ZELP background – Zine questionnaire results

Of those who responded to the survey for workshop attendees, the majority shared that the most impactful thing about zine making is the opportunity to explore new art forms. Similarly, on the engagement questionnaire the majority of respondents shared that the art form is what makes them engage with zines.

This suggests that there is something about the art-form of zine making that really stands out to people as a unique process.

Other factors that encourage people to engage with zines and the broader zine community are:

• Meeting new people
• Learning about new topics
• themes of zines or workshops
• Method being explored
• Getting feedback on their work

Across all surveys, workshop attendee’s, facilitators and engagers alike shared common things that they valued about zines. These were that zines:

• Don’t require any expertise for engagement
• Are inherently inclusive of different people, abilities and allow marginalised people to have their voices heard
• Can help you to organise your thoughts
• Create community and opportunities to connect with others
• Are low cost to make
• Allow for and promote creative freedom

“MAKING ZINES HAS BECOME A KEY WAY FOR ME TO TALK ABOUT THE THINGS I DESPERATELY WANT TO SHARE BUT KNOW NO ONE REALLY CARES ABOUT. I WRITE A LOT ABOUT GRIEF AND STORIES OF MY LOVED ONES WHO ARE NO LONGER WITH US, AND CONTRIBUTING TO AND MAKING MY OWN ZINES HAS MEANT I GET TO EXPLORE THAT AND MAKE SOMETHING TANGIBLE OUT OF THOSE FEELINGS.”

Across the surveys, there was a consensus that zines are a great way to engage people in conversations about mental health because:

• They provide a creative outlet
• They’re a way of communicating with others and connecting with others with shared experiences
• They can help to distil big questions into something tangible
• They facilitate activism and help you to practise finding your voice and sharing your experiences

“SOME PEOPLE MAY BE QUITE SHY TALKING ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH OUT LOUD, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DOING SOMETHING WITH YOUR HANDS, IT GIVES ANOTHER ROUTE TO EXPRESS THAT.”
– ZINE WORKSHOP ATTENDEE

While there was wide spread agreement across the survey responses that zine-making is a great activity to use to talk about mental health, there were also some common things highlighted that facilitators should be aware of. These were:

• Some people might find it hard it hard to open up and share openly in a group setting
• The content could be potentially triggering for some people
• As zines are so accessible, there is a risk that misinformation about mental health could be communicated – either intentionally or unintentionally
• Zines don’t suit everyone – not everyone will enjoy making zines or engaging with them

“ZINES ARE A GREAT WAY TO EXPLORE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, BUT THEY MIGHT OPEN UP A WELLSPRING OF EMOTIONS THAT KIDS AND PEOPLE THEN WANT TO SHARE BUT FIND DIFFICULTY DOING IN THE CONFINED NUMBER OF PAGES OF A ZINE. THERE MIGHT BE A NEED TO HAVE A LIST OF MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AVAILABLE FOR ADULTS AND PARENTS OF CHILDREN IF NEEDED.”
– ZINE WORKSHOP FACILITATOR

Those who completed our facilitators questionnaire had experience working with a variety of age groups, but all had a consensus that zines are great to use with kids and young teens. This is because at this age they are open to trying new things, they embrace the format easily, they are developing creatively and are spontaneous in their creativity.

When asked how zine making could help with emotional literacy, respondents replied that zines could help as they:

• Help to provide a new way for talking about topics
• Provide a non-judgemental space for expression and creativity
• Provide a visualisation of abstract concepts that might otherwise be hard to understand
• Provide a place to practise self-expression and develop emotional language

“ZINES ARE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR INTERGENERATIONAL COMMUNICATION. THEY ARE A GREAT STARTING POINT FOR CONVERSATIONS, ALSO HELPING PEOPLE TO REALISE THEY ARE NOT ALONE AND ENCOURAGING THEM TO REACH OUT AND VERBALISE THEIR FEELINGS”