Em—Dash is a South East London based studio + press. We experiment with the book-form, playfully work that spans across art-practice, , research, and visual culture. Beyond books, we have worked across mediums of curation, film and radio. We also run to share ideas, skills and facilitate collective making.
Em—Dash is operated by artists and designers Aarushi Matiyani and Saundra Liemantoro.
Workshops
The workshops are a great way for us to quickly engage with a topic and connect with others deeply. We always try to put context at the forefront of these making workshops in order to facilitate the important conversations and exchanges that happen as people gather and make with their hands.
We strive to have workshops where access is free and share making processes that can be done with everyday resources and materials—so that people can (hopefully) go home and continue to make. Please reach out if you would like to collaborate on a workshop with us!
Fan Zine Workshop for Lewisham Libraries
August 2024
Fan Zine Workshop for Lewisham Libraries
August 2024
Drop-in workshops for 4-11 year old children at Deptford Lounge, Downham Library and Catford Library, as part of the Reading Challenge 2024
Zine & Collaging Workshop for the Youth Cancer Trust at Royal Marsden Hospital
May 2024
Sticker Printing Workshop for the Barbican Family Film Club
March 2024
Printmaking Workshop for Brixton Community Cinema
July 2023
Printmaking Workshop for Brixton Community Cinema
July 2023
As part of their Summer Programme: Views on the Atlantic
RISO Workshop for Cultural Institute at King’s College
April 2023
Collaging Workshop at the BFI for Woman with a Movie Camera Summit
January 2023
Zine Making Workshop for Montez Press Radio Fundraiser
June 2025
Zine Making Workshop for Montez Press Radio Fundraiser
June 2025
In response to the transphobic ruling from the UK Supreme Court, Montez Press are hosted a day fundraiser in collaboration with Next Door Records Two, to raise money for the Good Law Project. We invite others to celebrated trans identity through a cut and paste zine-making workshop featuring our Trans Solidarity Sticker Pack and offprints from Memepage #2.
Curation
Em—Dash Birthday Bash
May 2025
Em—Dash Birthday Bash
May 2025
Celebrating 3 years of Em—Dash with a feast of party foods from home, followed by a screening of D.E.B.S (2004) at Atlas Cinema, London.
We served up Indonesian and Indian birthday classics such as Nasi Tumpeng and Pav Bhaji, followed with a birthday cake by Nighttime Baker and tea from Sam Saruhan.
Guest Curator for Residency 11:11 Screening Room
December 2024
Guest Curator for Residency 11:11 Screening Room
December 2024
Featuring a series of 4 films: 'خليجنا واحد //Our Gulf One', followed by a discussion with the artist, Munirah Al-Mehri. Watch and listen here.
True Romance Screening for Brixton Community Cinema, London, 2024
February 2024
True Romance Screening for Brixton Community Cinema, London, 2024
February 2024
A screening of I'm a Cyborg but That's OK (2006). One of three screenings part of Brixton Community Cinema's Spring Season, Spanners, London.
Em—Dash + Friends Screenings for Atlas Cinema
Summer 2024
Em—Dash + Friends Screenings for Atlas Cinema
Summer 2024
Atlas Cinema is a space to convene and share, using moving image as a vehicle for collectively processing and discussing the world around us. Repurposing a disused railway arch in which individuals and collectives experiment with monthly film nights.
Em—Dash + Friends happened in the afternoon of every 3rd Saturday of the month.
May 18th: Ruby Lau presents Twilight’s Kiss (2019)
June 15th: Em—Dash presents Recipes from Home: On Food & Diaspora, screening Dal Puri Diaspora (2012)
July 20th: Cinema Palestine presents Love, Theft and other Entanglements (2015)
Zine Week: Alternative Publishing in the UK
September 2023
Zine Week: Alternative Publishing in the UK
September 2023
Bringing the work of zine-makers and small-presses from up and down to the UK to showcase its D.I.Y and print cultures at Cahyati Press, Bali. 6-10 September 2023.
