Gestalten

Returning from Casablanca

Casablanca is a myth and telling anybody you are going there certainly raises an eyebrow. A trip to Casablanca for the annual Popular Culture Journalism Workshop by the European Cultural Foundation raises eyebrows and a couple of questions.

1) Why would 50 magazine makers from all around Europe meet in Casablanca?
Because it would remove them from their everyday environment and challenge their perception. Because it would allow them to get a first-hand experience of the growing locale, increasing migration, and the cultural scene. Because shared experiences would make them even more of a group which would then allow for an even more open exchange ideas and experiences in the future. And it could potentially raise some issues about the EU and its neighbors, even if it was not and officially stated topic on the agenda.

In geographical as well as in political terms Morocco is the northern most African country closest to Europe. It has gone through a number of invasions in its history. It is becoming more and more of a tourist destination and plays a key role in intercultural exchange as well as insecurity and immigration issues between Europe and the African and Arab worlds. With all this in mind, Casablanca, the economic capital of Morocco, seemed a wise and challenging choice for a location much discussed and appreciated by publishers, editors and designer from magazines such as Bant (Istanbul, Turkey), B East (Tallinn, Estonia), Exklusiv (Warsaw, Poland), Kasino and Läs (both Helsinki, Finland), Little White Lies (London, UK), Omagiu (Ilfow, Romania) Ozon (Athens, Greece), Pig (Milan, Italy), Rojo (Barcelona, Spain), etc.

2) What would they do there?
The main purpose of the workshop is intercultural exchange. A term that, according to Tommi Lattio, program officer at the ECF, must be experienced rather than discussed.

That is why he and his local counterpart Nabyl Guennouni from the Moroccan NGO L'Kounache paid special attention to create a program that would allow for all participants to spend effective work and inspiring casual time together as well as to meet local cultural players and experience the city.

Out of the 3-day workshop, the first day was Casablanca Day with presentations by local cultural activists and a tour of the city.

Day 2 was Workshop Day with sessions on issues such as trends in magazine design, how to work with illustration, what makes good writing, potential of web projects for magazines and gender. Some obvious topics were highlighted where magazines exchanged views on similar issues but it didn’t end with a mere show and tell. The discussions were serious and went beyond encouraging critique and the exchange of information.

Day 3 was Advertising Day and Sven Ehmann from dgv talked about how we work with clients and how we develop projects and ideas with clients over time. A topic that for almost all magazine makers has a crucial relevance, but still allows for a variety of different approaches.

3) Would they do it again?
Definitely, yes! The importance of such meetings is creating and raising the level of trust between the participants. They create opportunities to meet, share and encourage networking. It could be the start of a tight community and maybe in our next gathering in Poland, we’ll be able to talk even more frankly and attack bigger and more intimate issues?

In the meantime, you can read and follow up on the dialogue between the attendees at the workshop website. And check out the We Love Magazines book released by dgv in March covering all aspects of magazine creation and a killer director of over 1,100 magazines from all over the globe.


Photograph by Anna Schori