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Comix4=
Comics for Equality, ongoing project, throughout Europe, 2013-2014
kuš! is one of the project partners of the ComiX4= Project.
The project ComiX4= is led by Africa e Mediterraneo (Italy), in partnership with NGO Mondo (Estonia), Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation (Bulgaria), ARCA (Romania) and Grafiskie stasti (Latvia). The project aims to foster intercultural dialogue to combat racism, xenophobia and discrimination in Europe, with a particular focus on Italy, Bulgaria, Estonia, Romania and Latvia. In order to achieve this aim, the project seeks to involve migrants and second-generation immigrants – often the subjects of discrimination – in the creation of comics to be used to combat racism and xenophobia.
The main activities are the ComiX4= Comics for Equality Award - a competition for the best unpublished comic strip authors with migrant backgrounds, an interactive website (www.comix4equality.eu), a “Comics Handbook” for creative workshops in informal education, an itinerant exhibition and comics workshops across Europe.
Illustration by Amanda Baeza
With financial support from the Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Programme of the European Union
With financial support from Society Integration Foundation (SIF). www.sif.lv
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Projekts "Komiksi vienlīdzībai", īstenots Eiropas valstīs, ar fokusu Latvijā, Igaunijā, Itālijā, Rumānija un Bulgārijā, 2013-2014
kuš! ir viens no partneriem starptautiskā projektā ComiX4= Komiksi vienlīdzībai.
Projekta vadošais partneris ir organizācija „Africa e Mediterraneo” (Itālija), sadarbībā ar „NGO Mondo” (Igaunija), „The Workshop for Civic Initiatives Foundation” (Bulgārija), „ARCA” (Rumānija) un biedrību “Grafiskie stāsti” (Latvija).
Projekta „ComiX4= Komiksi vienlīdzībai” mērķis ir veicināt starpkultūru dialogu, lai mazinātu rasismu, ksenofobiju un diskrimināciju Eiropā, īpaši pievēršot uzmanību Itālijai, Bulgārijai, Igaunijai, Rumānijai un Latvijai. Lai sasniegtu mērķi, projektā tiek iesaistīti pirmās un otrās paaudzes migranti radošu instrumentu – komiksu – veidošanā, lai vērstos pret rasismu un ksenofobiju.
Galvenās projekta aktivitātes ir komiksu konkurss „ComiX4= Komiksi vienlīdzībai”, kura rezultātā apbalvoti labāko nepublicēto komiksu autori ar migrācijas izcelsmi; interaktīva tīmekļa vietne www.comix4equality.eu; komiksu katalogs, kurā apkopoti labākie konkursā iesniegtie komiksi; „Komiksu rokasgrāmata” izmantošanai radošajās darbnīcās neformālās izglītības vidē, ceļojoša komiksu izstāde un komiksu radošās darbnīcas vairākās Eiropas valstīs.
Ilustrācija: Amanda Baeza
Projekts tiek īstenots ar Eiropas Savienības programmas „Pamattiesības un pilsonība” – Novembris 2012 – finansiālu atbalstu.
Projektstiek īstenots ar Sabiedrības integrācijas fonda (SIF) finansiālu atbalstu. Par projekta aktivitātēm atbild projekta partneri. www.sif.lv
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DDA Comics Battle
Comics Battle, Dirty Deal Audio, Riga, 28.12.2013
Kuš! comics battle at the DDA end of the year party. Participants: Mārtiņš Zutis, Sabīne Moore, Ingrīda Pičukāne, Kristofers Reidzāns, Mikus Duncis, Kārlis Vītols, Dāvis Ozols and Anna Veilande Kustikova! Moderated by: ansis. ...and the winner was: Kārlis Vītols!
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Poslednja vžigalica
The Last Match, exhibition, Kino Šiška, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 25.11.-12.12.2013
The last match exhibition keeps growing and traveled to Slovenia with 364 tiny artworks. At the exhibition Oskars Pavlovskis drew a huge mural of a "Last Match Monster". On the 26.11 there was a presentation evening of kuš! with interviews with kuš! editor David Schilter and artist Oskars Pavlovskis. At the same eveneng was also a screening of Baltic animation shorts, organized in cooperation with Anna Veilande Kustikova from 2Annas.
