Herne Bay Cartoon Festival 2021
Due to the Covid pandemic we did not hold a festival in 2020.
In 2021 we returned with a slightly reduced festival, with fewer visiting cartoonists and a socially distanced event on the pier. We were very happy we managed to put on any festival activities and were greatly encouraged by the enthusiasm with which this year’s event was greeted, both by the cartoonists and by the residents of Herne Bay.
Royston Robertson designed our poster this year.
Our theme this year was Herne Bay Cartoon Festival Takes to the Waves and many cartoonists referenced pollution in the sea in their cartoons displayed at Beach Creative.
Our exhibition at the Seaside Museum celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the Giles family, with help and support from British Cartoon Archive and the University of Kent.
Our exhibition was called The Giles Family Holiday at Home. From the start the family enjoyed many holidays together and days out. So, in a year when we were all encouraged to take a ‘staycation’ our exhibition explored some of the joys of the British seaside holiday, whatever the weather!
At Beach Creative we held a workshop with the PCO in support of the people of Myanmar.
The PCO ‘Three Fingers of Myanmar’ campaign drew attention to the plight of locals. PCO members had been creating three finger salutes and participants in the workshop saw their own artwork added to the growing number of artworks already collected.
In December 2020, Steve Coombes, who founded the Herne Bay Cartoon Festival, sadly died of cancer. We know he would have been happy that we celebrated his colourful life at this year’s events.
