The Lakes International Comic Art Festival is pleased to announce its latest Manga-Mashup workshops, taking place this Autumn, and that its long-running “Make Mine Manga” exhibition will be on show in Penrith Library in late autumn.
The workshops, the events taking place at Penrith and Alston Library, are suitable for youngsters aged 11 to 16 years, run by comic creators Chie Kutsuwada and Inko Ai Takita.
The Festival is also bringing these workshops to local Cumbrian schools in the Alston area, open to pupils at those venues only.
“I’m really looking forward to hosting this new series of workshops in the Eden District of Cumbria,” says LICAF’s head of Education & Outreach, Hester Harrington. “It’s a great opportunity to bring the Make Mine Manga exhibition and Manga Mashup workshops to a new location.
“It is also an exciting opportunity for youngsters in the Alston area,” she continues. “Having worked with pupils from Samuel King’s School, part of the Aston Moore Federation, in the past, rather than expect youngsters to travel long distances to experience creative opportunities, LICAF is bringing the manga to them.”
The Make Mine Manga Exhibition, heading to Penrith Library in the late Autumn, has been on tour around the North West since 2023, exploring the origins of manga in Japan, the creative techniques behind the art and discover the wonder of manga and anime.
The exhibition features artwork from incredible creators from Japan and discover today’s generation of award-winning British talents making manga in their own way as part of a truly global comic language.
The exhibition has been specially created by Paul Gravett, the curator of comic exhibitions across the UK including the British Museum and the Barbican Centre and the author of numerous books about comics and their creators, including Manga: 60 Years of Japanese Comics.
For more information about the Festival’s Make Mine Manga project – and for several free online Manga making resources – head to this dedicated page on the Lakes International Comic Art Festival Comics Can Change the World web site
Upcoming Workshop Details
Welcome to the World of Manga with Chie Kutsuwada
10.00 am – 12.30pm Saturday 20th September 2025, Penrith Library, St Andrews Centre, Churchyard, Penrith CA11 7YA
Let’s Draw Manga Style! Do you want to know how to draw manga-style characters and even design one yourself? In this workshop, you will learn some techniques and tips on how to draw in manga style – the basics, facial expressions, and how to design your own character. By the end of the session, you will have some drawings, your own characters, and maybe even the beginning of your original manga story!
Each workshop will be listed on the site closer to the date, with booking opening a few weeks in advance.
Kawaii Monster Workshop with Inko Ai Takita
10.00am – 12.30pm Saturday 11th October 2025 Penrith Library, St Andrews Centre, Churchyard, Penrith CA11 7YA
10.00am – 12.30pm Saturday 18th October 2025, Alston Library, Front Street, Alston CA9 3RF
Have you ever wondered how to create Pokémon or Animal Crossing characters? You can find them in Inko’s kawaii (meaning ‘cute’ in Japanese) monster workshop! Join Inko Ai Takita, artist of Manga Yokai Stories, to draw cute and strange monsters inspired by Japanese folklore.
There are hundreds of folklore monsters in Japan – similar to tooth fairies, or unicorns, in Western culture. One such monster, Amabie, gained popularity as an internet meme due to its link with a pandemic prophecy.
Japanese monsters (Yokai) are not only known for their spooky or funny stories but also for their unique appearances – so let’s enjoy drawing them together! At the end of the workshop, we’ll design our very own Kawaii Yokai.
This workshop is a perfect introduction to the wonders of Japanese folklore monsters. With Inko’s step-by-step instructions, you’ll be able to create your own Yokai—perfect for using on a Halloween card!
Each workshop will be listed on the site closer to the date, with booking opening a few weeks in advance.
You are welcome to bring along any of your pencils, pens, sketchbooks you're comfortable to draw with, while the venue also provides everything you need for this workshop.
These sessions are open to 15 participants per workshop, aged 11 to 16. Each workshop is two and a half hours long, with a half break between sessions, where refreshments will be provided.
The workshops will be great and fun opportunity to find out more about Japanese manga culture – and try drawing manga characters with a professional manga artist.
Download the Event Posters!
