Shapeshifting: Folklore Zine Workshop
Join us for an inspiring and hands-on creative zine workshop for writers and folklore fans where you'll learn the art of zine-making and create your very own folkzine.
Whether you're a seasoned folklorista or just starting out, this workshop is the perfect space to explore your creativity, share folk stories, myths and legends (new and old). This workshop coincides with the NeoAncients Festival in Stroud, a three day event which brings together ancient traditions and modern culture, creating a unique space for creativity and community. The festival features performances, workshops, and discussions with artists, musicians, authors, and more. This year, it will take place from May 2nd to May 4th, 2025, across various venues in Stroud.
Please note this workshop is ticketed separately (see below).
Wondering what a zine is? here’s a bit of background
A zine is a self-published, small-circulation booklet or magazine, often created by individuals or small groups. Zines embody a DIY ethos and are typically handmade or digitally designed, covering a wide range of topics like art, poetry, politics, music, or personal stories - zines are story-telling machines. They grew out of the 1960s music scene, when fans produced unofficial mags of their favourite bands - then as the counterculture grew ever more politicised in the ‘80s and 90s’ zines followed suit and have a rich history of being used for activism and advocacy, providing a platform for voices that might otherwise be marginalized or underrepresented. Creating and distributing zines is relatively low-cost, making them accessible to a wide range of people, fostering a sense of community among the like-minded.
Nowadays, while zines can be political, this is only one aspect of their nature. They can be funny, reflective; they can be used as a vehicle for poetry, short stories, flash, nonfiction. Incorporating elements from cartoons and comic books and illustration, some zines resemble artist books, while others are roughly put together, reflecting their the get-on-with-it, can-do attitude.
The Papercut Library, Cambridge, Massachusetts
Zines capture and preserve the culture and subcultures of their time, offering a tangible, hands-on record of zeitgeist that feels intimate and personal. Whatever kind of zine you want to create, zines are the perfect form for contemporary folk counter culture - neopaganism is having a moment after all.
What you’ll make in the workshop
We’re going to lean into a theme around shapeshifting and transformation in folk stories. Folklore across cultures often features shapeshifting as a powerful motif, symbolizing transformation, mystery, and duality. From werewolves in European tales to kitsune, the shape-changing foxes of Japanese myth, and skin-walkers in Navajo legend, these stories explore themes of identity, power, and the fluidity between worlds.
Shapeshifting is sometimes seen as a blessing, granting characters the ability to adapt and transcend. Other times, it's portrayed as a curse, revealing inner struggles or moral lessons. These tales often challenge the boundaries between human, animal, and the supernatural, a fascinating focus for writers interested in exploring the more-than-human.
We’ll take you through some prompts to help you to shape your text. Have a think in advance and bring some draft writing and ideas if you have them that you can elaborate on in the workshop (not essential). If you’re a poet, bring some poems that you can publish together in the zine – perhaps on a similar theme; likewise flash fiction, creative nonfiction, a fragmentary essay, short story …. You get the picture!
We will supply all materials, including source material from folktales.
No prior experience is necessary for this workshop - just bring your creative spirit!
By the end of the morning you will have at least one zine to take away … and reproduce.
Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve your spot today. Let's make something amaZINE together!
Date: Friday 2nd May 2025, 10am - 12.30pm
Venue: Studio (2nd floor), Subscription Rooms, George St., Stroud, Gloucestershire, GL5 1AE. This venue is fully accessible and a lift is available to the second floor Studio space where we’ll be holding our workshop.
Cost: £30 / £22.50 concessions
Shapeshifting in folklore often symbolizes transformation, fluidity, and the breaking of boundaries—concepts that resonate deeply with the experiences of many trans and non-binary individuals. These stories can serve as metaphors for gender identity and the journey of self-discovery, as they explore themes of change, adaptability, and the rejection of rigid norms. In light of recent developments in the UK that seek to demonise and oppress trans and non-binary people, this workshop is FREE to trans and non-binary folk - please email juliette.morton@dialect.org.uk to reserve your spot. You will be very welcome.
Tutors: JLM Morton & Emma Kernahan, co-directors of Dialect.
