Graphic Narratives and Social Impact – Symposium

The recent House of Illustration exhibition ‘Journeys Drawn: Illustration from the Refugee Crisis’ demonstrates graphic narratives can raise awareness of social issues – in this case the current refugee crises and the violent conflicts from which these emerge, as well as entertain.

When examining the purpose or function of such graphic narratives (sometimes called Applied Comics) the following categories can, and have been used; educational, informational, instructional, journalistic and public relations.

Through workshops and academic papers, this symposium examines the impact of graphic narratives on a range of different social issues such as education, healthcare and politics.

Programme

11am-12.30pm: Workshop 1

This workshop will examine, discuss and evaluate a selection of comics and cartoons from Sian Cook’s archive of graphic communication material related to HIV/AIDS.

12.30-1pm: Lunch

1-2.30pm: Academic Panel

Three presentations by Dr Nina Mickwitz, Dr Pen Mendonca and Tobias Yu-Kiener will examine different aspects of the social impact of graphic narratives followed by a open discussion of the issues raised.

2.30-4pm: Workshop 2

This workshop will examine, discuss and evaluate a selection of educational, instructional and public relations comic books from UAL Archives and Special Collections. Please note that both workshops use materials containing adult content.

This event is part of EMERGENCE, an exhibition and events programme presented by the Design School at London College of Communication, UAL exploring the role of design in working towards goals of sustainable production and consumption, biodiversity, inclusiveness, social cohesion and environmental sustainability.