We just wrapped up our Spring 2016 book launch/speaking tour to support the release of Drawn to Change. In traveling across Canada, we met a lot of wonderful folks and are humbled by the overwhelmingly positive response the book is getting so far. Thank you!
Here is a quick recap of what we’ve been up to over the last month or so.
Toronto Book Launch
May 7, 2016
We started our tour at the LabourStart Conference at Ryerson University in Toronto where Althea and Jo from the Kwentong Bayan Collective also talked about their process making their comic on migrant careworkers for Drawn to Change.
Peterborough Book Launch
May 5, 2016
In early May, Sean and Julia launched Drawn to Change at Artspace in Peterborough.
Artspace also commissioned the Graphic History Collective to create a billboard to celebrate May Day with images of the book. The billboard can be found all summer long on the side of the Artspace gallery which overlooks the Peterborough bus station (it is the unofficial working-class welcome sign to Peterborough).
Making Comics: Draw Histories to Change the World Workshop
Inspiration Lab, Vancouver Public Library, May 10, 2016
Also in early May, we were invited by the Vancouver Public Library’s Inspiration Lab to give a short workshop on how to make comics with analog and digital tools. Sam, with Kara’s help, led drawing and comic-making activities and talked about storytelling and the comic-making process.
Canada’s History Webinar
Getting Graphic with the Past: Graphic Histories and the Uses of Comics in Education, May 17, 2016
Robin and Kara gave a one-hour webinar on graphic history in the classroom for Canada’s History. If you missed it and you are an educator and are interested in bringing comics into your class, you can see the slideshow and listen to a recording on Canada’s History webinar for teachers page.
Douglas College
New Westminster, May 26, 2016
For the first time ever the Graphic History Collective was all together in one room to give a workshop to Douglas College faculty on bringing comics into their classes and to give a public talk on Drawn to Change. Thanks to Lisa Smith for the invitation.
Vancouver Book Launch
May 27, 2016
We held the Vancouver launch of Drawn to Change at the wonderful Heartwood Cafe. Thanks to everyone who came out and especially to Karianne for the help organizing and to Sarah and Penny for helping to sell books.
Sam, the illustrator of two comics in the collection and GHC’s first book, May Day, talked about how it can take years or a lifetime to create the work that you want to create. David Lester talked about his process making his comic, The Battle of Ballantyne Pier. You can also listen to his excellent interview on CBC.
Calgary Book Launch
May 29, 2016
Our Calgary launch was at the Calgary Public Library and was followed by a talk about strikes and unions by workers and union members at meat processing plants in Alberta and a multimedia project by folksinger Maria Dunn on Packingtown, Edmonton that included interviews, archival footage, and original folk songs.
Congress 2016
University of Calgary, June 2 and 3, 2016
We also gave two talks at the annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Calgary, where Julia also presented on her PhD research on bank unions, Robin presented on her work with the Labour Heritage Centre, and Sean presented his PhD research on residential schools.
Stay tuned for more events in the fall. We will be in Hamilton at the Hamilton Workers Art and Heritage Centre and at Word on the Street in Toronto.