Cartoons to knitting: Half a century of gentle protest goes on show

Equal rights have been fought for in many different ways across the world, and sometimes those battles against discrimination have taken a quiet, subtle form.

An exhibition about how cartoons and textiles have been used for gentle protest has opened at Norwich Castle Museum.

Cartoonist David Shenton has been drawing since the 1970s and his work is featured in exhibition Kindly Ease The Tension, which focuses mainly on LGBTQ+ issues, looking at events that have shaped his life.

The 77-year-old said he had been called a 'craftivist', which is a mix of activism and crafts, but insisted he "didn't set out to be that".

He made a piece called Duvet of Love as a memorial to friends lost during the Aids crisis after moving to London and feeling "so miserable".

It features hundreds of badges, which make up the mosaic portrait of two men embracing.

"I pinned my badges on my duvet as a kind of a comfort thing," he explained.

Other topics to have inspired him over the years include the former Section 28 law, marrying his partner and attending Norwich Pride events.

One of Shenton's pieces featured in the display is a hand-knitted banner celebrating Justin Fashanu's goal in Norwich City's match against Liverpool in 1980. Fashanu was the first openly gay professional footballer.

He went on to make a 20m (66ft) banner, which he said followed a request from Norwich City fans. He then held up the piece during the Norwich v Liverpool match in 2020, 40 years on from the famous goal.

Shenton has worked for publications such as Capital Gay and The Guardian, is a patron of Norwich Pride and runs a Men's Knitting Club in the city.

As a cartoonist, he wanted the exhibition to be funny but added: "This history shows it's been hard work, you've had to fight every step.

"Because people are standing up for their rights, they don't want to be better, they just want to be equal, part of the community... that's all I'm fighting for".

The exhibition runs until January 2027.

Do you have a story suggestion for Norfolk? Contact us below.

Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.