News

Check out our new blogposts by Kara Blackmore and Sarah Weidman, providing insights into the pedagogical approach of the project and into reading cartoons.

Our Youtube playlist is now live: check out presentations and interviews with international cartoonists, including Vladimir Kazanevksy, Michel Kichka, Yemi, Willis from Tunis, Lassane Zohoré and Zapiro! Also featured are some short introductory videos by cartoonists Zach, Yemi, CamdelaFu, and our project talk for the Pandemic Perspectives seminar series.

As part of the Festival of Social Sciences, Research Associates Kara Blackmore, James Illingworth and Sarah Weidman have organised an online Cartoonathon in November 2021. The Cartoonathon is generously supported through the University of Leicester's ESRC Impact Accelerator Award fund. This unique programme delivered via the Shout Out UK Instagram platform aimed at engaging young people in online exchanges around political cartoons, culminating in a cartoon competition. Throughout November, the team presented a selection of posts, stories and live drawing, developed in partnership with Cartooning for Peace, to address three key themes: environment, inequalities, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Young people aged 15-25 were invited to participate in the Cartoonathon by sharing their thoughts about artwork and submitting their cartoons to a competition. The organisers are proud to now announce the 3 winners:

Josh Almonte, Philippines (Environment & Biodiversity)

Siyabonga Nhlengethwa, South Africa (Social & Material Inequalities)

Johannes Jay Nkuna, South Africa (Covid-19 Pandemic)

These winners were selected with the help of two professional cartoonists from our partner organization, Cartooning for Peace: Zach (Philippines) and Cam de la Fu (Venezuela/Mexico). Some feedback from the cartoonists below:

There are three essential and major ways to make your cartoon impactful: at least the drawing should be clear, the message is understandable, and it should be relevant. [This criteria is] how I chose the winner of the Cartoonathon competition  – Zach

[The winning cartoon was] a good mix between a good idea and a good graphic. You can understand it immediately, we can erase the words on top and you also understand it […] For me it is really important to try to eliminate the most elements and just have the essential items to communicate the idea. – Cam de la Fu.