The Northern Festival of Illustration

If you haven’t collected your Ship after the auction please message us!

A huge thank you to everyone who came to the auction yesterday.
You are all so generous.

If you have not collected your ship we will try and contact you over the next few days - alternatively message us on here.

The fleet is here!

5pm at St Hilda’s as part of Wintertide Festival for the charity auction

Don’t miss it!

Today is

Every two years our festival celebrates the fact that illustration is all around us and allows hundreds of people to create their own work

This year we worked with BloomInArt to enable nearly 700 people to express themselves through illustrating our Ship Ahoy sculptures

Support a local charity and bid for one of the Ships at the Ship Ahoy Auction (5pm 26/11 St Hilda’s) as part of Wintertide Festival

Today is

Every two years our festival celebrates the fact that illustration is all around us and allows hundreds of people to create their own work

This year the wonderful people chose these two images as the winners of our international prize

⛵️Ship Ahoy! - The Auction ⛵️

If you've been out and about in Hartlepool this summer, you can't have failed to spot a fleet of 29 magnificently decorated ships at anchor in different venues and businesses around the town.

A wonderful project by The Northern Festival of Illustration in collaboration with BloomInArt as a tribute to the Tall Ships Hartlepool, BC-FX Design was commissioned by the Northern Festival of Illustration to create the sculptures. BloomInArt then teamed up with community groups and local artists to decorate the ships with 29 distinct designs, engaging a total of 633 individuals.

Local businesses were contacted to exhibit a ship in their window for the public to seek out and the resulting art trail has proved a huge magnet for visitors and residents alike.

The fleet will be showcased for one final time at St Hilda's Church, Hartlepool during Wintertide Festival, before being auctioned off on Sunday 26 November 5-6pm to raise funds for charity. This year, all proceeds will be donated to The Annexe a local community and resource centre run by The Wharton Trust (https://www.whartontrust.org.uk/) working with young people in D**e House.

We hope you bid generously for this amazing cause - and take home a fabulous piece of art! - but in the meantime, please go and see the ships in their natural habitats before they set sail for St Hilda's next week.

With a huge thank you to all the businesses and artists who took part in this amazing collaboration. Hartlepool at it's absolute best (with apologies to anyone we've missed/mis-tagged!) 🙌

Creators: Hartlepool Framing Company ECCarter Art Keith Robson Dabble In Art Tall Ships, Hartlepool drop in sessions Hartlepool Youth Services LGBT Group The Annexe Changing Futures North East Mandascat LilyAnne's Wellbeing St Theresa's Primary School Eldon Grove Academy Rossmere Primary School The Thrive Hive CIC Home ed pupils Central Hub Art Club We Are the Heart Hartlepool Young Carers Group Reach Out Ministries BloomInArt Hartlepool Community Hubs Durham Spray Paints Catcote Academy

Exhibitors: Orangebox Training-Solutions Mark Lloyd Master Goldsmith Cafe Rappor Bar Hartlepool Art Gallery The BIS Hartlepool St Georges URC Lifestyle NE The Northern School Of Art Hartlepotz Ceramic Studio Poppys Hairdressing King Johns Tavern Museum of Hartlepool Folio Building Virgin Money The Bank, Raby Arms Pub and Kitchen, Hart Village Daisy & Beas Plantopia - The Plant Shop The 9 Anchors Hodgsonsfish Hartlepool Summerhill Country Park and Visitor Centre Salaam Centre Glady's Vintage Tea Room Sea View Pottery

Winner!