Soft Weapons: Finding Peers in Archives (2023)
iniva, London
This workshop was hosted at the Institute of International Arts (iniva), in London UK, as part of the MayDay Rooms Youth Programme.
Led with June Bellebono, it explored how to find peers in archives through zine-making.
In this session, we crafted pocket zines using material from iniva and MayDay Rooms archives —from a sailor moon-themed notebook to communist newspapers. Speaking to the experiences of our queer ancestors, our zines explored hidden histories and forms of peer support through storytelling.
As zine-makers, we become fellow caretakers: exchanging tips, tools, tears and pain. As we document our experiences, we build soft weapons for political action. Our zines become the stories of distant suns, our archives the tissues of solidarity.
Following the session, attendees were invited to photocopy their creations and archive them in iniva and Mayday Rooms, with the aim of crossing paths with, and becoming peers to future visitors.
This workshop was for young people (16-25) from marginalised backgrounds.
