The Bookbinding and Book Repair Workshops

1.
First Motivational Workshops:
Handmade Books and Expression
September 2003

Presentation of Books as objects and of Hand-Bookbinding. The Japanese Stab Binding is taught to 82 women in 5 different half-day workshops.
The participants express interest in learning more book binding, in learning book repair, in developing production groups, in teaching what they have learned to members of their homes and communities.
The Japanese Stab Binding is chosen because it involves few tools and infrastructure. Also, all the materials needed for this binding style can be found in the mining districts.

2.
Second Workshops:
Bookbinding, Book Repair & Expression
December 2003

We returned to the same mining districts to give longer workshops dedicated to Japanese stab binding, paperback book repair and expression.
Three 2-day workshops in which 54 women from 10 different mining districts participated.
Besides the binding & expression activities, the women also establish and evaluate their goals as participants of the Pilot Project "Handmade Books". These vary from district to district, but they include: teach bookbinding and book repair in their communities, design new binding patterns, handbind books, repair books, organize book fairs in their communities

3.
Advanced Bookbinding Technique & Design Workshop
and
Third Bookbinding, Book Repair & Expression Workshop and Book Show
August 2004

In the Advanced Bookbinding Technique & Design Workshop, 6 women from 6 different districts who had participated in the first two workshops were trained in binding materials, more hand-sewn binding techniques, and a wide variety of binding designs. The goal of this two-day intense workshop was to prepare a group of women who can function as a resource for all participants of the Pilot Project "Handmade Books" in quality control, binding design and techniques. In this way, they depend less on my visits for developing book designs and learning new binding styles and they have local resources to turn to for these needs.
The Third Bookbinding, Book Repair & Expression Workshop and Book Fair took place in Atocha and all the women (except those from Atocha) traveled from their mining districts to participate in this 4-day workshop. Each mining district selected 2 members from the second binding workshop to participate in this third binding workshop. These selected representatives have committed to returning to their districts to teach all that was learned to the other participants of the Pilot Project "Handmade Books" who were not present in the third workshop.

All the legwork of the putting the workshops together is completed by Gabriela Barriga, my counterpart and the coordinator of Plan Mujeres Mineras in La Paz, Bolivia. Before each of our trips to Bolivia, Gabriela travels to the mining districts to organize the workshops with the participants. Without her tireless efforts, none of these workshops would be possible. Not only does she organize the logistics, she's an active participant and coordinator of the workshops as well. Atocha has one public telephone, and a somewhat reliable mail service. The other nine mining camps have no external communication. Traveling to each one to prepare the workshops involves a number of long days of travel on remote, winding, dirt roads, along cliffs, up dry river beds, over mountain tops. It is no small feat putting these workshops together, and we are very indebted to her efforts.
While I (Alex Appella) designed and coordinated all the bookbinding, book repair and expression workshops, Gabriela's and my husband Magu's input and assistance were invaluable.

A Selection of Photographs from the many workshops...






	Book Repair

THE BOOK EXPOSITION
26 de Agosto, 2004
Atocha

The participants of the book show with the sign hung in the gallery.

From 2-3pm, the exposition was quiet because of a soap opera nobody in town misses. After 3pm, however the traffic in the gallery was so constant that the women had to extend the book show an extra hour. Local TV and radio stations came to give interviews. Townsfolk of all ages and backgrounds came to peruse the women's creations. It was a fine success and they were very proud of the event they organized, publicized and ran on their own.

Hanging the sign.

Watching the public.