Visual Communication conerns us all!

This year’s Graphic Stories comes fresh and renewed, as it harbours the Power of Youth and brings new activities with it! The new program is subversive as the lectures will take place on Sunday, March 19, while the workshops will precede the two days of Friday, March 17 & Saturday, March 18, 2023. More specifically, the three-day program hosts twelve [12] distinguished designers from Germany, England, Greece & Cyprus. It includes nine [9] lectures, six [6] creative workshops, one [1] animation film screening, one [1] international poster exhibition with the participation of designers from Cyprus and abroad and one [1] interactive installation for the public accompanied by youth groups with dance and music.

The 9th International Conference on Visual Communication, Graphic Stories, will take place on the weekend of 17-19 March, in Nicosia, on the topic of The Power of Youth. Young people are the most important and dynamic segment of the population in any country. They are the driving force of all change, social, economic and cultural. Young people have the curiosity, idealism, enthusiasm, courage, strength and will to change the world. They are not just a part of the world’s population but the world’s greatest asset. They are the present and the future of humanity and the hope for building a better future that is more just, more peaceful, more free, more green, more sustainable and more inclusive.

Graphic Stories – Among the best festivals of Europel, by EFA

Graphic Stories has been selected among the best festivals in Europe by the European Festivals Association [EFA] and has been awarded the honorary EFFE Label for the period 2022-2023.The Conference was also awarded for innovation and ingenuity, with the special Badge of Invention, and was awarded the special distinction Remarkable Arts Festival for 2021, which ranks it among the top European events related to arts and culture.

Who is it for

Graphic Stories is the only established, independent, annual, institutional conference in the field of visual communication and visual arts and is addressed to all creatives in the field of visual communication, applied and visual arts. It is for professionals, students or pupils, graphic designers, web designers, UX/UI designers, illustrators, photographers, animators, 2D/3D designers, printers, creative agencies, advertisers, marketers, their partners and anyone interested in learning about the profession of visual communication designers. Graphic Stories is the link between the creative, the commercial and business worlds.

Program 2023

Lectures
Sunday 19 March
Start time: 13:30
[attendance in person & online through live streaming]

Meet our speakers:

• Julia Kahl, Keynote Speaker Designer & Founder of the German Publishing House Slanted Publishers
• Delema McCann, Advertising / Communication Agency
• Rob Snow, Illustrator| Seven Pearls of Wisdom
• Νikos Gazetas, UX/UI Designer & Instructor | Thallo app & How design can change the world
• Αpostolos Tsiovaras, Graphic Designer & Founder of Cursor Design Studio | Never-ending stories
• Sofia Hadjipapa, Visual Artist, Associate  Professor of Fine Arts at European University Cyprus | How to embrace imperfections
• Αlexis Chaviaras, Director | Scenic design: A behind-the-scenes look
• at the award-winning computer animated film Agrinoui – Film screening.
• Νasia Demetriou, Graphic Designer | The Great Escape
• Αndreas Glykeriou, Artist | ArtDose – 1825 Days

Inauguration of the 7^th International Poster Exhibition & Awards Ceremony

Topic: The Power of Youth
Sunday 19 March
Opening time: 20:45

Presentation of awards to the five [5] winners of the 7th Graphic Stories International Poster Competition and a poster exhibition featuring the 50 outstanding posters of the competition accompanied by 15 works by renowned designers. The competition received a total of 880 entries from 43 countries.

Interactive Installation

On the Inauguration Day of the poster exhibition titled The Power of Youth, an interactive installation will be waiting for the public at the conference venue. The purpose of the installation is to involve the public actively and consciously through a creative surprise game to discover through it the Power of Youth. The aim of this activity is to be the reason of encouragement for the whole community to actively participate in any new challenge by awakening in their enthusiasm, courage and power they harbour.

Workshops
Friday 17 & Saturday 18 March

Six [6] specialised workshops await you the weekend before the lectures, to develop your skills and enrich your knowledge and portfolio, whether you are a professional or a student. Among these is the mental empowerment workshop for anyone who is or feels young! Of course, we do not fail to motivate children to get involved in the art of Animation and get familiar with the concept of Visual Communication through the established children’s workshop.

• Tips & Tricks to improve digital art skills, with Rob Snow
  Friday 17 & Saturday 18 March – Total duration: 10 hours
• Visual Worldbuilding, with Spiros Drakatos
  Friday 17 & Saturday 18 March – Total duration: 10 hours
• UX Design & Human-Centred Design, with Nikos Gazetas
  Friday 17 & Saturday 18 March – Total duration: 10 hours
• Cyanotype Printing, with Sophia Hadjipapa
  Saturday 18 March – Total duration: 5 hours
• Coaching Seminar – Youth has the answers to difficult questions!, with Lakis Argyrou
  Saturday 18 March – Total duration: 2 hours
• Children’s Workshop, with Panayiota Michael
  Saturday 18 March – Total duration: 2 hours

All conference activities will take place at the European University, Nicosia.

Important clarifications

The conference will be held in person, while there will be live streaming for online viewing of the lectures. It is clarified that all our workshops are exclusively held in person.

Tickets available at early bird prices until 19/02: GSC09 | Tickets

Graphic Stories aims to foster visual literacy and develop critical perception around contemporary graphic arts and the issues surrounding them, both locally and internationally. The organization of exhibitions, conferences and workshops aims to demonstrate and promote the value of visual communication to the general public, to create a culture and values, as well as to link it to the social scene.

For those who are still wondering why to attend Graphic Stories see the retrospective video of our 8th Conference at the link: TOLERANCE : )

We are waiting for you at the most creative celebration of Cyprus!

Conference venue:
European University, Nicosia

The scholarships & prizes of the competition are offered by:
European University, Parachute Typefoundry

Media Sponsors:
Politis Newspaper, Politis Radio 107.6FM, Parathyro, ΡΙΚ, Ergodotisi

With the support of:
Cultural Services of the Ministry of Education and Culture

Under the Auspices of:
Office of the Commissioner of the Citizen
Municipality of Nicosia

For more information: www.graphicstories.org
Tickets: graphicstoriescyprus.com/tickets