGBTQIA+ artists, musicians and makers, is coming to Village Green.

It is curated by Southend based artist Lu Williams who creates cross-disciplinary artworks, events and printed matter with a focus on DIY culture, workshops, intersectional feminism and working class culture. Lu founded Grrrl Zine Fair in 2019 and has since worked with V&A Museum, BFI, Scottee, Raw Labs, Bow Arts, Natwest, Women's Prize for Fiction, Global, Jagermeister, National Trust, DHP, Nomad projects, OVADA, Bow Arts and has been supported by Arts Council England. Grrrl Zine Fair is made up of live events, zine workshops, Grrrl In Print zine and a feminist zine library. It showcases women and non-binary artists through a self-publishing fair, panel talks, performances, live music, exhibitions and workshops. Zine making through Grrrl is presented as an adaptable way of making objects and literature outside academic or capitalist endeavours. It is a way of elevating craft labour and democratised production in a context which is accessible to communities outside the insular art world, building a culture which reflects them.

Grrrl Mainstage
Militant Girlfriend are best friends, siblings and a queer as pop punk/grunge band from south-east London. Lilith Ai is a DIY singer-songwriter, who performs poignant tales of modern city life. Chinchilla, a 22-year-old self-made urban pop artist drawing on influences such as Beyoncé, Freddie Mercury, and Janis Joplin, renowned for her live shows and powerful self-produced records. Born from minds fed up with being defined by gender and sterile music ruling the charts, T-Bitch want to be free of social expectations and stereotypes. Currls A three-piece band based in Brighton, UK. Backed by BBC Introducing’s Melita Dennett, Holly (Guitar/Lead Vocal) , Lawrie (Bass) and Maddy (Drums) make songs with a punch - Currls’ style is an infusion of glam rock, post punk and new wave influences, plentiful with thick bass lines and thriving drums to keep you moving. Zuzu Scouse - indie pop starlet. ResisDance DJS; Resis’dance is an events collective comprised of a diverse group of women and non-binary people taking hold of the tech and decks, smashing the patriarchy and supporting under-funded radical grassroots organisations. GIRLI,a playful feminist DIY pop embodies the new era of indie

Grrrl Zine Fair
Grrrl Mainstage will also host 40 independent zine makers and artists selling their work as part of the Grrrl Zine Fair.

Talks tent co curated with gal-dem
The talks tent focuses on empowering attendees to Do It Themselves. Speakers will reflect on getting into the arts and music industries, holding your own as a women, demanding a fair wage, and speak of their personal experience and the importance of DIY to them.
gal-dem is a new media publication, run entirely by women and non-binary people of colour. With their online and print magazine, they’re addressing inequality and misrepresentation in the industry through platforming the creative and editorial work of their community across essays, opinion, news, arts, music, politics and lifestyle content.

The talks feature: Soofiya whose design practice centres around illustration, visual identity and book design, and whose art practice and writings aim to articulate a commentary on gender, race, politics and bodies through a DIY and therapeutically informed approach. Neelam Tailor, a journalist with a focus on race, sex & porn, politics, gender, human-interest stories, and documentaries; and a former senior writer (news and features) for UNILAD. Columnist at gal-dem, and freelancer for Huffington Post, BBC Three, BBC World Service and Burnt Roti magazine. WXMB 2: a force to be reckoned with; taking on inequality within the music industry by encouraging the next generation via workshops, podcasts, networking, access to inspiring people and general positive ‘you can do its’. 5 womxn connecting and coming together. Kei Maye is a creative coach and educator from London providing coaching, courses and design products to motivate and empower creators within the visual arts. She’ll be providing fluff free advice to inspire and empower visual creators. Nova Twins about whom The Guardian says "Nova Twins are all about that bass: the lurching, grinding, seismically distorted, FX-mangled sound that propels the music of this young London due". "Nova Twins are happening without your permission".

Also in the discussion will be Nadia Javed, the guitar shredding front woman of The Tuts currently on tour with The Specials. The Tuts are an indie punk trio from West London. Live they seriously pack a punch and are noted for their impassioned songs about sexism, feminism and everyday life-isms. And Tara Joshi freelance arts and culture journalist, as well as the music editor at gal dem. She is a regular critic for the Observer and the Quietus, and also contributes to the Guardian, VICE, Dazed, Notion and others.

