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| The Lakes International Comic Art Festival mascot outside Kendal’s historic Clock Tower |
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival – a popular event with Lancaster-based comic creators such as artists Sean Phillips, Jack Knight and Paul Harrison-Davies, Captain America writer Andy Diggle and audio comics editor John Freeman – has just received a welcome cash boost from Kendal Town Council that will help it secure further funding for this year’s weekend-long event in October (16th-18th October 2015) and its impressive array of outreach projects.
Existing and potential new volunteers for the Festival have been invited to a relaxed and friendly meeting on Tuesday 24th March in Kendal, where organisers will review the 2014 Festival, share the 2015 line-up and discuss volunteering opportunities.
The Council voted to allocate a further £2,500 of funding to the town’s annual Comic Art Festival earlier this week – increased funding that means the event will also continue to receive help from the British Arts Council to develop internationally.
The increase will be a one-off payment for this year’s Festival, whose line-up has yet to be announced but we’re told includes a similar line-up of both British and international guests as over the past two years. There are some great names in the still-secret line-up but the first will be announced next month.
Numerous outreach projects are in the works including a longform graphic novel, partner events with organisations both home and abroad, and a partnership with Lancaster Library for a special comics day in June.
The Festival’s patrons are COSTA Award-winning authors Bryan and Mary Talbot, locally-based comics artist Sean Phillips and artist Emma Vieceli.
• The volunteers event on Tuesday 24th March will take place at 7.00pm in The Warehouse Café at The Brewery, Kendal. If you’d like to come or are interested in volunteering email sandra@comicartfestival.com
• Check out the Festival’s official web site at www.comicartfestival.com or follow them on Twitter @comicartfest and Facebook
• Booking for spaces in Kendal’s Comics Clock Tower venue for this year’s Lakes International Comic Art Festival (16th – 18th October 2015) closes on 27th February 2015. Full details here