Explore the world and possibilities of zines with an afternoon of collective learning and hands-on making.
Saturday, 21 November 2026
1.30–5.30pm
At Camden Art Centre
Join artist and Poetic Pastel Press founder Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck for an immersive afternoon dedicated to zine culture and creative exploration.
This workshop will begin with a 45-minute illustrated talk and Q&A introducing the multiple reasons for and possibilities of zines as artistic, creative, poetic, and activist forms and as an accessible yet far reaching publishing practice. In the second part of the session, participants will create their own zine.
All materials for this workshop are provided, including paper, drawing tools, access to photocopying and bookbinding tools. Johanna will guide the group through a simple thread-binding method, making the process accessible to beginners. Content for the zine can grow from an existing personal project or be developed on the day, drawing inspiration from the Camden Art Centre garden, observation, writing, drawing, or quiet reflection.
This adult-only workshop encourages a creative, relaxed, supportive atmosphere, with organic herbal tea provided. A curated small library of zines from international publishers, offering a wide range of formats, themes, and approaches, will be available to consult throughout the afternoon. Participants who wish to include existing materials (e.g. drawings, text, cutouts) in the zine are encouraged to bring them.
Participants will return home with:
- Contextual knowledge of zines, including their history, formats, and uses.
- Practical skills in basic zine-making and simple bookbinding techniques.
- Their handmade zine created during the workshop.
- Creative inspiration and ideas for future self-publishing projects.
No prior experience necessary. Maximum places available: 16. Participants must be 18 or over.
Discounts and concessions
Student discount and concessionary prices are available for this workshop. As per our concessions policy, customers are required to submit evidence of eligibility. Please visit our policy page to find out more.
Discounts and concessions
Student discount and concessionary prices are available for this workshop. As per our concessions policy, customers are required to submit evidence of eligibility. Please visit our policy page to find out more.
About the tutor
Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck (b. 1990, France) is a transdisciplinary artist based in rural Oxfordshire. Her practice, rooted in ecological awareness, spans painting, sculpture, photography, publishing, horticulture, and participatory projects.
Johanna’s work expresses care and tenderness, reflecting on the fragility and beauty of life. Recent solo exhibitions include Soft Soft at Mutty, Castiglione Delle Stiviere (2025) and Dreaming About Tomorrow at Nidi Gallery, Tokyo (2022). Group exhibitions include Soil at Somerset House, London (2025), The Equal Right to Live and Blossom at Kate MacGarry, London (2024), One Foot in the Sky at Contemporary Sculpture Fulmer, UK (2023), and Edge Effects at Whitechapel Gallery, London (2024).
Johanna tends two allotment plots in rural Oxfordshire, where, inspired by natural farming and following veganic permaculture principles, herbs, vegetables, fruits, flowers, dyes, and medicinal plants are often grown from organic seeds. She has learned about natural dyes during her childhood in rural Alsace (France) from her grandmother and later while living in India and travelling to Japan. For over a decade now, Johanna has focused on exploring botanical dyes on reclaimed cellulose fabrics in several of her art projects, of which the series ‘Penser, Manger, Partager’ is perhaps most well-known. Johanna continues to learn and explore natural dyes in England and during her travels.
In addition, Johanna founded the collaborative initiatives Poetic Pastel Press and The Gardening Drawing Club, the latter of which includes a Community Dye Plant Plot in Oxfordshire. Johanna is also the cofounder of the printed publication series Journal du Thé – Contemporary Tea Culture. She has given talks, organised and facilitated workshops and learning programs for adults and children at multiple art institutions, including Camden Art Centre.