Ministry of Arts Podcast

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Katy Baird (@thenewlookkatyb)  As an artist Katy has performed at performance festivals and venues across Europe as well as squat parties, clubs and raves.Her debut studio-based performance Workshy, a show about work and the things we do for money, was a smash hit and toured internationally to over 30 cities.She has received commissions from Battersea Arts Centre, Wellcome Trust, The Yard Theatre, Camden People’s Theatre and Duckie amongst others. Since 2016 she has been artist in residence at queer club night Knickerbocker.She is currently working on a new solo show entitled Get Off, due to be touring 2023/24As a Curator she founded and co-produces Steakhouse Live, a DIY platform in London for radical performance practices and is currently Artistic Director of Home Live Art, producers of live events across Hastings, the South East and beyond.Katy has also worked as an independent producer at Fierce Festival (Birmingham) and Manchester International Festival, as well as a guest lecturer at the University of Chichester, Central School of Speech and Drama, Rose Bruford College, Goldsmiths University, University of East London and University of Dundee.From 2012-2017 she worked as Coordinator at the Live Art Development Agency in London.  For more information on the work of Katy Baird go tohttps://katybaird.com Thanks to Anna @abstraktpublicity for the connection*Cover Image via:@JMA.Photo To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Luke Hannam (@LukeHannamPaintings) Luke Hannam’s works are celebrated for their vibrant colours, dynamic compositions, and emotional depth.Hannam's early exposure to the arts fuelled his passion for painting, leading him to study at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design. Hannam's paintings are characterised by their bold use of colour and texture, creating a sense of movement and life on the canvas.His work draws inspiration from his love 0f literature, music, as well as his personal experiences, resulting in pieces that are both introspective and universally relatable. In addition to his painting, Hannam is also a professional musician, integrating his artistic sensibilities into his musical endeavours. His multifaceted approach to creativity continues to inspire and captivate audiences, solidifying his reputation as a significant figure in contemporary art.  To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg 

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Rosa Roberts (@rosa_roberts_) Rosa Roberts grew up in Norfolk on a fruit farm, and moved to London with her family in her teenage years, later studying Fine Art at Central St Martin's. She ran a business which designed and ran drawing workshops in London Museums for 8 years until deciding to go full-time as a painter in 2020. Rosa has developed a unique style that combines traditional techniques with modern themes, exploring the nuances of human experience and the natural world. Her work often reflects a deep connection to the landscapes of her native Britain, infusing her canvases with a sense of place and emotional resonance, possibly influenced by the work of her parents, her Father a farmer and her Mother a photographer. Rosa has exhibited widely across the UK and internationally. Her paintings are characterized by their vibrant colour palettes, dynamic compositions, and an intricate interplay of light and shadow across an array of surfaces.  Her work has been featured in prominent galleries and art fairs, cementing her reputation as a noticeable figure in contemporary British art. Through her paintings, Rosa Roberts continues to inspire and engage audiences, offering a window into her profound appreciation for the world around her.  For more information on the work of Rosa Roberts go tohttps:// Rosaroberts.com  To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg 

 In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Peter Stapleton (@peterstapletonart) Peter was born in the city of Manchester, in the UK and his early years were significantly influenced by the complexities of coming from a family heavily in serious crime. Eventually Peter ended up in prison, charged with armed robbery on security vans. After spending several years on the run in South Africa, Peter was arrested and brought back to the UK. ​It was during his time at a High Security Prison that Peter discovered he had a talent for painting and it was here that his passion for art was born.​Eventually working his way to an Open Prison for good behaviour, Peter was released from prison every day to attend Staffordshire University, where he gained a BA (Hons) Fine Art.​Painting in a Hyperrealistic style, Peters work focused on his experiences of Prison life. He looks for drama in a painting and invites the viewer to question what is going on. Painting in a precise and detailed way he likes to work in layers using a rich and saturated palette, giving depth to his paintings. For more information on the work of Peter Stapleton go tohttps://www.peterstapletonart.com To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg 

