Before the era of digital production and social media, militants regularly produced paper leaflets and bulletins to convey their political opinions and to build for direct action.
Often produced with little or no formal design training, these leaflets were rough and ready-hastily produced in response to a pressing need. However, these leaflets operated like little ‘machines’ – politically cohering the collectives who produced them, while simultaneously reporting upon- and then cohering- the politics of a wider milieu who consumed them.
Bulletins and leaflets were distributed in the community, on picket lines and on demos, distributed in radical bookshops, squats and info-centres. This bought those who produced these into physical contact with a wider network of militants. Printed material and its distribution built real world relationships.
In an era where radical ideas are increasingly produced and disseminated digitally, we lose the social bonds that the materiality of print media once provided. In as much it is easy to both produce and consume militant ideas online, but never come into physical contact with others who share your world view.
The printed word was an essential component in building radical counter cultures, providing the scaffolding (to paraphrase comrade Lenin) inside which our movements once flourished.
Pagliacci Rossi invites you to an evening of ‘cut and paste’ leaflet/bulletin creation mayhem. We invite all those interested in turning their hand to the production of rough and ready print material. Scissors, blue, paper and material will be provided. You will have 90 minutes to design your leaflet/bulletin. We will then run off copies for you to distribute in your local area, workplace or on pickets and demos.
pagliacci rossi 