enfance_de_l_art

As part of the University of Brighton’s cultural exchange with Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Graphic Brighton has programmed part of their June academic comics conference: ‘L’Enfance de l’Art: Jeuness et Bandes dessinées’ (The Childhood of Art: Youth and Comics) on June 3rd and 4th 2021…

The conference is mainly in French, but former Comics Laureate Hannah Berry and Comics Academic Laurence Grove (University of Glasgow) will be giving talks as part of the programme.

Here’s info about their presentations:

June 3rd, 2.30pm
Hannah Berry will be discussing “Kindness, Resilience and Sci-fi: The Rez and Planet Divoc-91”

Author of three critically acclaimed graphic novels: Livestock (2017), Adamtine (2012) and Britten & Brülightly (2008) (official selection of Angoulême in 2010), Hannah Berry will present her latest projects: The Rez, a comic and interactive podcast series set in the distant future, designed to help 9-11 year olds foster the concept of kindness and build resilience; and Planet Divoc-91, a comic series and multi-disciplinary project to help young adults process the challenges of the pandemic through a sci-fi lens.

June 4th, 8.30am

Laurence Grove will be discussing “Depictions of Disability in YA Comics”

Comics are now a medium that embraces, contextualises and supports young people with disabilities—and tell some of the story of how we got there. A historical view of comics gives a frank (but disturbing) insight to society’s approach to disabilities at a given time. Perhaps it is the very reasons that lend comics a positive role today—immediate accessibility via images, the presentation and questioning of stereotypes, the focus on (non) action and communication—that meant historical comics also suited a less-inclusive time.

Both of these talks can be accessed via UPJV’s Zoom link: https://u-picardie-fr.zoom.us – the password can be found in the PDF of the programme for the full conference and on the Fabula Literature Research website (in French)

Also, the conference is in advance of the Amiens comics festival – Les 25es Rendez-Vous de la Bande Dessinée d’Amiens – which you can find more about on their website.