Wednesday 23 April 2014

Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival

Message from Alistair Syme.

Cartoonists to get the wind up at the Darwin Centre

SHREWSBURY CARTOON FESTIVAL

Drawing outstanding cartoonists to town

Smile Cartoon Trail 1st - 30th April

Workshops Friday 25th & Saturday 26th April

Cartoonists Live in The Square Saturday 26th April

With a Song in My Art Cartoon Exhibition 21st April - 17th May

This year's theme is MUSIC

PLUS

Cartoonist and illustrator Cathy Simpkins wants people to tune in to her quirky sense of humour when she assembles a band of flatulent musical instruments at Shrewsbury's Darwin Shopping Centre.

She will be conducting a workshop showing children and adults how to make the unusual sounding and fun gizmos out of drinking straws, paper tubes and coloured-in paper.

Trumpeting the tour de force delights of her homespun orchestra she said: "I'm sure passing shoppers will be pleasantly surprised. It's not as odd as you might think. When we get a group of people together bashing out a tune they sound remarkably good."

It will be held on the middle level of Darwin shopping centre, next to the Mothercare store, on Saturday, April 26, from 10-11.30am.

She said: "Everyone who takes part gets to make a farting musical instrument and we'll have pens and paints so they can decorate them in whatever way they want. It's great, addictive fun, no matter what age you are."

A widely acclaimed cartoonist and successful book illustrator, Cathy can't wait to attend the annual Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival: "0h I love it. It's the highlight of my year. I get to meet up with so many old friends and fellow cartoonists and caricaturists, there's no other festival quite like it in the world."

As well as Cathy's musical workshop, the Darwin shopping centre, is also hosting part of the festival's popular Smile Trail which leads visitors on a guided route around the town passing by exhibits of different cartoon art works. Some of them will be displayed in the windows of temporarily empty shop units at Darwin.

Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres, said: “Shrewsbury is a very creative town and the cartoon festival is a brilliant idea and one we’re glad to help promote.

“Cathy’s workshop here in the Darwin Centre sounds like a lot of fun – it brings a whole new meaning to the term wind instruments.”

Cartoon festival founder, Roger Penwill, of Ludlow, is delighted it has inspired so many people. The 66-year-old had always wanted the UK to hold an international cartoon festival and got together with the local tourist office back in 2004 to help  launch the Shrewsbury event.

"It started off very small and has just got bigger and bigger, with people now visiting us and taking part from all around the world," he said. "It's great to see such local enthusiasm and so many organisations, like the Shrewsbury Shopping Centres, all keen to get involved and help further its success."

Roger has had his work featured in national newspapers and magazines and is particularly known for his original cartoons based on the problems people have with computers and digital technology.

He said: "I worked a little in IT before I became a cartoonist full time and know how frustrated people can get with computers. That gave me the idea and I've not looked back.”

Roger will be among the artists drawing on one of the big boards in the town centre over the weekend.

For more information on the Shrewsbury Cartoon Festival and the full programme, including details of the farting instruments workshop at Darwin shopping centre visit the website: www.shrewsburycartoonfestival.com while for more on the shopping centres go to www.shrewsbury-shopping.co.uk

 

 

Ceidiog

alistair@ceidiog.com

www.ceidiog.com

01824 703073

07758841012
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