What kite flyers can teach us about craft and community

But for the odd attempt at flying a kite on the beach one time, there will be a lot of people, especially those in big cities, whose main interaction with kite flying has been watching the 1964 musical Mary Poppins. We remember the closing song, the family arm-in-arm after Mary Poppins’ efforts to change the winds – a metaphor for bringing calm to the Banks’ home and reminding Mr Banks (David Tomlinson) of the love that is right in front of him – his family. A man known for his disciplined and curt demeanor, Mr Banks uncharacteristically ends the film jumping and singing Let’s Go Fly A Kite with Mary’s friend Bert (Dick Van Dyke) after mending his children’s diamond kite.

“With tuppence for paper and strings
You can have your own set of wings
With your feet on the ground
You’re a bird in a flight
With your fist holding tight
To the string of your kite”

So, why has kite flying been reduced to reminiscence and simulacrum, viewed lovingly through films and books as metaphors for deep connections, when life is more than a Windows XP wallpaper’s rolling hills of flattened pastoral bliss? This story begins in 1970s Cheltenham...

In 1972, Gloucestershire-based inventor Peter Powell developed the first steerable dual-line stunt kite. Pre-Powell, kite flying often involved home-constructed kites, seen in Mary Poppins, in the form that probably first comes to mind when you think of kites – those diamond- shaped windows into childhood nostalgia. Pre-internet age too, kite flying was a popular way to wind down. However, it wasn’t until the mid-1970s where it emerged as a craze that swept the globe. Powell’s steerable kite appeared on BBC programme Nationwide, and quickly the company went from making 300 kites a week to 75,000, selling millions not just in the UK but worldwide. Stars such as Muhammad Ali, James Stuart and Henry Fonda were known to have owned one of the kites. The ability to conduct precise manoeuvres with the steerable kite gave rise to kite competitions held all over the world. This widespread pop-culture boom died down after its heyday, and long-term kiters wonder why.

Malcolm Goodman, a UK-based kite collector, has this to say: “Kite flying is a very healthy pastime and it is very sad that young children don’t fly kites today.” Is it the internet age that sent young people’s love for the outdoors into decline? On the contrary. According to Strava’s 2024 annual report there has been a 59 per cent boom in running club participation – the report makes the bold statement that “Run club is the new nightclub”.

Runner Michelle, 23, tells us that “in your 20s, it’s super hard to make friends”. Michelle is a pacer for London run club Brked-Off, among others, and recently stumbled across fliers while on a hike at Barmouth Beach. In her enamourment she joined in. Michelle reflects, “People just want people they resonate with, spaces where they feel safe and heard. They want the freedom of being outside, escaping. The club is the way to facilitate that.” Whether it’s on foot, on wheels, or holding tight to the string of your kite, young people do want to be outside and meet new people, but this comes with finding their community.

Michael Goddard, a kite-maker based in England, says, “There seems to be two categories. The actual makers, like myself, the designers, and we show what we’ve created as this kind of performance at kite events and festivals. And then there are the collectors.” There are different kinds of fulfilment that come from kiting, but all seem to come down to this element of performance. He continues: “You are laying bare, almost like your soul really, through the design of the kite and how it flies, and it’s for all to see.” There is a sociable aspect too, rather than the lone wolf solo image that conjures itself. There seems to be a kind of sonder; a realisation and appreciation of how these threads of lives have intertwined to one place, one activity, one feeling – feelings as complex and vibrant as your own.

Of entanglements, Michael tells us his first encounter with kite-flying was through David Pelham’s book Kites – the go-to reference guide for many a kite-maker, full of construction diagrams for every type of kite you can imagine. “It was the catalyst for everything,” he says. He first stumbled across it entirely by accident on a day out with his wife. “We were in a bookshop in Manchester and my wife used to be a library manager so we could never pass a bookshop without going in.” Michael tells us of how he and his wife were brought together through their shared love of kiting. “Jeanette and I were very lucky to be invited to kite festivals globally. We were married in Hawaii at a kite festival with kite flyers from all over the world.” Kite flying, undoubtedly, has the power to connect.

