Pick Me Up Graphic Arts Festival, Somerset House, London

Now in its 7th year, Pick Me Up Graphic Arts Festival returns to Somerset House (until 2nd May 2016). It makes the perfect cultural outing for those who aren't sure of which London attraction to visit this Bank Holiday weekend. Tickets cost £10 or under, with the exclusion of the more comprehensive Festival Pass. There is something here for everyone to enjoy, from exhibitions and pop-up shops, to talks, workshops and demonstrations. All manner of disciplines are represented, including animation, ceramic art, illustration, letterpress, risograph printing and screen-printing. The festival is also hosting a special Alan Kitching retrospective, examining the celebrated designer's six decades in the field.

Up-and-coming talent is the subject of the first room of displays. Pick Me Up Selects are 13 international graphic artists and illustrators who have set-up-studio or graduated within the last 3 years. Selected by a panel of industry experts, their works are showcased alongside objects that demonstrate their working processes, techniques and inspirations. Additionally, on each day of the festival, one of the Selects will be working live, creating pieces for purchase.

Among the Pick Me Up Selects Jack Sachs has one of the more distinctive styles of work. The young Londoner has created cartoon-like illustrations of parts of the body featuring cross sections to show inner workings. Yet these are not realistic biological diagrams, but playful imaginings of what goes on inside the human body. His installation is made all the more eye-catching through being displayed against a black background with a 3D animation playing on a screen. Sachs' medically-themed works were inspired by a serious injury to his drawing hand, which he suffered during his final year at Camberwell College of Arts.

Another illustrator stealing the show is Dutchman Aart-Jan Venema. Inspired by Bosch and Bruegel, his paintings tell everyday stories in a detailed and humorous way, as in The Internet (2016), which portrays the modern-day temptation of online procrastination. Also vying for attention are the kinetic works of Isabel Gibson and Helen Chesner. Similar in appearance to Alexander Calder's mobiles, they have produced a set of automated instruments that move and play sounds independently, but when seen together form a lively orchestral installation. Their creative partnership has led to commissions of multi-disciplinary projects for clients such as Nike and Selfridges.

At the end of the show is the Alan Kitching retrospective. Featuring over 100 prints, it charts the development of his work from early beginnings as an apprentice, to the pieces that have made him one of the world's most prominent graphic artists. On selected dates visitors can watch Alan Kitching printing letterpress live. They will see his new work inspired by the UTOPIA festival at Somerset House; the print is his own version of the alphabet based on Thomas More's Island of Utopia. More Utopian-themed activities are being organised during 2016, but in the meantime visitors can immerse themselves in the colourful Utopia Treasury found in the Great Arch Hall.

Upstairs in the mezzanine, besides a cafe, are a selection of trendy pop-up shops, some hosting live demonstrations. Peso Print are screen-printing bright backgrounds onto which visitors can choose to have letters and words printed. T-shirts, tote bags, books, framed prints and ceramics are just a few of the many items available from niche retailers.

Elsewhere at Somerset House several events and exhibitions are taking place that will be of equal interest. In the Terrace Rooms of the South Wing can be found Venturing Beyond: Graffiti and the Everyday Utopias of the Street (until 2nd May 2016). Free to enter, it shows off specially commissioned work by 18 street artists from around the world. Over 500 contemporary photographs are also on display as part of Sony's World Photography Awards (until 8th May 2016, tickets from £6.50 to £9.50).

More information about Pick Me Up Graphic Arts Festival can be found on the festival's website. Address: Embankment Galleries, South Wing, Somerset House, London WC2R 1LA.