Exploring independent publishing at WAZA Art Centre
DR of Congo
WAZA Arts Centre hosted a zine lab in March 2021 activated through a workshop facilitated by Rangoato Hlsane, co-founder of Keleketla! Library in Johannesburg with technical assistance from Bernard Gerenza, a riso and printing technician based in Lubumbashi.
The workshop takes place in the context of a larger project to establish a Zine Lab (factory of alternative publications) at the Waza Art Center. The workshop focused on the design and production of zines using a Riso duplicator, and aimed to generate interest in the medium as a tool to disseminate creations and ideas and encourage artists to publish independently.
This project is inspired by the experiences of the alternative arts education network ARAC (Another Roadmap Africa Cluster) and is a collaboration with with Keleketla! Library, a Johannesburg-based collective committed to promoting a holistic view of cultural practices that integrate their political and environmental aspects. This first workshop was facilitated by Rangoato Hlsane, a South African artist, educator and cultural operator.
10 participants took part in the workshop at WAZA. Rangoato engaged with the participants via Zoom, and introduced them to the potential of the medium through various zine projects such as How to make a zine zine, Medu Ensemble newsletter, Tans[z]een, etc. The participants then used their own experience in graphism, writing and storytelling and with the practical assistance of Bernard to conceive a zine title Ndjo Zine! (a Swahili phrase that translates as “zine, here we are!”).
