Laydeez Awards 2019

Aim

To create women-only awards 2019 for unpublished graphic novels in progress in the UK

Hello let us introduce you to Laydeez Do Comics
https://laydeezdocomics.wordpress.com
Artists and scholars Dr Sarah Lightman and Dr Nicola Streeten set up Laydeez Do Comics (LDC) in 2009.

What's the Laydeez Do Comics story?

We met at a time when we were both working on our autobiographical long form graphic novels whilst also commencing doctoral research into gender and comics. We were keen to find a space to talk about comics that were not superhero based and not for children, but instead about the domestic, the autobiographical and the everyday. Because no such platform in London existed, we set up our own.

Women-led, though not women-only, our monthly events have run ever since, described as “a combination between a book club and a series of TED talks”. LDC events are free to attend, open to the public and feature illustrated presentations from invited guests including filmmakers, writers, museum curators, artists as well as cartoonists, with strict adherence to gender parity in our quota of guests. Laydeez do Comics has spurred regular and pop up branches nationally and internationally including in Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Brighton, Glasgow, Dublin, Israel, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Czech Republic. From 2013, we began expanding our core team and now run LDC in the UK as an unincorporated voluntary organisation with a committee of six women. These are: Charlotte Bailey, Rachael Ball, Lou Crosby, Wallis Eates, Sarah Lightman and Nicola Streeten. 

2019 sees us celebrate our 10th anniversary. The launch of our women-only awards for the second year is part of our expanded 2-day Laydeez Weekend Festival on 30 and 31 March, 2019. We are also launching a widened programme of activity, supported by Arts Council England that will run throughout the year and develops pilot activity introduced in March 2018.

           Simone Lia's stunning design for our quality tote bags

What are the "Laydeez Awards"?
First launched in March 2018,  these are monetary prizes made possible through generous donations from you - our friends and community as part of our crowdfunding campaign. Awards were presented as part of a one-day festival in 2018. 

In 2019 we are broadening this into a two-day festival: Laydeez Weekend (30 and 31 March 2019) at The Free Word Centre, London. Arts Council England funding is in place to support the organising and hosting activity of Laydeez Weekend and at a VIP event on Sunday 31 March the 2019 award winners will be announced.

Six awards will be presented to UK-based female-identifying graphic novelists for unpublished graphic novel work in progress:
First prize: £2,000
Five shortlisted entries: £200 each
All shortlisted entries will also receive a one-to-one Laydeez Review session offering critical feedback on their work and professional advice.

All entrants will be winners! 

Here are some of the reasons why it is worth entering the Laydeez Awards:

+All submissions will be displayed during our 2-day festival 30 and 31 March 2019 and then tour to three Derbyshire libraries during July and September 2019

+All entrants will be offered first refusal on booking a subsidised one-to-one Laydeez Review at the festival as well as first refusal to apply for a limited number of bursaries for lower income participants

+All entrants will be offered first refusal on booking a place on our new 6-month Laydeez online mentoring scheme +All entrants will be offered first refusal on booking a place on our first Laydeez Residency 7-10 June 2019 

And look at this splendid tea towel design by Simone Lia

What is “Laydeez Weekend”? 

A two-day festival developing three strands of Laydeez Do Comics activity:
Saturday 30 March 2019: 10am-5pm A professional development day (not open to the general public)

Laydeez Review sessions: 50 minute one-to-one critical feedback on works in progress from experienced published artists and graphic novelists. This year there will be 12 reviewers, increasing the number of sessions available for a subsidised nominal fee. The sessions will be open to all and bookable in advance.

Laydeez Lounge: showcasing all works submitted in response to an open call for entries for UK-based female-identifying graphic novelists for work in progress.

Sunday 31 March 2019 

11am-4.30pm: Open to the public 

2pm-4pm: Presentations from invited UK publishers

5pm-7pm: VIP event invitation only

Laydeez Lounge: showcasing all works submitted in response to an open call for entries for UK-based female-identifying graphic novelists for work in progress.

VIP event: 

Laydeez Awards presentations: Six awards will be presented. These will be monetary, supported by this crowd-funding campaign and will include a “Laydeez Review”, a one-to-one professional development mentoring session. 

Cath Tate Award presentation: A new women-only award for one panel cartoons. Sponsored by Cath Tate Cards.

Why have a women-only award?
LDC has always championed the work of all comics artists and cartoonists whose works emphasis the drama of the everyday. Our interest is in an equal representation of all genders. We  have never had trouble finding talented female practitioners to come and speak at our events. We are therefore relentlessly mystified  at the continual lack of recognition of female artists on guest lists at comics festivals and in long and short lists of comics prizes. We are conscious that gender specific prizes are not the solution, but until gender parity exists within the wider cultural structures we think there is still a need. 

This project successfully funded on 4th December 2018