Led by Natalie Jenkins, the workshops focused on making “zines” (short for magazine). A zine (pronounced like “zeen”) is a self-made booklet exploring an area of interest or a specific topic. In this case, seven of the eight pages in the premade zine templates were designed with prompts at the top of each page, which were left mostly blank to encourage creativity, self-expression, and reflection on campers’ experiences and their connection to Estonian heritage. (Read our other article on Eesti Elu further explaining the workshop).
For week one of both camps, the prompts included: Milline on sinu ideaalne päev Seedriorul/Jõekäärul? (“What is your ideal day at Seedrioru/Jõekääru?”), Design your own rahvariided, Design a new Estonian superhero or mythical figure. What’s their story?, What’s one moment from this week of camp you’ll always remember?, Mis on üks uus eestikeelne sõna, mida sa sel nädalal õppisid? Kasuta seda lauses, joonistuses või koomiksis! (“What’s one new Estonian word that you’ve learned this week? Use it in a sentence, a drawing, or a comic.”), Describe or draw what being Estonian means to you, and a signature page on the back for notes and messages from friends. For the remaining weeks, the prompts will differ to match each week’s theme.
The campers will work on their zines throughout the week until the next session begins, so by the end, they’ll have a collection of personal keepsakes from their time at camp—something they can look back on with nostalgia as they grow up.
Around forty keskmised ja suured poisid ja tüdrukud (intermediate and senior boys and girls) at Seedrioru, and fifteen keskmised at Jõekääru, participated in the workshop. As the workshops progressed, each group’s creativity manifested in unique ways, showing how they interpreted and reflected on their experiences at camp. Some campers took a more literal approach, writing thorough responses, while others took a more abstract approach, drawing pictures and making sticker-collages to make the pages come alive. Either way, it was clear that the kids were engaged and had fun with the activity. Here’s some sneak peeks of what the campers have done so far:
Complete galleries of the campers’ zines will be published as the summer continues. Keep an eye out for them on eestielu.ca!
This article was written by Natalie Jenkins as part of the Local Journalism Initiative.
