Avid Learning presents Graphic Storytelling 101: The Art and Craft of Creating Graphic Novels, a day-long workshop with Illustrator Ayushi Rastogi and Writer Varud Gupta where they will introduce participants to the process of illustrating and articulating thoughts, emotions and moments with reference to their graphic novel Chhotu: A Tale of Partition and Love, which is set against the backdrop of partition and the horrors that followed. They will be joined later in the day by Special Guest Speaker, President and Chief Operating Officer at Amar Chitra Katha Preeti Vyas who will conduct a power-packed session on the business of comic books and graphic novels.

The description of the workshop is as below:

The session will delve into the technicalities involved in deconstructing narratives to capture stories that are socially and culturally relevant. They will further shed light on the complexity of skill required for combining text and visuals aesthetically, interpreting history to make it relevant to a contemporary audience and the process of research to the role of typography, character design and composition while creating initial and final drafts. 

These speakers will be joined later in the day by Special Guest Speaker, President and Chief Operating Officer at Amar Chitra Katha Preeti Vyas who will conduct a power-packed session on the trajectory of Indian graphic storytelling. Preeti will speak about the shifts in the publishing market that have paved the way for graphic novels to gain popularity and traction with a diverse readership and how graphic novelists need to engage with wider audiences to integrate their content as a part of larger learning pedagogy.

Workshop Highlights:

-The journey into creating a graphic novel

- Going from concept to pitch to production to final product

-Working in collaboration and communicating creative visions

-The fundamentals of storytelling and how they influence art and style

-Trajectory of graphic storytelling

- Business of comics and graphic novels

Where:  Essar House - Podium, 11 K.K. Marg, Mahalaxmi, Mumbai - 400034

When: Saturday, 21st March 2020 | 9:30AM – 4:00PM

Fee: Rs. 1200/- (including lunch and a copy of the book)

About the Speakers

Varud Gupta was bred for the business world until an existential crises sent him travelling through the culinary cultures of the world. It was in documenting odd jobs as a cheesemonger or asador that his journey as a writer began. His first book, Bhagwaan Ke Pakwaan, was a travel narrative through the faiths and foods of India. And the story of Chhotu, represents the culmination of the first chapter on this existential path.

Ayushi Rastogi was born into a family of artists and was quickly instilled with a drive to seek social responsibility in her work. With that spirit, as a graphic designer and illustrator, she’s created a board game for children with dyslexia, illustrated a children’s series that tackles topics of diversity, and designed books on pressing issues from nature conservation to pollution.

Preeti Vyas is President of Amar Chitra Katha Private Limited, publishers of the iconic Amar Chitra Katha comics, Tinkle magazine and National Geographic India. She is also the Founder of FunOKPlease Publishing that creates contemporary Indian content for children. Through her 25-year-long career, she has been a bookseller, publisher, entrepreneur, editor and author. Preeti is a practicing Buddhist, eternal optimist and lives in Mumbai with her 10 year son and in-house editor, Neel.

About AVID

Avid Learning, the cultural philanthropy arm of the Essar Group founded in 2009 has, over the past decade, grown into one of Mumbai’s leading public programming platforms and is firmly entrenched in the country’s wider cultural ecosystem. Over the years, AVID has gained a reputation for curating thought provoking, innovative and path-breaking content that is intellectually and creatively stimulating and engages with a variety of topical subjects and trends. Our thoughtfully curated and diverse events embrace the spirit of collaboration to bring together the best of Indian and international writers, artists, intellectuals, cultural experts, policymakers and industry leaders across Visual Art, Literature, Culture and Heritage, Education, Design & Technology and the Performing Arts through engaging and dynamic formats like panel discussions, workshops & master classes, roundtables, lecture demonstrations, festival platforms, symposiums & conferences, multidisciplinary performances and walkthroughs. We seek to democratize the arts, create new audiences, and deepen engagement by providing a platform that gives equal access and opportunity to new learners, fresh voices and nascent minds in order to nurture future stakeholders for the creative community in India. To date, AVID has conducted over 1150 programs and connected with more than 140,000 individuals, a widely eclectic group of life-long learners including students, patrons, practitioners, influencers, thought leaders and cultural & creative enthusiasts in Mumbai, Delhi, Jaipur, Bangalore, Goa and Gujarat. We have also made our mark internationally, with events and collaborations in Dubai and New York. We regularly collaborate and partner with institutions, organisations and initiatives like the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), one of the apex bodies that impact cultural policy and the creative sector as a whole. We have been at the helm of programming at the Royal Opera House, Mumbai India’s only surviving Opera House since its reopening in 2016. We believe in the importance of arts for social change and we regularly offer our support and platforms for Social Advocacy. Thanks to a dedicated and innovative team, as well as a growing and evolving community of learners, AVID continues to give truth to the belief that Learning Never Stops! To keep updated and attend our events, like us on www.facebook.com/Avidlearning, follow us on www.twitter.com/Avidlearning and Instagram:@avidlearning or log onto www.avidlearning.in