An Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC) volunteer watches as workshop participants create their story-maps. Image credit: Hugh Warwick.

At the Oxford Real Farming Conference (ORFC), 18 people, including farmers, growers, activists, and policy-makers, took part in a workshop. Unlike most conference sessions, this one allowed attendees to express their creativity and enjoy making art.

The 90-minute session, which guided them through the process of creating their own graphic story-maps, culminated in a tabletop exhibition of all the finished works.

Sixteen of the 18 attendees chose to contribute their story-maps to an online exhibition, which is currently being hosted on Instagram and Flickr.

Although the exhibition is a treasure-trove of fantastic and absorbing visual artworks, it also provides fascinating insights into the experiences of those involved in the growing agroecological movement in the UK.

Workshop participants seated around a trestle table as they create their story-maps using a range of artistic media (colouring pens, pencils, pastels, inks, collage, and more). Image credit: Hugh Warwick. 

Poetic insights

Each story-map contains blocks of text written by the artists themselves. Though the story-maps are not necessarily autobiographical (in some cases they are purely fictional), most employ an approach to storytelling that blends the two. This approach - known as semi-fictional-autobiography - is one that many graphic journalists and novelists have found to be especially generative. Some are also richly poetic, using rhyme and rhythm to convey meaning:

                                                                                 Little lost worm

"Once upon a time there was a little lost worm,

They felt alone so decided to go on a journey,

They travelled until they found those who inspired them,

They committed to the work,

And one day they found themselves crying with gratitude as they harvested the kale"

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Anonymous beetroot

"Mine is a story of growth and resilience,

Placed in poor soils and resourcing myself,

Sorting myself out,

But surrounded by companions who support me"

 Haymaking

"Rain or shine

Norway or Romania way

Barefoot birdsong

No tractors just scythes

Family and friends

Mindfulness, festivals, exercise

Hay barn mosaics

Butterflies buzzards swallows"

As a collection, the story-maps capture aspects of the agroecological growing experience that would be difficult to record using other methods. Because of this I’m really keen to run more workshops. Please get in touch with me if you would be interested in hosting or collaborating.

I know it’s only February but when all is said and done in 2025, I'm certain this workshop will have been one of the highlights of my year.

View the full exhibition ‘ORFC 2025 graphic story-maps’.

Further information: https://www.flickr.com/photos/202250233@N08/albums/72177720323505947