A taste of comic con action for Torbay’s under 25s Aug 2024
Jamie, a member of Imagine This Torbay’s Youth Council, is eager to share their creativity and passion. A particular mission of theirs was to give Torbay a taste of one of the biggest gatherings of all things typically considered “nerdy” – comic con(vention) and make it accessible to under 25s.
On Saturday 31st August, Imagine This held its first event with Jamie at the helm, a Cosplay Gala, which gave local children, teens and under 25s the chance to dress up as their favourite fictional characters from film, TV, games, anime, online culture and then some, while mingling with like-minded peers.
We asked Jamie what inspired the gala, and what their vision was for the future of these events:
Well, being a giant nerd and ending up fascinated by the 2011 comedy film ‘Paul’ – where two British guys go over to America to attend the annual San Diego Comic Con – at the tender age of 15, I was determined to go to something similar and experience the geeky joy that only conventions could provide. Growing up in the West Midlands, there were quite a few large convention halls within driving distance, which meant I had access to such events, which I went to twice a year.
Going to these events in cosplay was, quite honestly, the highlight of my younger teenage years. Working for months on a costume of a character which means so much to you, then being able to showcase that hard work with people who also have such love for the art of cosplay…it was a reminder, for me, that people tend to take themselves far too seriously, and getting to goof around with people is what makes life beautiful.
Moving down to Torbay in my 20’s, the closest similar thing I could find was all the way up in Exeter… It was not ideal for a young adult who didn’t yet have a driving licence, so I had to accept that my cosplaying days were more or less shelved. That was, until I got involved with local youth work and Imagine This, where I began discussing the positive potential for a Torbay Comic Con! After some data gathering, we came to the conclusion that we needed to take baby steps before jumping head-first into a full out convention with stalls and vendors and such, so instead I said, “Well, the heart of conventions are the attendees, so why not just have a safe space for cosplayers to mingle?” And so, the idea for the Cosplay Gala was born!
August 31st will go down as the highlight of my (still very young) career, as I honestly couldn’t be happier and prouder of our first ever Cosplay Gala! Admittedly, the work beforehand was stressful, as we didn’t have much time to prepare, but we did it! Due to it being relatively short notice, I wasn’t expecting much of a turnout, so seeing how many young people and their families showed up was incredible – I just couldn’t stop smiling!
There was a wish tree set up at the entrance, and seeing several of the wishes at the end being for more events like the Gala was the cherry on the cake.
Going forward, I’d really like for some of the young people who attended or who wish to attend in the future to come forward and join the discussions about how to make the next Gala even bigger and better! We need as much enthusiasm and support as possible to get some of the more grandiose ideas turned into reality, as showing that this is indeed something young people in the bay are interested and excited in is how we move forward with bigger and brighter steps.
Lastly, I want to say that it was the admin team at Imagine This who really need the credit – risk assessments and public communications are the aspects behind the scenes that don’t get enough recognition in making events happen. I had the more creative tasks, which were front and centre on the day, to be appreciated, so I really want it to be known that this wouldn’t have been possible without the whole team behind me. I’m so thankful for each and every one of them.
Imagine This is keen to keep the ball rolling, continuing to produce events such as this around Torbay. Interested in getting involved in the future? Email imaginethisinfo@torbaycdt.org.uk