 In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Mark McGowan (@the_artist_taxidriver)Mark McGowan is a British street artist, performance artist, film maker and public protester who has gone by the artist name Chunky Mark and more recently The Artist Taxi Driver.By profession, McGowan is a London taxi driver and occasional University speaker and arts tutor. McGowan is known internationally for his performance art including shock art, street art and installation art, and as a stuntman, internet personality, video blogger, social commentator, social critic, satirist, political activist, peace activist, and an anti-establishment, anti-war, anti-capitalist anti-monarchist and anti-power elite protester.Under the artist name "Chunky Mark", McGowan entered the mainstream news in the early 2000s for his unconventional, satirical, sometimes comedic and/or ironic, and often absurd approach to public protest and demonstration. Chunky Mark conducted hundreds of performances in the UK and dozens around the world, stirring up some international attention, further debate on what "art really is", controversy; and both support and mockery alike from intellectuals, the art world, private corporations, the police, the military, the tabloids and the public. Often McGowan has not applied for police permission beforehand.To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofartsFor full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Clarke Reynolds (@clarkereynoldsofficial) Born in 1981 in Portsmouth, Clarke Reynolds began his life journey with a unique perspective, one shaped by limited sight and profound resilience.  Despite facing the challenges of domestic violence and alcohol abuse in his childhood, Clarke found solace and expression through drawing. His sketchbook became his sanctuary, a space where he could escape and create.Clarke's artistic path took a pivotal turn when he was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa, leading to the eventual loss of sight in his right eye at the age of just 6, since then he has lost the sight in his left eye leaving him with just 5 degrees of vision. These life-altering events steered him away from his career as a dental model maker, but also opened a new door to the world of art. It was through his discovery of textiles that Clarke realised he could translate the tactility of fabrics and the dimension of sound into visual art, crafting pieces that are not only seen but felt. Embracing his journey, Clarke now dedicates his time to creating art in his Portsmouth studio and teaching Braille, including leading a class named after him at London’s Kings Cross Academy. His passion for Braille, a vital tool for 30,000 people in the UK, is evident in his commitment to promoting its benefits. Clarke is represented by Grove Gallery for his original artwork. For more information on the work of Clarke Reynolds go tohttps://clarkereynoldsart.com  To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg 

 In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Mason Storm (@masonstormgenius) Masons work has been considered controversial and provocative, however he never try’s to be controversial in his subject matter just for the sake of it, there is always an underlying reason for the work he produces. Mason is probably best known for his mask. It has become a trademark, hiding his identity whilst creating a mystique which helps with promotion and publicity. He began wearing it when in 2010 he said he was going to reveal the face of the artist Banksy in an oil painting. The whole campaign was nothing more than a big marketing ploy and it worked. The supposed unveiling of Banksy courted a lot of negative publicity and the occasional death threat. Nothing he hasn’t encountered many times in his previous life but he knew the fact that he was remaining anonymous would annoy Banksy’s followers even more. Secondly, in his previous careers he has met and dealt with some extremely dangerous men. There is no risk to his security but he would rather the two worlds never meet. Also he occasionally does freelance work and its better for him if he remain in the shadows so to speak. So the mask, apart from its marketing potential allows him to hide in plain sight.  Text via @reloadgallery  For more information on the work of Mason Storm go tohttps://www.masonstormenterprises.co.uk/  To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg 

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Holly Searle (@the_subversive_stitcher)  For as long as I can remember I have always been making something. In retrospect, I may well have picked this desire to create up from my nan and my mum, who were always making something as well. I was an analogue child that was closer to the make do and mend generation than the digital children of the 21 century, who have a screen that feeds their desires, but not necessarily their creativity.​For that I will always be truly grateful.​I always loved to embroider, but as the years passed and my life became more focused on single parenting and domestic issues, I seemed to have lost the desire to create. I just lost my creative mojo. Then one day, several years ago, I attended an exhibition on mental health and saw the most incredible sight. It was a sampler that had been sewn by an inmate of a Victorian Asylum.​The inmate Mary Frances Heaton had used a needle and thread and other accessible materials to petition Queen Victoria about her own personal experiences of her own social injustice that had befallen her.In that moment, as I stood there looking at this piece. I was transfixed and amazed by her ingenuity and her passion to be heard.​Her passion reignited my desire to create and to use embroidery and textiles as a basis to draw attention to social issues and to empower women, especially those that deserve more attention than afforded them. Mary was incarcerated for 41 years, but she never gave up using her voice. I like to think you can hear an echo of her in mine.​​ For more information on the work of Holly Searle go tohttps://www.thesubversivestitcher.com To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg 

In this episode Gary Mansfield speaks to Heath Kane (@ByHeathKane) Heath Kane returns almost five and a half years after he first appeared on the podcast, in episode 09. At the time he had his own branding agency, creating his ‘Rich Enough to be Batman’ prints as an external creative outlet. We simply discuss what’s happened since we first recorded on that bench in Hoxton Square many moons ago...“Having worked with clients in the luxury goods market for quite a while, I found it hard to understand how some individuals had more wealth than entire countries. And so, I created Rich Enough to be Batman. I knew then that I wanted any art I made to be topical, political and to challenge the conventions of our lifestyles and the world we live in today.I have always made art in response to what I see happening in the world. Each of my collections explores a different political or social narrative. I want people to look at my art and talk about the issues we face, both individually and as a community.When politics seems to be moving backwards (and while right wing governments continue to be in power) we need to be more active than ever in moving forwards. In creating art, I now have a voice that can help to bring about change. And, through buying my art perhaps you can join in that choir.I will continue to create more art that brings awareness to the societal rifts that politics creates. I hope to ridicule these divisions whilst trying to create more tolerance and understanding for each other.” For more information on the work of Heath Kane go tohttps:/heathkane.co.uk  To Support this podcast from as little as £3 per month: www.patreon/ministryofarts For full line up of confirmed artists go to https://www.ministryofarts.orgEmail: ministryofartsorg@gmail.comSocial Media: @ministryofartsorg