User Blog:
What is Comics Barcamp 2011? A Gain.

 Over the last few months I've been organising Comics Barcamp Belfast 2011, the first barcamp event specifically aimed at the comics creatives community. The event takes place this Saturday 3rd September at Blick Studios, 51 Malone Road, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

The most common obstacle and priming question for discussion has been, What is Barcamp?

BarCamp is an ad-hoc gathering where participants are the main actors of the event. It is born from the desire for people to share and learn in an open environment. It is an intense event with discussions, demos, and interaction from attendees. Comics Barcamp Belfast is the first comics barcamp in the UK and Ireland. It is hoped will pool the knowledge and share it amongst comics creators and other people with an interest in the industry North and South of Ireland.

The event seemed to be making all the right noises, but I still don't actually know what it is? Is it a convention, or a fan event, or ...what?

Sigh. Anything done for the first time does unleash a demon.

In one important sense, this is a virtual event. Importantly, it's an event where everyone must do something. Under that rule, examples. I've been gearing it towards people working near, at, or around comics. Gar Shanley interviewed me and told the Dublin Zine Fair about it, Debbie McCormack put flyers across the city. Gareth Watson set me up for an interview with FollowingtheNerd.com on Banbridge Radio. The staff at Blick have been helpful and Matt McElroy at DriveThru gave us some much needed profile. Today, I'll be meeting with Garath O' Rawe to investigate Arts Council funding, as well as some much needed face-time and practical mapping out on what needs to be done without resorting to exhaustion.