PROJECT QUARANZINE

Quaranzine is a space for anyone aged 0-24 to share a ‘zine that they’ve made during lockdown, and to read 'zines that other people have submitted.

Blurtitout Team

Published at 03:06

We’re currently living through a very strange time. We know that being shut inside so much can have a big impact on how we feel. Lots of us have had to stop going to school, college, or university. Sometimes we don’t know what to do with ourselves.

We also know that there are lots of people with huge hearts who want to help. We’ve seen the rainbows, hop-jump-skipped along the chalk-courses on the pavements, and heard the claps for carers on a Thursday night. There are so many people out there who want to make things a little brighter for those around them.

In and amongst all of this, we feel as though there’s a gap in the stories we’re hearing: those of young people. Your hopes, dreams, fears, ideas, creativity, and unique views on life haven’t been shared. We want to change that; we know that sharing can strengthen communities and help us to feel less alone. Despite being in our individual homes, sharing can help us to feel part of something. To have a purpose.

We would love to hear your stories, see your artwork, read your poems and letters, capture the jokes, diaries, and insights you have. Hearing from you never fails to make us smile and prompt us to think of things in new ways.

THIS IS WHY WE’RE LAUNCHING QUARANZINE!

Quaranzine is a space for anyone aged 0-24 to share a ‘zine that they’ve made with the rest of the world. We’ll pop them in the ‘free downloads‘ section in our shop for people to download and read.

We’ve attached some downloadable templates for you to fill in (unless you fancy making your own!). We also have a list of prompts in case you get a little bit stuck, but please feel free to use your own ideas. We’ve split them into different age groups for ease, but you can use a prompt from any age group if you want to.

Once you’ve finished your zine, send it to us in a scanned-in, high-resolution document using this form. If you don’t have a scanner at home and you don’t want to install one of the free scanner apps on your smartphone or tablet, then you could take a photo of each page on any camera available to you.

We’re really looking forward to seeing what you come up with. If you have any questions, please email them to peerproject@blurtitout.org.

FAQS

What is a zine?

A short booklet about anything that you want to share.

How much does it cost?

We’re not charging anything for you to send your zine to us, or for you to download other people’s zines from our website. Unfortunately, we can’t cover the cost of any materials you use.

How long does it need to be?

Each zine needs to be at least 6 A6 pages long, and no longer than 12 pages.

Can I submit more than one?

Yes, if you want to!

Do I need my parent’s permission?

If you’re under 13, please seek your parent’s permission and confirm you have done so when completing the form to submit your zine. If this is a problem, please drop us an email and we can chat with you about it.

What if I’m rubbish at writing?

We don’t think anyone is ‘rubbish’ at writing, as long as you’re sharing the things you want to say. We’re not going to mark you on spelling or grammar or anything like that, but if you’re really worried about it, drop us a message and we’d be happy to proof-read it for you.

What if I can’t draw?

You don’t have to include pictures if you don’t want to, but equally, this isn’t about creating Picasso-level artwork, it’s about you sharing the things you’d like to share in the way you’d like to share them.

What do I do if I don’t have a scanner?

There are lots of free smartphone ‘scanner’ apps that can be installed on smartphones or tablets. Or, you could take a photo of each page and send us it like that.

Does it need to be in a certain format?

Please send it to us in a High-Resolution format, and make sure that all pages of the zine are the right way round, and on one document. Then submit it using this form.

Can I do one online/on my computer instead of scanning it in?

Yes, absolutely. Create it in a way that suits you, then send it to us ideally as a pdf document, using this form.

I’ve only done 4 pages and I’ve run out of ideas – help!

We’ve got a long list of prompts here. If you don’t fancy any of the ideas listed in your age range, have a look at some listed in the other age ranges.

Can I do one with my brother/sister/cousin?

Yes, provided it’s safe to do so.

Where can I see other people’s zines?

You’ll find them all here.

Is there a deadline?

Not at the moment! Just like the rest of the world, we don’t know how long this will last.

DOWNLOADABLE ZINE TEMPLATES + RESOURCES

Our template – this is an excerpt from our Primary School book as part of The Blurt Peer Project. It will make an 8-page zine (you could use A4 or A3 paper). This template is for a self-care zine. You’re welcome to make a self-care zine of your own, or there is a blank version of the template if you’d prefer.

Some basic ‘word’ templates with different numbers of pages.

This blog link contains a little about the history of zines, and some clear photos of how to cut and fold your zine using a template similar to the one we’ve provided.

OTHER HELPFUL LINKS

Canva: lots of different templates in all sorts of shapes, sizes, and styles

Unsplash: thousands of free, copyright-free photos.

Pinterest:  find tons of zine ideas, templates, resources, and inspiration.

Our list of prompts for if you get stuck.

Please help us to help others and share this post, you never know who might need it.

Kind words
for unkind days