Comic book project illustrates community action

Common Good Comics
Common Good Comics was funded by was funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund

Scotland's rich history of social enterprise and community action has been retold in comic book form as part of a unique project, drawing together researchers, schools and local organisations.

Common Good Comics, led by Magic Torch Comics CIC, in collaboration with Glasgow Caledonian's Yunus Centre for Social Business and Health, and GCU Archive Centre, was funded by the National Heritage Lottery Fund.

The project led to the creation of two comic collections that will be shared in schools, online, and at national events.

For the first comic, Social Enterprise Stories, the team worked with six social enterprises and pupils from St Bernard's Primary School, Glasgow, and Breadalbane Primary School, Aberfeldy.

Five community groups contributed to the second collection, Community Action, which includes a comic strip, Pandemic Times, inspired by Glasgow Caledonian research.

Dr Gillian Murray, from the Yunus Centre, said: "The opportunity to collaborate with social enterprises and community groups to tell their stories in a way that supports them to take ownership of their history and heritage has been really exciting.

"As well as producing the comics, we have also worked with social enterprises, community organisations and school groups on heritage skills and engaging with archives.

"We hope that sharing stories of how people came together in the past has empowered groups and organisations today."

Magic Torch Comics CIC works with schools, community groups and organisations to tell stories using comics.

The group was named in the Big Issue's Top 100 Change Makers for its literacy work in schools.