Producers: Stripburger, Kinos Šiška, kuš! Supported by: MOL, Ministrstvo za kulturo in SSCF, Latvian Culture Capital Fundation (VKKF)
Read more about it on our blog.
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Comics Competition Exhibition
Exhibition of selected works from the Latvian comics competition 2013, Latvian Art Academy and restaurant „3 Pavāri“, 14.11 - 29.11.2013
kuš! together with the Royal Embassy of Belgium organised the Latvian comics competition with the theme "Brussels sprouts".
Participants were asked to send a comic of maximum 4 pages. 77 people from Latvia and Latvians living abroad took part. The jury composed of Frank Arnauts (Belgian ambassador), Juris Petraškevičs (artist), Anna Iltnere (Arterritory editor), Emmi Valve (Finnish comics artist) and Sanita Muižniece (kuš! editor) chose 10 favorite works by Elīna Brasliņa, Rūta Briede, Raids Kalniņš, Līva Kandevica, Maija Līduma, Anna Meldrāja, Dāvis Ozols, Reinis Pētersons, Jana Ribkina and Lote Vilma Vītiņa, which can be seen at the exhibition.
The prizes totally worth over 1000 Lats were sponsored by Beļģijas Karalistes vēstniecības Latvijā, Beļģijas-Luksemburgas-Latvijas tirdzniecības kameras., Zvaigzne ABC, HungryLab and kuš!. The exhibition was printed by Dardeze Hologrāfija on Munken Lynx Rough 150g sponsored by Arctic Paper.
The winners were announced during the Belgian Days in Riga at 16.30 on November 14th at the Art Academy:
1st prize: Rūta Briede
2nd prize: Elīna Brasliņa
3rd prize: Reinis Pētersons
Special VETO award to: Elīna Brasliņa and Reinis Pētersons
The awarded comics you can read on our blog and more pictures of the event you can see on Veto's blog.
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experimental comics workshop
Comics workshop, Totaldobže, VEF, Riga, 27.10.2013
kuš! organized an experimental comics and printing workshop with Slovenian artist Adrijan Praznik. Adrijan held an inspiring lecture about experimental storytelling and alternative approaches in comics and the possibility of using modern technology. Then he teached his special printing technique and how to apply paper on wooden stretchers.
Pictures by Nina Bric.
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CUNE Comics-in-Residence Riga II
CUNE Comics-in-Residence, Noass, Riga, 01.10-31.10.2013
In October we hosted our second comics artist in residence in Riga. The Finnish comics artist Emmi Valve went on culinary adventures through Riga and its markets, joined our kuš! comics jams to met up with the local comics scene and also was a member of the jury of the Latvian Comics Competition 2013. The residency is part of the network CUNE Comics-in-Residence (CUNE CiR).
Read Emmi's residency reports here: kuš! blog, Arterritory, CUNE
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Malmö children's comics festival
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kuš! workshop Klõps
Comics Workshop, Animation Film Festival Klõps, Tartu, Estonia, 05.10.2013
kuš! editors Sanita Muižniece and David Schilter together with artist Martins Zutis held a comics workshop at the Animation Film Festival Klõps2013 in Tartu.
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Boomfest 2013
Boomfest, St. Petersburg, Russia, 27.-29.09.2013
kuš! visited the alternative comics festival Boomfest in Russia. A great place to present our newest books, meet international artists, visiting exhibitions and workshops. Kuš! this time was represented by Laura Ķeniņš and Sabīne Moore. Also there: Latvian artist Dace Sietiņa, this time taking part in the exhibition of contemporary Dutch comics.
Read a small report about it on our blog!
Trip supported by the Latvian Consulate in St. Petersburg
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Raptus Comics Festival
Raptus Comics Festival, Bergen, Norway, 13.-15.09.2013
kuš! was a guest at the international comics festival Raptus, in Europe's rainiest city Bergen. Editor David Schilter made a short presentation of kuš! and interviewed Argentinian comic artist Berliac. Got to mingle with Norwegian and international comics artists and experts and see beautiful Fijords.
