Cheshire launches mobile zine workshops to document local women’s lives

demoduck.co.uk editorial team 2026-08-06 13:11 2 min read

Close-up of hands working with fabric on a wooden craft workshop table.

Residents across Cheshire are invited to contribute to a new county-wide archive by creating mini-magazines, or ‘zines,’ that document the lived experiences of women and girls. The 20,000 Women Zine Project is a collaborative initiative designed to address a historical imbalance in local record-keeping, where the contributions and stories of women have often been sidelined or omitted from the official historical narrative.

Where to Find Zine Making Stations

Cheshire Archives has established free, drop-in Zine Making Stations at several key locations across the county. These stations are designed to be mobile, rotating to different venues throughout the remainder of the year to ensure broad community access. Current locations include:

Weaver Hall Museum, Northwich
Chester Storyhouse
Ellesmere Port Library
Neston Library
Winsford Library

Because these stations are mobile, their availability at specific sites is subject to change. Residents interested in tracking the current location of the stations are advised to check the @cheshire_archives_women Instagram page for the latest updates and venue shifts.

Participation and Creative Process

The workshops are open to all, including children, teenagers, and adults, and no prior artistic or writing experience is required. Participants are encouraged to work independently, with friends, or as part of a group to create an eight-page mini-zine.

Cheshire launches mobile zine workshops to document local women's lives

Each station is fully equipped with necessary materials, including templates, bright papers, stickers, and copyright-free images. The project encourages contributors to focus on a woman or girl living in Cheshire today—whether a friend, colleague, relative, or themselves—to capture their daily experiences, ambitions, and memories. For those who prefer to work at their own pace, project packs are available at the stations and can be taken home to complete.

Useful Details for Contributors

To ensure your work is included in the final collection, please note the following submission requirements:

Submission Process: Once completed, zines or photocopies of the work should be returned via the brightly coloured post boxes located at each station.
Documentation: Participants must include a completed submission form with their work to ensure it is properly catalogued.
Project Goal: Each contribution will be preserved by Cheshire Archives, which is currently preparing to move into two new purpose-built archive centres in Chester and Crewe in early 2027.
Support: The initiative is supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Wolfson Foundation, an independent grant-making charity focused on research and education.

By participating, contributors are helping to build a many-voiced record of women’s and girls’ lives across Cheshire, ensuring these stories are preserved for future generations.

Source: Cheshire West and Chester Council

Context & actions About this article

Source check Verified Council Initiative

The event details were verified against the official Cheshire West and Chester Council news announcement.

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