While working on Lesvos we noticed that many migrants are creators – of poetry, stories, music and other artforms. We see a need for small-scale publications in order to show a larger variety of stories and viewpoints and to help more people whose voices are usually silenced to publish their work.
We decided to open a small cross-cultural printing house where artists on Lesvos work together to create books for change. Using a Risograph printer – an innovative, cost-effective and extremely environmentally friendly machine – we intend to offer a space for creativity, learning and co-creation.
In order to do so, we received a grant from the European Cultural Foundation, making it possible to buy almost all the equipment and cover some of the running costs!
With the right equipment we are able to make high-quality publications on a small scale. Localizing the production will help us to be efficient, independent and democratic, while enabling participants to obtain technical skills related to design, printing and binding.
We want to discover the impact of small-scale and accessible publishing in order to advocate for a less capitalistic and more diverse approach to books and stories.
Besides the European Cultural Foundation, local branches of Kiwanis and the Soroptimists in The Netherlands also support the project.
#RDgrantee #courageouscitizens