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Helsingin sarjakuvafestivaalit 2013
28th Helsinki Comics Festival, Helsinki, 05.-08.09.2013
kuš! was a guest at the 28th edition of Helsinki Comics Festival. kuš! editors David Schilter and Sanita Muižniece had a table covered with kuš! anthologies and mini kuš! editions to sell in the main tent, the perfect place to meet up with the local comics scene and international guests. Together with the Latvian comics author Anna Vaivare we also took part in the CUNE seminar on Suomenlinna talking about the comics residency program. Latvian/Dutch artist and CUNE artist-in-residence in Helsinki Dace Sietina had a comics installation on Lasipalatsi square created especially for the festival. Great times!
Trip generously supported by Nordic Culture Point and EU Culture Programme.We're too exhausted to write a blog about it, but Conundrum Press from Canada has a very nice report about the festival here!
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Unfolded Nº4 — kuš! birthday
Visual and audial comics evening, 19.00, 10.07.2013, FOLD, Riga
The evening at FOLD started with Kokle music by Latvite Cirse acompanied by live animation drawings by Martins Zutis and Anna Vaivare. Then the ambassador of Belgium in Latvia Frank Arnauts gave a special presentation about Belgian comics history. After that we announced the Latvian Comics Competition 2013.
A «comic battle» was the highlight of the evening. In several rounds of elimination artists competed against each other. The contestants were: Anete Melece, Mikus Duncis, Laura Ķeniņš, Ingrīda Pičukāne, Klāvs Loris, Margrieta Dreiblate, Artūrs Bunts and Roberts Galviņš. The final against Klāvs was won by Margrieta.
Photos by Tõnu Tu
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kuš! and the last match
Exhibition, Forum Stadtpark, Graz, Austria, 22.06.-20.07.2013
Extended version of the growing and traveling THE LAST MATCH exhibition at Forum Stadpark. At the opening on Friday the 21st of June kuš! editor David Schilter and the artists Dace Sietina and Martins Zutis will be present.
The exhibition shows 342 tiny artworks by comics artists and illustrators from 52 different countries, a special installation by Dace Sietina and Martins Zutis, short animations by KIIN (Ines Christine Geisser & Kirsten Carina Geisser), Markus Haefliger & Anja Wicki and by Ernests Klavins as well as a cozy kuš! reading corner.
Supported by Forum Stadtpark and the Latvian Embassy in Austria.
Articles: Arterritory (LV), Falter (AUT)
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København comics
Copenhagen Comics Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark, 01.-02.06.2013
kuš! took part in the CUNE seminar about upcoming comics residencies and after that had a stand at the Copenhagen Comics Festival. A great opportunity to get to know the local scene and meet international artists as well as promote kuš! and it's artists.
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kuš! in the neighbourhood
Comics route, workshop and exhibition, Kalnciema iela / Vecmilgravis, Riga, 25.05.2013
Three comics events happened in different neighborhoods of Riga in the same day: 1 - Comics route in Agenskalns with drawings spread through the neighbourhood by kuš! and Popper magazine contributors: Korsh, Klāvs Loris, Frost, Sabīne Moore, Roberts Galviņš, Endrju, Māra Viška, Tron, Laura Ķēniņš. 2 - Comics workshops for kids at Kalnciema iela kvartals led by Sabīne Moore, Māra Viška, Endrju, Laura Ķēniņš and Klāvs Loris. 3 - Micro exhibition of drawing expedition works by James Turek, Sabīne Moore, Mārtiņš Zutis and Ingrīda Pičukāne at the Vecmīlgrāvis Expedition organised by the Latvian Centre for Contemporary Art.
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Miera ielas Vasarsvētki
Miera ielas Vasarsvētki, Miera iela, Riga, 19.05.2013
kuš! took part in the Miera Street Summer festival. You might think May is not summer, but the weather couldn't have been more summery (27 degrees). At the festival market we sold comics and in cafe/bar Taka we held a t-shirt printing workshop for little and big kids.
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Ligatura 2013
Ligatura, Comics Art Festival, Poznan, Poland, 18.-21.04.2013
kuš! visited the Ligatura comics festival again. Always great to catch up with the news in the Polish comics scene and meeting international artists. kuš! editor David Schilter was in the Jury of the comics pitching and Ingrīda Pičukāne designed the lovely festival poster.
