University of Cumbria launches inaugural Barrow Does Comics festival with “Drawn to the Screen” event

The event, Drawn to the Screen, set the tone for the weekend, bringing together three of the comic industry’s most celebrated artists, Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Michael Lark (Lazarus), and Sean Phillips (Criminal, soon to be adapted for Amazon Prime). Hosted by Keli Lark, the event offered a rare opportunity to watch the artists at work in real time, as they created live drawings inspired by iconic music from film and television.

Blending art and conversation, the evening gave audiences a behind-the-scenes look at the creative process, with the artists sharing stories from their careers and insights into working with major publishers including DC and Marvel. The combination of live illustration and film soundtrack created an immersive experience that resonated with the comic fans from the area.

The festival continued on 18 April with a full programme of workshops, talks and a marketplace across the town, bringing together internationally renowned artists and local talent, and offering hands-on opportunities for young people and the wider community to engage with comic art and storytelling.

As a key sponsor of the wider Barrow Does Comics festival, the university supported a range of activities throughout the weekend. This included a town centre art gallery showcasing work from students across its creative courses, as well as an interactive art trail connecting venues and encouraging visitors to explore Barrow through creative installations.

With its new facilities, the university is creating fresh opportunities to bring people together, supporting events that inspire and engage the local community.

Rob Wilson, University of Cumbria Barrow campus manager, said: “We are delighted to have hosted such an exciting and unique event at our new Barrow campus. Bringing together artists of this calibre offers a fantastic opportunity for our community to experience live comic art in a new and engaging way, and we are proud to support events that celebrate creativity and storytelling.”

Jenni Wyllie, BID Senior Project Coordinator, said: “We were delighted to be able to utilise the university’s Barrow campus for the opening night of our brand new event. The facilities at the campus made it easy for us to organise this incredible event, allowing us to host an intimate evening with world famous comic artists in a space that brought fans and artists closer together. The campus provided the perfect backdrop for what was a memorable opening night for Barrow Does Comics.”