Tauranga Zinefest And Tauranga Arts Festival To Join Forces

Tauranga’s popular annual Zinefest has been gifted to Tauranga Arts Festival by its co-founder and director Hannah Wynn.

Graphic designer Hannah wanted to ensure the future of the city’s one-day Zinefest now she has moved to Hamilton and says that with an established relationship with the Arts Festival, the event couldn’t have a better guardian.

“Lynette Fisher and I were studying together at Toi Ohomai when she suggested we put on a zinefest in 2016,” Hannah says. “And I said, ‘what’s a zine?’.”

Pronounced ‘zeen’, zines are small, short-run, self-published, (maga)zines, covering all sorts of topics, including music, politics, sexuality and humour. Written, drawn (by hand or digitally), painted, collaged, zines can take any form their maker desires. Culturally and historically, zines have served as an outlet for content outside the mainstream.

“Zinefests — and zines in general — provide a safe, independent platform for underrepresented and marginalised voices including Māori and other BIPOC communities, rangatahi, disabled people, the LGBTQIA+ community, and people with limited economic resources,” Hannah says.

“One maker, Jakob, has been with us from the start, beginning as a rangatahi. His art has grown incredibly over the years and he’s inspired others to share their creativity through zines. That’s why I’ve loved doing it. It’s a buzzing, joyful occasion.”

Hannah isn’t cutting her ties to Zinefest, which she has managed solo since 2019, and will be providing design and delivery support for the free event, as well as volunteering on the day.

Zinefest offers sales stalls, talks and workshops, as well as networking opportunities. Stall-holders have come from as far as Christchurch and Auckland and last year one-third of stall-holders were aged under 15. The first Zinefest attracted 250 visitors, while last year it was a record 500.

This year’s Zinefest will be on Sunday, October 22. More details will be available with the 2023 Tauranga Arts Festival programme which is being launched on Thursday, August 3.

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