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Making and Breaking the Zine

Making and Breaking the Zine is a six-week course developed for Index Space that encourages students to push the boundaries of zine-making and independent publishing. Through hands-on production, research, critique, and exposure to a wide range of formats, participants explore the history and possibilities of the medium while developing their own creative practice. The course culminates in a collaborative print session and zine exchange, with each student producing an original publication.

Week One: Introduction

Students learn about the history and significance of zines & independent publishing and recieve a brief for the long term project that they will work on throughout the course of the class.

Week Two: Zine Studio One

Students explore making mini zines using a single sheet of paper and physical art materials. Students are taught how to reproduce these mini zines wiht a photocopier.

Week Three: Zine Studio Two

Students explore making a zine without design software. Using collage methods, and a dummy zine template, students leave class with a zine made in one session of class with work from each student incorporated into it.

Week Four: Class Critique One

Students engage in a classwide critique of the long term project. Each student presents progress on their long term zine as classmates provide constructive feedback.

Week Five: Field Trip to Printed Matter Chelsea, NYC

The class travels to Chelsea, NYC to explore Printed Matter. Students explore their exhibitions on independent publishing as well as peruse their collection of zines for sale.

Week Six: Class Critique Two

Students engage in a classwide critique of the long term project. Each student presents progress on their long term zine as classmates provide constructive feedback.

Week Seven: Final Print Session and Zine Exchange

Students print, assemble and share thier final zines for the long term project at Index Space in Chinatown, NYC.

To see student work from making and Breaking the Zine, please use the contact form on this site.