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Following its success in 2015, the Channel Islands Heritage Festival window display competition is back for another year.
Whether you are a retailer or restaurateur, work in an office or run a café, if you have a window space you can get involved. The Channel Islands Heritage Festival runs from 25 March to 10 May and is a celebration of a group of small islands with a big history.
This year honours the Islands’ relationship with the sea. Visit Guernsey say that from Roman wrecks to famous seafarers, tales of privateering and shipbuilding to great shipwrecks, our maritime heritage spans centuries. This year also marks the 150th anniversary of Victor Hugo’s novel, The Toilers of the Sea.
The 2016 festival features more than 600 events across the islands - and Visit Guernsey want as many island businesses to get involved as possible to spread festival fever across the island. For the second consecutive year, Visit Guernsey are working in partnership with Jersey Tourism to stage the pan–island Festival, which will showcase the very best of the island’s unique and amazing history.
In conjunction with Collaborate Communications, VisitGuernsey are hoping shop owners will rise to the challenge and put together fun and colourful displays that will transform both St Peter Port and out of town shopping areas.
The advice from Visit Guernsey is: "Whatever the size of your window, make sure your display is eye-catching and unique. The maritime theme could extend to under the sea or beside the sea, incorporating seashells, sand, underwater life and fishing nets. For a dramatic display, take inspiration from the story of Victor Hugo’s Toilers of the Sea, inspired by the fishermen of Portelet, and include the famous battle with an octopus."
Islanders and visitors will be able to vote for their favourite, by post or online, with prizes for both the winning retailer and one lucky voter. The winning shop will receive a trophy, specially commissioned by local jeweller Becky Rowe, while one voter will win a break across the water to Jersey, who are this year also participating in the window display competition. VisitGuernsey will be supplying all participating retailers with posters to promote the competition and voting slips.
The festival events includes guided walks and cycle rides, coach and boat tours, family events and fun days, talks and plays, and much, much more. For the first time ever, the public will be able to take in panoramic West coast views from the rooftop of Fort Grey and Guernsey Tapestry will have a special maritime themed Festival tapestry that visitors and locals can add a stitch to.
