Galway Cartoon Festival: a new entry into Galway’s crowded calendar of fun, the Cartoon Festival is an event to celebrate drawings that make us laugh and make us think. Its stated purpose is to bring great cartooning from around the world for people here to appreciate and enjoy. Cartoon is the one major artform that we don’t celebrate in Galway and it’s high time for that to change.
The core of the festival will be two exhibitions of drawings by some of the leading practitioners in Ireland, Europe and the USA. Names include Martyn Turner of the Irish Times, Martin Rowson of the Guardian, the inimitable Tom Mathews, Graeme Keyes of The Phoenix, Tom Tomorrow of the American underground, and local cartoonists Allan Cavanagh and Richard Chapman (Sergei). Cyprus, Latvia, Turkey, Portugal, Slovakia, Belgium, Germany and Malta will be among the many other countries represented.
In order to squeeze into the busy schedule of culture the festival runs at the same time as the Galway Comedy Carnival and shares a venue in the Town Hall Theatre, so why not catch a cartoon exhibition and stand-up comedian on the same night?
As well as exhibitions, the Galway Cartoon Festival is planning workshops, discussions and other events concerning aspects of the cartoon arts. These will be held at the Black Gate Cultural Centre (and Wine Bar) on Frances Street.
Main sponsor of the Festival – and key location for cartoon blather – is Tigh Neachtain, arguably Galway’s most cartoon-like pub. If members of the public find any lost cartoonists they are asked to return them here.
The Town Hall Theatre exhibition opens on Saturday October 21 at 3.30pm. The Black Gate exhibition opens on Tuesday October 24 at 6.00pm. Both run until October 30.
Further details are available at galwaycartoons.eu
If you’re in Galway over the Galway Cartoon Festival do join us!