Author Archives: Ben Howard

Colchester Morris celebrates 100 years with city-wide Day of Dance

A century of Morris dancing in Colchester will be celebrated this summer when more than [...]

Three Times A Day – remembering the Colchester scene

Three Times A Day were one of the most distinctive bands to emerge from the [...]

Chai Mixers Launches at Colchester Arts Centre

A new programme of talks, workshops, and live events celebrating South Asian arts and culture [...]

Love Colchester Celebrations at Firstsite

A special community celebration is coming to Firstsite on Friday, 5th June, as the Love [...]

Theatre Coverage on Keep Colchester Cool

Keep Colchester Cool is proud to support and spotlight Colchester’s vibrant theatre scene through dedicated [...]

Mayor’s Variety Show Brings Colchester Performers Together

More than 450 people attended the Mayor of Colchester’s Variety Show at the Mercury Theatre [...]

Roots and Grooves Cafe Moves into Its Next Chapter

Roots and Grooves Café is moving confidently into its next chapter under owners Chelle Luk-Hang [...]

Marc De’ath on Made in Essex and Counting Culture

Made in Essex is currently inviting creatives across the county to contribute to Counting Culture, [...]

The Colchester Independent Short Film Festival at Firstsite

The Colchester Independent Short Film Festival takes place at Firstsite on Saturday 23rd May, bringing [...]

Toby Freeman on the RCT and Colchester Half Marathon

Every spring, the Colchester Half Marathon brings thousands of runners into the city. This year, [...]

Punk Weekender at Firstsite celebrates Sue Webster

Workshops, film screenings and creative activities inspired by punk culture take over Firstsite next weekend [...]

Lily of The Meffs talks MEFF-FEST 3 and a huge year ahead

Colchester punk duo The Meffs bring MEFF-FEST back this weekend, and the third edition is [...]

Gregory Edwards launches Colchester Comedian of the Year 2026

Colchester Comedian of the Year returns to Three Wise Monkeys this year, with three heats [...]

Graham Coxon’s Castle Park album inspired by Colchester

A previously unheard solo album by Blur guitarist Graham Coxon – named after Colchester’s Castle [...]

Emerging Colchester Artists Take Over Firstsite in New Exhibition

A new exhibition at Firstsite is giving visitors the chance to see how the next [...]

Pint of Science festival returns to Colchester pubs

Pint of Science brings science talks to Colchester pubs, including Three Wise Monkeys, Dragonfly Lounge [...]

Jane’s Walk Colchester returns with a week of free community walks

Jane’s Walk Colchester returns this May with a week of free guided walks exploring the [...]

Punk Rock comes to Colchester Library with Stage Craft @ Young Company

Stage Craft @ Young Company brings Simon Stephens’ powerful play Punk Rock to Colchester Library [...]

Soundwave Sessions return to Castle Park Bandstand

A series of free live music afternoons will take place at Castle Park Bandstand in [...]

Legendary DJ Colin Curtis heads to Colchester for Rhythm Loft

Legendary DJ Colin Curtis plays Rhythm Loft at Three Wise Monkeys in Colchester on Saturday [...]

About the author:
Ben Howard is a writer, DJ and founder of Keep Colchester Cool. Since launching the platform in 2009, he has documented Colchester's gigs, theatre, exhibitions and grassroots creativity through interviews, reviews and event listings. Alongside running the site, he leads Ben Howard Communications, providing PR, content writing and marketing support for businesses, venues and cultural organisations. He also DJs regularly and continues to champion the people, places and events that make Colchester's cultural scene unique.