Spread Exhibition Space
Spread is a portable exhibition space that will tour the UK alongside the Grrrl Zine Library from July 2019 to March 2020.
Artists, local and international, have been invited to create an artwork considering how, as womxn, trans and gender non-conforming persons, they reclaim and navigate the spaces they occupy. A nod to Grrrl’s zine making, which platforms and distributes marginalised voices within zines, events and workshops, Spread is DIY in origin and accessibility.

Spread is commissioned by Grrrl Zine Fair, supported by The Agency of Visible Women and GIRLFORUM. It is designed in collaboration with InSitu.
Artists in the Spread are: Padma Rajendran who engages in the symbolism of “fruitfulness” within interior spaces, and how this blessing and burden has traditionally derived from the female body. Rosa Johan Uddoh, an artist exploring an over-identification with places, objects or celebrities in British popular culture, decolonisation, and the effects of this on self-esteem. Madeleine Pledge who works via replicas and remakes, using the designed languages of clothing and furniture to approach bodies, subjects, objects, and power. Ruth Jones is an intersectional feminist artist, curator and organiser based in Southend. She is a member of the Agency of Visible Women and International research collective What’s Your Location? Pff Publications a feminist zine collective (Eleanor Phillips, Rachel Fallon, Emma Finucane) who create work around themes of bodily autonomy, ageing, child birth/care and other pertinent themes in female realms.
Started in 2017 in the wake of the 'art world's' '#metoo' moment, GIRLFORUM aims to be an intersectional and intergenerational network for artists and art workers, challenging the current conditions of the 'art world' through a model of care, generosity and mutual support.

Grrrl Zine Library
Grrrl Zine Fair will be creating a feminist zine library installation, highlighting zines from across the world, texts and artworks from zine history and creating a space for visitors to engage with the voices of thousands of women, non binary, trans and queer people throughout self-publishing. The Grrrl Zine Library has been exhibited at V&A Museum, British Film Institute, The Other Art Fair, London Illustration Fair, The Chopping Block Gallery and in June 2019, Art Book in China in Beijing.

Workshop Space
The Grrrl workshop space will house free workshops hoping to inspire attendees, hosting screen printing, manicures, up-cycling clothing and placard making for Southend pride- the workshop space considers has activities for DIY makers of all ages and abilities.

Giant Triplets Screen Printing
Giant Triplets is a grassroots, sustainable screen printing initiative working to highlight the ways in which the textile industry is responsible for environmental degradation and human rights abuses against its workers.

Sugar Storm clothing customisation
Revamp your wardrobe or customise second-hand treasures with Sugar Storm. Learn simple techniques and show off your DIY skills for a more creative and sustainable fashion future. Sugar Storm is a creative empowerment brand for the weird, the wild and the rebels.

Illustrate Your Anger with FEM Zine
Workshop based around typography and drawing, creating personal posters.

Nail Transphobia
“Charlie Craggs is done with the prejudice faced by the trans community. She's taking it into her hands by way of Nail Transphobia - a organisation that exists to educate people on trans issues and make new allies, while also delivering glamorous manicures. Nail Transphobia's mission is clear: Tackling transphobia fabulously, through education and empowerment.” – Vogue
Charlie will be providing free manicures at the workshop space 1pm – 5pm.

Placard Making with Southend Pride
For too long, Southend-on-Sea has gone without recognition of its LGBTIQA+ History. With an incredible event in 2018, Southend Pride are gearing up for their next event 3th - 20th July 2019.
At the Grrrl workshop space they’ll be creating placards to take along to Pride, the week after Village Green Festival, placing Southend firmly back on the map of Queer culture.

Banners
Banners celebrating voices of contemporary women, trans, non-binary and queer culture will be hung across the Grrrl Zine Fair site within Village Green Festival. These commissioned banners consider the important intersection between artwork and activism.
Banner Artists: Hello My Name Is Wednesday, Anshika Khullar Anshika Khullar / AORISTS, Emily Pope and Joy Miessi.

See more information about individual artists HERE.