Dates: September 7th to 8th, 2023
Venue: SKCNS Fabrika, Novi Sad, Serbia
Admission: Free

The 1st WOMCOM Conference will take place on September 7–8, 2023, at SKCNS Fabrika in Novi Sad, Serbia. This conference aims to create a dynamic space for discussion, knowledge exchange, and collaboration, focusing on women’s roles and representation in comics.

Bringing together artists, scholars, activists, curators, publishers, editors, and arts managers, the event will serve as a vibrant platform to explore best practices, share research, and highlight the evolving landscape of gender representation in comics.

Through panels, exhibitions, workshops, and performances, the 1st WOMCOM Conference will bridge artistic practice, academic research, and activism, bringing together diverse perspectives that are shaping the future of comics.

Supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe program, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia, and the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information, and Relations with Religious Communities, WOMCOM is dedicated to fostering critical dialogue and amplifying the voices of women in the comic arts.

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Conference Program

Thursday, September 7, 2023

📍 11:00–11:45 | SKCNS Fabrika
Opening of the Conference & Presentation of the WOMCOM Project
Speakers: Obrad Škrbić, Director of the Student Cultural Center Novi Sad, and representatives of partner organizations and officials

📍 11:45–12:30 | SKCNS Fabrika
Presentation of the Anthology of Balkan Women Comic Artists
Speaker: Jana Adamović
Moderator: Dragana Garić Jovičić

🎨 Workshop: Screen Printing led by Matrijaršija Collective

☕ 12:30–12:45 | Coffee Break

📍 12:45–13:30 | SKCNS Fabrika
Prix Artémisia: Open Call for French Women Comic Authors
(In collaboration with the French Institute in Serbia)
Speaker: Camille de Singly
Moderator: Branislav Glumac

🎨 Workshop: Screen Printing led by Matrijaršija Collective

🍽️ 13:30–15:00 | Lunch Break

📍 15:00–16:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
Contemporary Comic Production in France: The Role & Visibility of Women on the French and European Market
(In collaboration with the French Institute in Serbia)
Speaker: Aude Massot
Moderator: Branislav Glumac

📍 16:00–17:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
Best Practices: Women in Comics – Matrijaršija, Stripburger, Stripo-tetke
Speakers: Johanna Marcadé-Mot, Tanja Skale, Dragana Radanović

📍 17:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
Opening of the Exhibition Featuring Works from the WOMCOM Art Residency
Participants: Comic artists from the residency program
Curators: Jana Adamović and Dragana Garić Jovičić

🎭 21:00 | Youth Theatre
Theatre Performance: “Cat Claw”

Friday, September 8, 2023

📍 11:00–12:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
Women’s Activism in Comics
Speakers: Lilla Gregor and Helena Janečić
Moderator: Marko Dješka

🎨 Workshop: Feminist Comics – Creating a Short Comic (Part 1)
Led by: Petra Lilla Marjai & Eszter Szép

☕ 12:00–12:15 | Coffee Break

📍 12:15–13:30 | SKCNS Fabrika
How Do Comic Festivals Address Gender Issues?
Participants: Representatives of partner festivals: OHOHO, NS Strip Weekend, Tinta, International Comics Festival in Budapest
Moderator: Saša Paprić

🎨 Workshop: Feminist Comics – Creating a Short Comic (Part 2)
Led by: Petra Lilla Marjai & Eszter Szép

🍽️ 13:30–15:00 | Lunch Break

📍 15:00–16:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
Artists in Focus
Participants: Ena Jurov, Anna Julia Benczédi, Danica Jevđović, and WOMCOM Art Residency participants
Moderator: Eszter Szép

🎨 Workshop: Feminist Comics – Creating a Short Comic (Part 3)
Led by: Petra Lilla Marjai & Eszter Szép

📍 16:00–17:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
Balkan Women Artists in the Global Comics Scene
Speaker: Valentina Broštean
Moderator: Dragana Radanović

🎨 Workshop: Feminist Comics – Creating a Short Comic (Part 4)
Led by: Petra Lilla Marjai & Eszter Szép

📍 17:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
Official Opening of NS Strip Weekend & Exhibition by Valentina Broštean

🎶 21:00 | SKCNS Fabrika
DJ Set