Critical Approaches, Zines, and Maker Spaces

Course Information

Instructor: Sean Pessin
Location: online
Dates: August 2–6, 2021
Tuition: $1200

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Course Description

In this course, we will craft a variety of books—some recognizable, some odd, with a range of contents. In doing so, we will learn how to use making to develop inclusive communities by amplifying the voices of our communities. 
As various disciplines have undergone their turns toward pedagogy, an emphasis on process and learning often supersedes the creation of tangible products. Discounting what is made, though, doesn’t have to be the result of process-oriented learning! So much can be learned through the action of publishing. Borrowing from the fields of publishing studies, critical making, critical design, and critical cultural theory, we will experiment with play, pedagogy, and production with experiential projects, while also considering the ethics and responsibilities of publishing works in one-off editions or in larger print runs, as a single issue or in seriation. You will make conventional zines as well as some alternative and esoteric forms. As we do so, we will also draft approaches to forming and sustaining communities with our making. 

Course Requirements

You will need to have a modern computer with a microphone, camera, and internet connection and the ability to send and receive mail in the United States in order to take this course effectively.

Years Previously Taught

2021