Histories Under Construction: using comics to reassemble history

Please note: this event will take place online.

Ever thought about how comics can capture history, memory, and the passage of time? In this hands-on workshop, we’ll experiment with the unique ways comics combine text, image, and space to tell stories — especially historical ones. We’ll play with sequencing, pacing, and layout, and explore how comics can hold ambiguity, multiplicity, and shifting perspectives all at once.

This is a practical, creative session: you’ll be drawing (using whatever tools you’re most comfortable with, analogue or digital) and sharing rough work-in-progress in small groups. The focus isn’t on polished artwork, but on trying things out, remixing ideas, and seeing how different approaches can shape the stories you want to tell.

Here’s what the session will look like:

• A short intro to how comics can bring history to life
• Quick warm-up drawing and storytelling activity
• A sketchy, one-page comic sequence to start experimenting
• Breakout groups for feedback, reflection, and fresh ideas
• A second round of drawing where you’ll refine or expand your story — maybe even into a double-page spread
• Sharing back to the larger group what you discovered through the process

By the end, you’ll leave with new methods for combining text and image, a deeper sense of how comics can explore historical narrative, and some practical ways to iterate and refine your work. Most importantly, you’ll have had a chance to create, share, and learn alongside others in a relaxed, collaborative setting.

About the facilitator:

Esther McManus makes books & comics that explore personal & collective relationships to history, often informed by archival research. She is interested in print's historical role in the production & distribution of knowledge, informed by a background in silkscreen & Risograph printing.

She teaches Print Production on the BA Graphic Communication Design course at Central Saint Martins (London) and is currently working on a graphic adaptation of 'Lolly Willowes' by Sylvia Townsend Warner.

See more of Esther's work here.

Access information for this event:

This event is for ages 16+ and will be held online. You will need a good internet connection and a laptop/computer/mobile device to join us.

There will be 20 attendees maximum, and the event will feature comfort breaks. During this event, attendees will participate in: Break out rooms / Small group discussions, Hands on activities, Sharing work that has been created, Visual presentation

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

Find out more about access at GZL events and how to make an access request here.

All events will adhere to our safer spaces policy, which you can learn about here.

How to access the event:

After booking a ticket, you will be sent several reminder emails from Eventbrite leading up to the event. We will also send emails that share any resources that attendees will need access to, including any required materials.

Access links will be sent to attendees in advance of the event. For any technical problems, please email events@glasgowzinelibrary.com.

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