Industry giants to visit Dundee Comics Creative Space during Literary Festival
Published On Fri 16 Oct 2015 by Grant Hill
Giants from the comics industry will visit Dundee next week for a sneak preview of a new studio aiming to produce the next generation of superstar artists and writers.
The Dundee Comics Creative Space (DCCS), situated in the Vision Building, Greenmarket, will be officially opened early in 2016 but a series of special preview events will take place next week as part of this year’s Dundee Literary Festival.
DCCS is a new social enterprise and studio project developed by the University of Dundee in collaboration with The Rank Foundation and the Dundee Place Partnership Scheme. The aim is to provide educational workshops and creative opportunities for various age groups and to encourage creative learning through comics.
DCCS will host an informal open day for anyone interested in trying their hand at comic production on Wednesday, 21st October and industry stars Dave Gibbons, Tanya Roberts, Norrie Millar and Letty Wilson will be on hand to pass on advice or just speak about comics. They, along with other big names from the comics world, will also take part in talks, workshops and other events as part of the Literary Festival.
Dr Chris Murray, DCCS Operations Director and a Senior Lecturer at the University, said, “We are delighted that prominent figures from the world of comics are once again taking part in the Dundee Literary Festival.
“Having writers and artists of their stature here is inspirational for anyone who wishes to work in comics, and indeed anyone with a love of the genre. The point of DCCS is to help young comics enthusiasts to develop their skills and nurture the Dave Gibbons’ and Cam Kennedy’s of tomorrow. This is a really exciting development for Dundee and will help cement our place as the home of the British comic industry.”
The 2015 Dundee Literary Festival programme will see some 50 talks, readings, workshops and other events take place from Wednesday 21st to Sunday 25th October. The critically acclaimed writers appearing include Jackie Kay and Janice Galloway. Rab C Nesbitt star Gregor Fisher’s appearance coincides with the launch of his new book about the amazing story of the biological family he traced after finding out he was adopted.
Actor and writer Nick Frost (Spaced, Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz) will also be discussing the personal journey recounted in his memoir Truths, Half Truths and Little White Lies while 2013 winner of the Great British Bake Off Frances Quinn will be talking about her first cook book, Quintessential Baking.
A series of events showcasing the freshest new voices in literature and workshops for aspiring writers will also be held at the Festival, which will also see the winner of the 2015 Dundee International Book prize announced.
More information is available at https://literarydundee.co.uk/festival/.
The comics events taking place during the five-day run are:
- Wednesday 21st October
2-4pm – sneak preview of Dundee Comics Creative Space with Dave Gibbons, Tanya Roberts, Letty Wilson and Norrie Millar.
4pm – Comics legend Dave Gibbons will be giving a talk at Bonar Hall.
- Thursday 22nd October
11am – Dave Gibbons will lead a workshop at DCCS for aspiring comics creators aged 14-17.
6-8pm – Comics Creators Jam at DCCS featuring Cam Kennedy, Dan McDaid, Montynero, Ian Kennedy and Tom Foster.
- Friday 23rd October
2.30pm - comic artists Mike Collins and Tom Foster will discuss the comics scene today, how it’s changed and what the future might hold at Bonar Hall.
4pm – Mike Collins will be discussing his work producing storyboards for the series of Dr Who currently showing on BBC1 at DCCS.
5.30pm – William Goldsmith and Catherine Simpson will discuss about their wonderful books and their journeys to publication at Bonar Hall.
- Saturday 24th October
2.15pm – Will Morris and David McKenzie will discuss comics, graphic novels, the eternal hunt for inspiration and other Adventures in Design at Bonar Hall.
6.30pm – Karrie Fransman and Sepideh Jodeyri will discuss freedom of speech and the power of comics to transcend cultural boundaries at Bonar Hall.
More information about DCCS is available at https://dundeecomicscreativespace.com/.
For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384768
Mobile: 07854 953277
Email: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk