Autonomous media cultures are currently gaining in critical attention. Over recent decades, scholars have developed conceptual frameworks such as ’radical media’, ’alternative media’, ’activist media’, and ’citizens’ media’ to help explain the unique characteristics and working models of grassroots media production – and to ask whether self-managed media can foster critical consciousness, aid in participatory democracy, and effect social change (Atton, 2002; Bailey, Cammaerts, and Carpentier, 2007; Byerly and Ross, 2006; Downing 1984, 2000; Rodriguez, 2001; Waltz, 2005).

Within this burgeoning field, however, few in-depth studies of grassroots media from a specifically cross-generational and European feminist perspective have been published.

The Feminist Grassroots Media in Europe anthology proposes to address this lack in research, bringing together activists and academics to re-evaluate existing theoretical frameworks and to portray activist projects in light of feminist media production. As such, the book will be of interest to a broad audience, such as activists and researchers within the fields of gender and media studies, and will serve as an undergraduate textbook for research on feminist ’radical media’ praxis whilst delivering a much-needed archive of DIY media projects, networks and producers from the 1980s to the present day [1].

The Book Project

The term ’Media’ is employed broadly here to include traditional broadcasting channels (newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, films, photography) and non-traditional genres (zines, blogs, vlogs, websites, wikis, posters, burn stations, podcasts, textiles). ’Grassroots’ refers to self-managed media, produced outside of a commercial agenda, by a collective and/or individuals working from a community or social movement perspective.

The editors seek a variety of submissions from throughout Europe. The anthology aims to represent feminists from a diversity of age cohorts, backgrounds, races, classes, genders, geo-social regions and political priorities. The book seeks to ask what possibilities, limitations and vulnerabilities – with attention to class, race, ethnicity, age, disability, sexuality and gender dynamics – feminist grassroots media projects currently engender, and to map the histories, successes and challenges of women-led grassroots media in the late twentieth century and beyond. The editors are also keen to explore the links and discontinuities between ’second’ and ’third wave’ feminist media production.

The call includes, but is not limited to, work which addresses the following topics:

European Feminist Grassroots Media and:

 Aesthetics
 Activism
 Alternative Economies and Media Logics
 Organisational Models, Structures and Processes
 Comparative Analyses and Histories
 Volatile Relationships to the Mainstream (culture, media, funding and the state)
 Community Building and Mobilisation
 Dissemination Networks and Archives
 Alternative Public/Private Spheres
 Empowered Feminist Subjects and Citizens
 Consciousness-Raising Strategies and Social Movement Media

Contributions can include:

 Academic essays (5,000- 7,000 words)
 Reports/overviews from countries (2,000 – 5,000 words)
 Comparisons of ’second wave’ and ’third wave’ media projects
 Technology-based case-studies
 Interviews with grassroots media producers or distributors
 Examples from grassroots media (e.g. excerpts from grrrl zines)
 Visual commentaries
 Images

From these submissions, a free directory of grassroots media projects will be made accessible via the website Grassroots Feminism: A resource site for the feminist movement today www.grassrootsfeminism.net (currently in planning)

Submission of Abstracts

Submissions (in English) are welcomed from feminist activists, community media producers, and scholars from a variety of disciplines. Potential contributors should submit:

 A 500 word abstract outlining the scope and themes of your proposed contribution, as well as possible inclusion of images.
 A brief author biography, indicating any particular institutional or group affiliation, and recent publications or projects
 Full contact details, including date of birth and nationality.

Deadline for Abstracts:

Abstracts should be submitted to book@grassrootsfeminism.net by Monday 17th March 2008.

This proposed volume is edited by Red Chidgey (UK), Jenny Gunnarsson-Payne (Sweden) and Elke Zobl (Austria).

For further information (including biographical notes about the editors) please write to book@grassrootsfeminism.net.

For more details about the Grrrl Zine Network, please visit http://www.grrrlzines.net