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CUNE Comics-in-Residence Riga I
CUNE Comics-in-Residence, Noass, Riga, 01.04-30.04.2013
In april we had the first comics residency in Riga. The residency is part of the network CUNE Comics-in-Residence (CUNE CiR). The first resident was James Turek (GER/USA).
Turek embarked on a series of open workshops to places known or unknown in and around Riga. The sessions's aim was to draw in places and to interact with people one normally does not, and to bring a sense of adventure and fun to making comics.
Read James' residency report on our blog!
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Cinéma, Mon Amour
Līva un Laura Āboltiņas
Ernests Kļaviņš
Laura Ķēninš
Laura Ķēniņš
Exhibition, Frankofonā kino festivāls, Kino K.Suns, Riga, 15.03-30.03.2013
Comics/Illustration exhibition dedicated to francophone cinema during the francophone cinema festival at K.Suns. 9 Latvian artists created works about their favourite French language films. Participating artists: Līva Āboltiņa, Elīna Brasliņa, Mikus Duncis, Sabīne Moore, Laura Ķeniņa, Ernests Kļaviņš, Ingrīda Pičukāne, Anna Vaivare and Mārtiņš Zutis.
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Fumetto Small Press Market
Fumetto, Small Press Market, Lucerne, Switzerland 23.-24.03.2013
Kuš! had a stand at the Fumetto Small Press Heaven to show and sell the newest issues and meet with the local comics scene. Kuš! was represented by comic artist Anete Melece.
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Baltic Comics
Baltic Comics, workshop and exhibition, Rendsburg and Kiel, Germany, 19.-24.3.2013
kuš! contributor Ingrida Picukane and kuš! editor Sanita Muizniece will participated, learned and shared their skills in the first Baltic Comic Workshop in Germany - a combination of practical workshops for both comic artists and translators from the countries around and close to the Baltic Sea. Consequently the work was exhibited in Kiel and other exciting events such as a comics battle took place. -
The Millionaires Club
The Millionaires Club, Comics Festival, Leipzig, Germany, 15.-17.3.2013
The Millionaires Club is a 3-day DIY Comic-Silkscreen-Exhibition-Showcase taking place during the Leipzig Book Fair 2013 with international and local artists, groups and collectives who present their work. Kuš!-editor Sanita Muižniece brought our newest books to the fair.
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BD Angouleme
BD Angouleme, International Comics Festival, Angouleme, France, 31.01-03.02.2013
After winning the Prix de la BD alternative last year, we were invited to attend the Angouleme comics festival, the biggest European comics festival. We had a table at the Espace BD alternative on Place New York where we presented and sold our comics.
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Tenderete
Tenderete V, Sound & Graphic Self Publish Festival, Valencia, Spain, 04-05.01.2013
Kuš! was a guest at the Sound & Graphic Self Publish Festival Tenderete in Spain. Representing the kuš! crew for this festival was be Sabīne Moore. She was selling kuš! as well as her self-published comics, held a presentation about the Latvian comics scene and performed as Kroffork.
Read more about it on our blog!
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Drink & Draw
Drink & Draw, different venues, Riga, since 2011
About once a month we meet up with Latvian artists and comics enthusiast for drink & draw sessions. The idea behind it is to bring the artists out of their comfort zones to meet up with others to have not only a drink together, but to get to know eachother and draw, create comics, make collective drawings, have comics jams, read comics and also talk a bit.
Since the first event in 2011 we have had a bunch of international guest joining in, such as French cartoonist Sam Teller, Swiss illustrator Ruedi Schorno, American ilustrator E.J. Barnes, Swiss fanzine king König Lü.Q., French comics collective Psoriasis, American artist Gary Baseman, Dutch comics artist Albo Helm, Austrian animator Stefan Holaus, Austrian kuš! contributor Simon H, Austrian illustrator Christoph Abbrederis , Mexican artist Inés Estrada and comics residents James Turek, Emmi Valve and Berliac. Amanda Baeza, Natalie Chavarria, Paul Paetzel, Liisa Kruusmägi, João Sobral, Mikkel Sommer...
© kuš!