ONE lucky youngster will see his artwork feature on the front cover of next year’s Fringe by the Sea’s programme.

While festival organisers have teamed up with businesses in North Berwick to encourage residents to ‘shop local’.

More than 100 pupils from throughout East Lothian’s schools submitted colourful drawings for a competition to create the programme’s cover.

Originally, the plan was for the winning entry to be used on the cover of this year’s programme. However, it was announced in May that the North Berwick-based festival – which features top names from the world of art, comedy and literature – was being cancelled for 2020 due to the coronavirus.

Instead, the winning entry, which came from Harry King, a P6 pupil at Longniddry Primary School, will be used at next year’s festival, which takes place from August 6-15. His eye-catching lighthouse and interpretation of familiar sights around North Berwick caught the judges’ attention. Said Harry: “My design was inspired by the perfect day in North Berwick - having fun at the beach with the sun shining and eating ice cream.”

He has also won tickets and food and drink vouchers for next year’s event to the value of £100.

From a shortlist of five, two runners-up will also receive a family ticket for four to one of the festival’s family shows.

The shortlisted entries were Meghan Kynoch Taylor, from Loretto RC Primary School, Musselburgh; Kiefer Nicholson, Longniddry Primary School; Domenik Blumfield, from Loretto RC Primary School (runner-up); and Lily Chater, from Longniddry Primary School (runner-up).

Jackie Shuttleworth, Fringe by the Sea general manager, said: “It was brilliant to receive so many entries from primary school pupils across East Lothian – they had clearly worked hard on their designs. We found it really tricky to choose a winner but Harry’s colourful picture of North Berwick stood out for its attention to detail and quirky touches.”

Organisers are also running a prize draw, which takes place over the planned dates this year’s festival, August 7-16, to encourage people to shop local.

Shoppers who spend more than £10 in several North Berwick shops can enter the prize draw with a chance of winning a £300 Fringe by the Sea package, including £150 worth of tickets for next year’s event, £50 food and drink vouchers and £100 North Berwick gift vouchers.

To enter, shoppers must complete a postcard from any of the participating stores and hand it in before the closing date – the stores will display posters featuring the shortlisted artwork from the schools competition.

The stores currently taking part are: Anderson’s Quality Butchers, Barker & Bone, Cake Café, Coastal Kids, Emma Combe Hair, etc…, Fingers & Thumbs Arts & Craft Centre, Heart & Sole, Meg Maitland, No 12 Hotel & Bistro, Rock & Bird, Scottish Seabird Centre, Steampunk Coffee, The Herringbone and Westgate Gallery.

Jackie added: “We have many fantastic businesses in North Berwick and we’re encouraging people to shop local and support the livelihoods of our traders and keep the town thriving.”

Those looking for a taste of the festival can enjoy a pop-up photography exhibition in the Robert Louis Stevenson garden at the far east end of High Street. The exhibition (August 7-16) has been curated by local artist and filmmaker Holger Monhaupt from his own images of last year’s event plus additional images of previous years. It has been designed, constructed and installed by Michael James Lewis and represents a Spiegeltent, the iconic venues used at Fringe by the Sea each year.