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Students invited to Reimagine the Art of Beatrix Potter

By John Freeman on April 11, 2016

This year is the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter – a literary and artistic icon who is synonymous with the English Lake District. Her books have sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and have been translated into over 35 languages. Beatrix Potter is without doubt one of the most beloved and influential storytellers and artists of all time.

To mark the anniversary, the Lakes International Comic Art Festival is calling on students of the arts to reinterpret and reimagine Beatrix Potter’s tales or characters.

The festival, which runs from 14-16th October 2016 in Kendal, Cumbria is a celebration of great comic art from across the world. It is the only one of its kind in the UK, taking over the whole town of Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, for a weekend.

This year, the Festival is encouraging students of the arts to reimagine the characters, tales or artwork of Beatrix Potter by giving it a modern or unusual twist in a comic art style. The project is for students of the arts, aged 16 and over and is supported by the University of Cumbria.

Many of the entries will be showcased at the festival in what is hoped will become a touring exhibition. Beatrix Potter Reimagined is an educational, artistic project organised on a not-for-profit basis as a tribute to the talents of Beatrix Potter.

“Our festival is not only a celebration of the world of comic art, it’s also about encouraging the next generation of artists to explore their creative talents,” says Julie Tait, Festival Director.

“Beatrix Potter Reimagined is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate this amazing Lake District artist and storyteller and reach out to a new generation of artists. I can’t wait to see what they come up with.”

Several talented comic artists will be selecting the prize winning entries – Bryan Talbot, Sean Phillips, Emma Vieceli and Mary Talbot – alongside LICAF patron Stephen Holland, owner of the award-winning Page 45 comic shop in Nottingham.

The top three prizes have kindly been provided with support from Wacom, the world’s leading manufacturer of interactive pen tablets and displays. Their tools have been used to create some of the most exciting digital art, films, special effects, fashion and designs around the world.

All entries must be submitted by 1st September 2016 – Find out how to submit entries by downloading the Briefing (Word or PDF versions available)

• Download the full Beatrix Potter Reimagined Briefing as a Word document | Download the full Beatrix Potter Reimagined Briefing as a PDF

Notes for Entrants

The copyright will obviously remain with the originator of the artwork but by sending us your work for this project you will be granting us permission to use your artwork for the promotion of this project ‘Beatrix Potter Reimagined’ and for the promotion of The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, a not-for-profit enterprise. No payment will be made for any entries submitted.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival

The fourth Lakes International Comic Art Festival will run from 14-16 October 2016 in Kendal, Cumbria, celebrating great comic art from across the world. It is the only one of its kind in the UK, taking over the whole town of Kendal, on the edge of the Lake District, for a weekend.

The festival features comic artists from around the world, as well as performance, film, exhibitions, comic trails, workshops, master classes, live drawing and independent retailers and publishers. The events programme is bursting with opportunities to get up close and personal with some of the leading comic artists and writers from across the world – see them draw, talk about their work and bring comics to life. A free family zone provides drop-in activities for all ages, alongside a series of fantastic workshops for kids and teenagers.

The Lakes International Comic Art Festival brings the town together for a weekend to celebrate the amazing world of comic art. Don’t miss it.

Web: www.comicartfestival.com

Beatrix Potter Reimagined is kindly supported by the University of Cumbria and Wacom

John Freeman

The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.

Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.

He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.