Under the title “A Home Woven from Us: Opening Up, Telling Stories, ” MansA celebrates the first issue of MansA Magazine by offering a glimpse into the unseen: the editorial process. Through discussion, experimentation, and screenings, this weekend invites you to experience the pivotal moment when a magazine takes shape—where stories are born, perspectives are negotiated, and imaginations take form.
How do we publish a journal today? From whose perspective do we speak, for whom do we write, and how do these perspectives influence the forms we produce?
This celebratory weekend offers a behind-the-scenes look at MansA Magazine, revealing the magazine’s production process. Far from being a mere presentation, the aim here is to shed light on the practical realities of magazine production: developing a editorial direction, the dialogue between the editorial team and the art direction, design choices, technical and financial constraints, as well as the circulation of stories and our relationship with our readers.
Conceived as a living space, the kiosk becomes a place for gathering and experimentation. Discussions, workshops, and screenings are not treated as separate events, but as different facets of the same inaugural act: that of a magazine in the making.
The public is thus invited to step inside this creative process, to understand the trade-offs and possibilities involved, and to take part in it. Reading, discussing, experimenting, creating: these are all ways to contribute to a collective reflection on contemporary forms of publishing emerging from African and Afro-diasporic communities.
A HOME WOVEN FROM US
Saturday, April 4, 2026
12:00 PM–7:00 PM: Open to the public
Access to the space, guided activities around the magazine, and viewing and purchase of the first issue of MansA Magazine.
2:00 PM–3:30 PM: Discussion – Who tells the story, from where, and with what tools?
Editorial presentation of MansA Magazine. A conversation about producing a magazine today: editorial line, artistic direction, graphic choices, technical and economic constraints, distribution methods, and target audiences. A time to offer a behind-the-scenes look at the project and understand the trade-offs that shape all editorial production.
4:30–6:45 PM: Fanzine Workshop, “bookbinding” workshop
This workshop invites participants to create a mini-notebook in keychain format. Each participant chooses the interior, lays out the pages, and fills them in using pre-prepared templates. The cover is then created using suggested designs, allowing for collage, layout, and personalization. Everyone can draw or write freely to create a unique notebook that reflects their creativity.
Sunday, April 5, 2026
12:00 PM–5:00 PM: Open to the public
Magazine-related activities, browsing, background music, and free admission.
1:00 PM–5:00 PM: Screening
Loop screening of the documentary Germaine Acogny, l’essence de la danse by Greta-Marie Becker. A portrait of the Senegalese choreographer, a major figure in African contemporary dance, tracing her career and her work in passing on her art.
SPEAKERS
Elisabeth Gomis – Director of MansA, who spearheaded the editorial project and programming for African Print Celebrations.
Sébastien Thème – Guest editor-in-chief of the first issue of MansA Magazine, involved in shaping the editorial direction.
Mariem Daou – Graphic designer and art director for the first issue, responsible for the magazine’s visual design and brand identity.
Corentin Le Bihan – Facilitator of the editorial creation workshop, guiding participants in the production of their fanzines.
