The Conflictorium, a participatory museum based at Ahmedabad, is organizing Stand Up, Speak Up – Comics Workshop Exhibition from tomorrow till 26th January at Conflictorium Museum of Conflict at Ahmedabad.
AnimationXpress.com had a quick conversation with Shefali Singh – Manager of Conflictorium to know more about this exhibition and she starts off the conversation with us by saying, “Everyone has a voice and a story, but often because of circumstances they are not able to share them. In these situations, comics can be that voice. We want to give a platform to these voices.”
Please tell us more about yourself and the idea behind organizing this exhibition?
The Conflictorium is a participatory museum that addresses the theme of conflict. It seeks to act as a third space to create a dialogue through art. We want to be a world class resource center on “peace and conflict” using Art, Law, Culture & the Behavioral Sciences in an integrated way. After attending Grassroot Comics Workshop by Sharad Sharma, we were inspired to spread this medium of communication among youth from different backgrounds in Ahmedabad.
Who are the core team members behind this exhibition?
I’ve done my Masters in Conflict Management & Development from Banaras Hindu University and right now working as the Manager of Conflictorium, Prerna Dudani is a visual designer hailing from USA and she is currently working as a design consultant with me, Tanazz Anklesaria – Program Officer at Janvikas, Ahmedabad, Nilesh Gohil – Graphic Designer at Drishti, Media, Arts & Communication in Ahmedabad, Sumitra P Parmar – Program Officer at Janvikas, Ahmedabad, Kiran Sengal – Video Editor at Nazariya, Youth to be Heard in Ahmedabad and Chirag Pandya – Volunteer at Nazariya, Youth to be Heard.
What are the core highlights?
The core highlights of the exhibition the personal stories of the participants that have emerged during the workshops. These are stories of conflict, which the participants cannot share easily with others, but through the medium of comics they are able to talk about their personal lives. Comics are generally used for entertainment, but we have used them to better understand our community, their problems and ways in which we can help. We will be showcasing comics created by youth from Bhoiwad ni pol, Delhi Chakla and participant from CEPT University. These comics were the product of a 3 day Comics Workshop that was held at the Conflictorium on 8/1 – 10/1. You will also get to interact get with the stories written in the comics. The British High Commission is our International Funder.
Is the entry free?
Yes, entry is free! The exhibition runs from the 16/1 – 26/1, 2014 from 11am – 8pm @ Conflictorium, Museum of Conflict. Gool Lodge, Opp. R.C. School of Commerce, Mirzapur, Ahmedabad and you can contact us at 079-25620747 or 999-8929984
Why would you recommend this exhibition to someone?
We recommend this exhibition because anyone can connect with the stories in these comics. You must have seen and read comics in newspapers as a child, this is the grown-up version! Also, this exhibition is full of color and is interactive! It will be appreciated by designers and non-designers as well. Lastly, it’s free!! Also we are in the process of getting speakers such as Kamla Bhasim, the famed feminist activist & gender trainer, and an activist from Action Aid India.