Ladyfest Manchester

I have been invited to speak at a workshop discussion at November's Ladyfest Manchester; creating a collaborative area for discussion on independent media.

The workshop on DIY Media making will also feature Gill, the editor of Subtext magazine

We shall be discussing our personal motivations/reasons for doing what you do and why we think an alternative to glossy mainstream magazines and newspapers is important - the politics behind what we do with our publications, as it were. We will also be discussing the practical aspects of getting things printed - costs, distribution, getting contributers etc. and the creative aspects of self-publishing.

However, I think it would also be really important within the workshop discussion to look at how radical politics and our activisms and community organisings could be referenced more in the press we produce, and how the press we already produce is and can be a strong force in such activism itself.
These thoughts come in response to a post I read on the FAF (Feminist Activism Forum) calling for:

'a uk based print magazine/paper/zine which documents the activism and community organising that women are doing in this country and beyond.
While there's been a number of new feminist magazines over the last few years in the uk, none have really addressed the issues that are affecting poor and/or immigrant and/or disabled and/or Black and/or Asian and/or aslym seeking and/or trans women (and actually, not just women).
It comes from reading old issues of outwrite, the anti-imperialist feminist newspaper published in the 80s and thinking where is the off-line feminist press like that in our movement?? i want to put out something which is feminist in perspective, but that doesn't use feminism as a blinker against other oppressions. which takes an intersectional approach in all its content and requires everyone who writes for it to demonstrate an understanding of the connection of all oppressions. and also, i'm not interested in judging people by whether they adhere to a feminist language/identity as a way of deciding which women's voices should be foregrounded. i want people to read about the activists who are organising around health care, education, asylum seekers rights, violence, older women's rights, i don't care if they call themselves feminists or not.'

If you're gonna be at Ladyfest, come along, and join the discussion...

The Workshop will be held on the Sunday of Ladyfest (9th November), between 2pm and 3pm.

Details about the location of Ladyfest Manchester 2008, and all other events occuring as part of the festival can be found on their website