June 25th is proving to be one of the hottest June days ever recorded in the UK, but that hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of nearly 800 Year 8 pupils set to gather at ARU for  Chelmsford City Council’s 5th Skills Festival.

CALFE is delighted to be returning for the third consecutive year, celebrating creativity, careers, and the power of imagination, with young people from across Essex.

Hosted by Sade Fadipe, local author and director at CALFE CIC, a major focus this year is the work of illustrator and visual storyteller Tolu Shofule, whose artwork has become an integral part of CALFE CIC’s annual literary festivals. For the past three years, Tolu has transformed festival themes into captivating visual worlds, creating artwork that invites audiences to explore stories, cultures, history, and imagination through a unique artistic lens.

His illustrations do more than decorate a festival programme: they help shape the identity of each event, providing the first doorway into the stories waiting to be discovered. Through bold characters, rich detail, and thoughtful storytelling, Tolu’s work demonstrates how illustration can engage communities, spark curiosity, and inspire a lifelong love of reading and creativity.

This year’s creative challenge is inspired by the CALFE Literary Festival 2026 theme:

                                                               Flip into Wonder: Stories & Places

We’re excited to see how these words inspire pupils to create their own imaginative responses.

Will they invent fantastical worlds?

Reimagine familiar places?

Create unforgettable characters? The possibilities are endless.

The challenge extends beyond Skills Fest itself. The best 20 entries will be selected for an exhibition at Chelmsford Library in October 2026, with a winner and runners-up chosen by a panel of professional artists including Tolu, CALFE CIC artists and local artist too.

On one of the hottest days of the year, we’re looking forward to seeing creativity shine even brighter.

Here’s to a day of imagination, inspiration, and discovering the next generation of artists, illustrators, storytellers, and creative thinkers.

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