About this Event
Dates: Friday 6 – Sunday 8 February 2026
Exhibition open: 11am - 6pm
Location: The Old Post Office, Tontine Street, Folkestone
Hosted and commissioned by Folketone-based creative studio SD Projects, and curated by artist Hamja Ahsan, Zine Mela is a three-day artistic exploration featuring zines, comics, makers, social justice, solidarity, alternatives, contemporary craft, small press, underground books, punks, photography, illustration, prints, posters, and graphics from across South Asia and its diaspora. His collection archives from India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Kashmir, Sri Lanka.
Visit SD Projects’ studio at The Old Post Office and indulge in a typical winter pastime of a veritable South Asian home: peruse zines, enjoy a hot cup of chai, share momos and play carrom and other South Asian board games. The exhibition is free to attend.
The Zine Mela also includes a film night on Friday 6 February with screenings of Kindness vs Home Office featuring Suhaiymah Manzoor-Khan (AKA Brown Hijabi) and Hamja Ahsan and Three Colours Green by Shahed Saleem and James Wainman and other shorts and animations. A zine-making art workshop led by Nepali Diaspora collective Rodhi Ghar will be held on Sunday 8 February. Tickets are priced at £2.50 with all ticket revenues donated to Transport for Women in Ashford.
Hamja Ahsan
Hamja Ahsan is an award-winning artist, writer, public speaker, curator and activist based in London, UK. Creator of Zine Mela, Hamja has collected zines for over 30 years, building an archive to promote zines as a form of resistance as well as authoring Shy Radicals, the book.
SD Projects
Founded by artist and sculptor Simon Davenport, SD Projects is a multidisciplinary studio
working at the intersection of art, design, social practice, and material innovation. The studio partners with major institutions such as Tate, the V&A, and UAL, while remaining deeply embedded in local contexts. Its projects prioritise co-design, sustainability, and cultural equity, bridging grassroots knowledge and world-class design.
sdprojects.uk | @sdprojects.uk
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
The Old Post Office, 48 Tontine Street, Folkestone, United Kingdom
USD 0.00
