17.97°C Phill Jupitus will visit Colchester’s Minories this summer for a series of workshops and conversations exploring art, creativity, satire and artistic practice.
Best known to many as a comedian, broadcaster and television personality, Jupitus has also spent decades working as an artist, illustrator, writer and performer. Long before television fame, he was performing as Porky the Poet and contributing cartoons to the Red Wedge movement, reflecting a long-standing interest in creativity as a means of communication and self-expression.
The programme opens on Sunday 5th July with a series of collage workshops running throughout the day.
In the one-hour sessions, participants will create their own collaged postcards using magazines, print media and found imagery under Jupitus’ guidance. All materials are provided, although attendees are welcome to bring along their own magazines, photographs or printed materials if they wish.
The workshops are open to anyone aged 16 and over and offer an opportunity to spend an hour making art rather than simply talking about it. A limited number of free bursary places are available through The Minories.
Later that evening, Jupitus returns for Two Doctors Walk into a Gallery, a conversation with artist Gee Vaucher.
A founder member of the Dial House community in Essex and best known for her work alongside Crass, Vaucher has been creating challenging and thought-provoking artwork since the 1960s. Her work has explored subjects including war, consumerism, social justice and political power, making her one of the most influential figures to emerge from Britain’s underground art scene.
Their discussion will focus on political art and the role artists play in reflecting, questioning and challenging the world around them.
On Friday 24th July, Jupitus is joined by contemporary artist Peter Liversidge for Your Masterpiece is in the Post.
Liversidge’s work has been exhibited at institutions including Tate Modern, the Whitechapel Gallery, the V&A, the British Museum and the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C. The conversation will explore artists who entrust completed works to the postal system, examining both the practical risks and the creative possibilities that come with such an unpredictable approach.
It is a subject Liversidge knows well. As a student, he famously sent a studio chair to a gallery, piece by piece, posting all 26 components separately by mail.
The series concludes on Sunday 16th August, with Analogue Anarchy or Digital Disruption, featuring Jupitus in conversation with Steve and Mike from Cassetteboy.
Long before mash-ups became a familiar part of internet culture, Cassetteboy were creating satirical audio and video remixes built from politicians’ speeches, television programmes and popular culture. Their videos have attracted millions of views online, while their work has appeared on programmes including Harry Hill’s TV Burp, Rude Tube and Have I Got News For You.
The discussion will explore the challenges of creating satire in a rapidly changing digital world and how artists continue to use humour, technology and creativity to engage audiences.
Taken together, the events showcase the breadth of Jupitus’ creative interests while bringing together artists working across very different disciplines. They also offer audiences the opportunity to hear directly from figures whose work spans visual art, performance, satire, illustration and contemporary culture.
Tickets for all events are now available on The Minories website. The collage workshops and Gee Vaucher conversation take place on Sunday 5th July, followed by Peter Liversidge on Friday 24th July and Cassetteboy on Sunday 16th August.
Peter Liversidge and Phill Jupitus.