Exhibitions
Food Not Cuts at the Food Museum
June - November 2025
Food Not Cuts at the Food Museum
June - November 2025
Our 2-Colour RISO Poster, 'Attempt at Inventory of the Liquid and Solid Foodstuffs Ingurgitated by Em- Dash in the Course of the Month June Twenty Twenty-Two', was shown at the Food Not Cuts exhibition through 27 June – 9 November 2025.
Curated by Anahita Harding, Curating Visibility Fellow at the Food Museum, Food not Cuts explores how food and care are connected. It highlights how cuts to care and a lack of support can make accessing food difficult for deaf, disabled and neurodivergent people.
Made Without Permission at Staffordshire Gallery
September 2024
Made Without Permission at Staffordshire Gallery
September 2024
Curated by bafalw, as part of London Design Festival, 13-22 September 2024
A Cheap Night In, A Cheap Day Out
July 2023
A Cheap Night In, A Cheap Day Out
July 2023
Group show curated by Soul Miles, held at Ladywell Mortuary, 28-30 July 2023
Take Courage Gallery 14
April 2023
Take Courage Gallery 14
April 2023
Group show curated by Saskia Portman, at Amersham Arms, 5-6 April 2023
Panel Talks
Designer, Maker, Publisher for Repeater Radio
June 2024
Designer, Maker, Publisher for Repeater Radio
June 2024
Facilitated by Sticky Fingers Publishing, featuring Em—Dash & Sold Out Publishing
Printed Forms: Publishing and Experimental Moving Image at Open City Documentary Festival
April 2024
Printed Forms: Publishing and Experimental Moving Image at Open City Documentary Festival
April 2024
As part of Éditions Atlas, with Brixton Community Cinema.
Radio
To: South East London <3 From: Friends of the Pressᴱᴹ
September 2023
To: South East London <3 From: Friends of the Pressᴱᴹ
September 2023
Broadcasted on Montez Press Radio for South Bermondsey Festival at Ormside Projects
Press
Feature: Zines at the Movies, published on Artefact Magazine
October 2023
Feature: Zines at the Movies, published on Artefact Magazine
October 2023
'Zines at the Movies: Brixton Community Cinema: How a South London community cinema and an indie zine publisher are making the arts more accessible' by Jordinna Joaquin on Artefact Magazine
Mention: Closing the Gap, Libraries as Dream Work at The Toe Rag Issue 3
July 2024
Mention: Closing the Gap, Libraries as Dream Work at The Toe Rag Issue 3
July 2024
Closing the Gap, Libraries as Dream Work written by Oísin Roberts and Lu Rose Cunningham for Issue 3 The Toe Rag: Dream Work.
Mentioned alongside Sticky Fingers Publishing, Hesse K, D Mortimer, and Isabel Waidner, in relation to books and libraries we were asked: 'What is Dream Work?'
Feature: Pop-Up Stars by Suyin Haynes on World of Interiors
September 2024
Feature: Pop-Up Stars by Suyin Haynes on World of Interiors
September 2024
A feature on Atlas Cinema, film co-operative conceived and built by bafalw and Brixton Community Cinema. Read it here.
Markets
RALLY Festival Zine Fair by Anu Ambasna
August 2025
Zine Mela
July 2025
Sold Out Publishing Book Fair
July 2025
Glasgow Zine Fest
July 2025
Pagemasters Zine Fair
September 2024
Gathering Leaves Festival Indie Print Festival
October 2024
Montez Press Radio Summer BBQ
September 2024
Margins United Night Market at EartH
September 2024
Sticky Fingers Publishing Fair
February 2024
Artist Self Publisher's Fair (ASP8)
December 2024
Glasgow Zine Fair
July 2023
LUX Book Fair: Print Print Print
December 2023
Zine Takeover at the Wellcome Collection
December 2023
Ldn Queer Mart at Queer & Now Festival by Tate Britain
June 2023
Looking Out, Looking in by Zine Coop at Studio Voltaire
June 2023
Offprint London at the Tate Modern
May 2023
Trouble Maker Markets by Emma Sielaff
April 2023
Nightmare Scenario Art Market by Bikini State
April 2023
Anarchist Book Fair
September 2022
Baezian's TARENA Fundraiser at Avalon Cafe
August 2022
Brockley & Lewisham Literary Festival
May 2022