Tuning up for cartoon festival

Music cartoon by Wilbur Dawbarn
Music cartoon for Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival exhibition by Procartoonists.org member © Wilbur Dawbarn

Planning is under way for the 2014 Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival, the eleventh time the event has taken place in the Shropshire market town.

The main cartooning day of the festival, known as Cartoonists Live, will be Saturday 26 April. The festival exhibition of original artwork and prints, all for sale, on this year’s theme of “Music”, will run from 21 April to 17 May.

Inevitably, in these days of cutbacks, the festival is somewhat reduced in size this year as the major funding from Shropshire Council, which has been in place since the festival began in 2004, is no more.

The organisers are keen to point out that the festival has not been singled out by the council as the move is part of a much larger programme of reductions. The authority has had to make £80 million of cuts.

The festival has, however, had some financial support from this organisation, the PCO, and with some new sponsorship, existing funds, and a grant, the show goes on and the organisers say it will be as entertaining as ever.

The live event is one day rather than two, on the 26th, but it has been extended from 10am to 5pm. Most of the activity, such as the Big Boards and caricaturing, will take place in The Square, with workshops in other central venues.

As the festival website says, the event “offers unique opportunities to see artists at work, creating giant cartoons in The Square, drawing caricatures and running cartoon workshops for all ages”.

We’ll have more on the festival in due course. You can also see updates via @procartoonists, our Twitter feed, and follow the hashtag #shrews14

  • Latest Posts

  • Categories

  • Archives