Getting Graphic with the Past: graphic histories and the uses of comics in education

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About this webinar

Increasingly, people are using comics, or graphic novels, as valuable resources for teaching and learning about the past. Comics such as Maus: A Survivor’s Tale (1986 & 1991), Persepolis (2003), Louis Riel: A Comic Strip Biography (2003), A Graphic History of the Industrial Workers of the World (2005), and Red Rosa: A Graphic Biography of Rosa Luxemburg (2015) are fast becoming classroom staples. With a focus on historical comics, the Graphic History Collective contributes to this growing field through collaborations with academics, activists, educators, and artists. This webinar explores the structure of the Graphic History Collective, lessons learned through our work together, and tips for those looking to create their own projects or bring comics to the classroom.

About the presenters

Robin Folvik is a founding member of the Graphic History Collective. She has a background in history and women’s studies, with a focus on feminist histories, British Columbia’s working people, and social movements. Robin explores ways of translating academic knowledge to reach a broader public, and has worked on films, curriculum development, walking tours, and public history installations through her position as Research Director at BC Labour Heritage Centre. Robin currently lives on unceded Coast Salish Territories, splitting time between Vancouver & Cumberland.

Kara Sievewright is an artist, writer, and designer who has published comics in many magazines and anthologies. Over the last fifteen years she has created graphics, posters, and websites for many radical and progressive movements. She joined the Graphic History Collective in 2015. She now lives in Daajing Giids Llnagaay/Village of Queen Charlotte, Haida Gwaii on Haida Territory. Check out her website.

View more webinars in this series: Visual History webinar series