Kite festivals are held in small and large pockets internationally. Some notable ones here in the UK are St Anne’s International Kite Festival, Southsea Kite Festival in Portsmouth, and Bridlington Kite Festival. It’s Nice That and photographer Jack Kenyon went down to the one in St Anne’s in Lancashire and the so-called Jolly Up in Basingstoke for this article, meeting some of the kite flyers and capturing some of the goings-on, the community and its therapeutic and (pardon the pun) uplifting atmosphere – which you can absorb in these photos by Jack. Below a sky full of intricate and vibrant feats of craft, the groups of windswept fliers with focused faces are just as picturesque, comfortable and entirely immersed in the unexpected ducks and dives of their designs.

At kite flying events like these, traditionally sized kites fly side-by-side with larger kite displays. In the early 80s, a kitemaker and designer named Peter Lynn began to develop inflatable theme kites, and was later dubbed by kite.org as “the czar of giant inflatable show kites”. At St Anne’s, inflatable dinosaurs, snakes, and even Italian plumber/adventurer Mario soar the skies, amongst traditional framework designs, all contributing to an eclectic skyscape.

Of the global events, Italy’s Artevento Cervia International is the longest running kite festival, attracting 800,000 visitors making their annual pilgrimage, and received official recognition by the Italian Ministry of Culture as intangible cultural heritage. Ran previously by artist Claudio Capelli, it is now run by his daughter Caterina Capelli, the festival’s artistic director. She recalls to us one of her fondest childhood memories: “Japanese master Hideo Matsutani painting kabuki theatre characters on tablecloths, t-shirts and every surface possible while singing Italian lyrics together with my grandma and eating midnight oil-and-garlic spaghetti surrounded by the crowd of guests from all around the world.” Caterina sees kite flying as an opportunity to tap into something deeper. She shares, “The sky is an empty gallery until they start to fly their amazing art pieces. The best thing is that this art gallery is not static, but changes continuously following the dance of the wind and light.” Fliers are brought together by the earthly elements above them, becoming guests of the sky.

It’s these meets that bring culture together to a boil. Hosting is another vital pillar of these kite community groups. Michael was initially taken aback at my use of the word community, but began to consider it as incredibly apt. He takes us back to 20 years ago, to an email from some Australian kite fliers. This invitation was to a festival on Bondi Beach, and they were kind enough to accommodate his stay. “From that point on, we’ve had invitations from all over the world, Moscow, Kazakhstan…” Unexpected to him, kite flying opened up a wealth of hospitality and new connections. Conversely, he adds, it also proves a rejuvenating solo activity. Alongside flying, he loves a spot of kite walking – “When I find a suitable location, a wide open landscape like a long sandy beach in Scotland, Isle of Sky, with the backdrop of the Cuillin mountains, it’s best if I have the area to myself.” With the right winds, Michael’s kite walks see him cross four miles on his longest journeys. For fliers in search of both connection and solitude, the sky welcomes you.

Malcolm’s kite collection itself is a constellation of his own connections. His set of over 2,000 kites from across the globe, previously hosted at his home, has recently been taken to a museum in the Netherlands for a three-month exhibition launching in 2026. “I used to organise kite festivals for many councils in the UK who helped the invited kite fliers with a contribution towards their travel expenses,” he tells us. Hosting is an act of love, a role to step in as a member of the community to share kites and exchange words.

Young people are tired of the doom scroll, tired of being caught up in algorithms; screen fatigue is in the air. There is a growing and gnawing feeling to get out there and to ‘touch grass’, to be more involved with the world around us. As Michelle says of her run club experience, “Going to a run club and these social third spaces puts you in a position of care for your community.” If the cost is care, there’s nothing to lose in kite flying.