The Lakes International Comic Art Festival, working in partnership with Barrow Business Improvement District has announced Barrow Does Comics on Saturday 18th April 2026 – a new event aimed at aimed at young comic fans and creators, particularly 16 to 25 year olds.
In attendance at the event will be the team from Liverpool-based Comics Youth, currently running a year-long programme to encourage young comic creators, that includes online masterclasses by top British comic creators.
LICAF and Barrow BID announced their partnership for this new youth-focused comic event last year, celebrating comics, art and all things creative, which will showcase the work of talented local artists, as well as bringing a range of UK and international comic creators to Barrow.
The new event is part of LICAF’s bold plans as the UK Development Agency for Comics which is based in Barrow, with both the Government and the private sector committing themselves to investment in the programme. It’s supported by Arts Council England, Westmorland and Furness Council, Barrow Town Council and businesses that are part of Barrow BID.
Barrow BID is a not-for profit organisation set up in September 2016, creating a business community to promote and regenerate Barrow’s Town Centre. The scheme is funded by local town centre businesses.
LICAF has created a Youth Production Team, aimed at encouraging younger members of the Furness community to share their opinions and help shape the event.
Barrow Does Comics is just part of LICAF’s dynamic, year-round programme of international comic art activity with the over-arching theme of “Comics Can Change the World”. LICAF is also an active supporter of the National Year of Reading 2026.
Away from Barrow, LICAF’s main festival itself will be returning to Kendal Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th October 2026, after being hosted in Bowness-on-Windermere since 2022.
The returning Festival, and Barrow Does Comics, will operate alongside continued projects exploring how comics can improve literacy, health and wellbeing, including work at HMP Haverigg, piloted last year.
• Look out for more Barrow Does Comics news on the LICAF Facebook Page
• Follow Barrow Does Comics on Instagram @barrowdoescomics
The Lakes International Comic Art Festival returns in Friday 2nd – Sunday 4th October 2026 across Kendal
• The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is online at: comicartfestival.com | BlueSky | Facebook | Instagram | YouTube | Little LICAF on Facebook | Little LICAF on Instagram
• For more on the Lakes International Comic Art Festival’s Comic Development Work please visit Comics Can Change the World at comicscanchangetheworld.com | Follow Comics4Change on BlueSky
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John is the founder of downthetubes, launched in 1998. He is a comics and magazine editor, writer, and Press Officer for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He also runs Crucible Comic Press.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine and Overkill for Marvel UK, Babylon 5 Magazine, Star Trek Magazine, and its successor, Star Trek Explorer, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics; and has edited several comic collections and graphic novels, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”, and Hancock: The Lad Himself, by Stephen Walsh and Keith Page.
He’s the writer of comics such as 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.
Categories: British Comics, Comics, Creating Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Events
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