I make the economy better with art and Ram-Man.

This my image for 15 Queen Street's photography series 'I make..' featuring its members and general creatives. Don't I look passionately angry as always? Since doing this photo last week, I thought it was good timing to finally write this blog post; it's been rattling around in my head for a while.

It's aptly titled (some might say)
'Shit the bed! Colchester...'

You see 15 Queen Street is going to be a year old this month; may it have many more birthdays, and last week firstsite announced its opening date: 25 September 2011 at 10am - can't wait! So they're the new boys on the block, then we have the amazing Mercury Theatre and Colchester Arts Centre you can see why SHIT THE BED Colchester is apt. Any town would be lucky to have just one venue that fights in the class these guys do.

Also I do find myself saying this an awful lot at 15 Queen Street's networking events; at each one I have been to, I've met someone else that's doing something amazing and thinking big not local, and when they're thinking local they're thinking hyper-local and really in it. I spent ages looking for an illustrator for my upcoming show and in one networking event at Queen Street, I found them. After just a simple conversation, I just went that's them and that's my city*.

What am trying to say is probably best summed up in this story: I was lucky enough to do my Foundation year in art in Colchester. Foundation is that year where you discover things and being based in Frinton-on-Sea I didn't get to see much culture and stuff. During that year, I would often go to Colchester Arts Centre to see some live art or performance; I saw amazing things, my eyes were opened, you might say I got the performing bug. The year ended and after digesting an awful lot, I went away to university at Kingston desperate to discover and digest more; art gluttony was coming my way.

However, when I got really into the live art side I got given a list of 4 of the biggest live art venues/supports in the UK and it had Colchester Arts Centre on it. The place I grew up in was one of THE! places for my field and I'd never realized. I thought every city* was like Colchester. The sad thing is its not, and we are lucky enough to still be expanding creatively. In a nutshell I urge you to realise the ever-growing wealth of amazing artistic-ness in Colchester and, say it with me, "Shit the bed! Colchester is creative."

If you would like to become a member of 15 Queen Street or are interested in more info see link below:
http://www.15queenstreet.org/

firstsite is an amazing new visual arts building designed by Rafael Vinoly, more info below:
http://www.firstsite.uk.net/

They also have a brand new Facebook page, check it out below:
http://www.facebook.com/#!/firstsite

Hold up, I have a new Facebook page too!:
http://www.facebook.com/YouWillBeRare

*Oh Jamie I thought Colchester was a town... Well I can't see how that is strictly true; going back in history Colchester was a city in fact the capital of Roman Britain, and I never heard of this city status being taken away so therefore we are already a city. The Council marketing it as Britain's oldest record town is just another slip up by the Council. The Queen didnt take the city status away so she can't she give away what we already have. Sorry ma'am.

Don’t forget to check the reason for this blog post. It’s our project; mine (Jamie Moakes), and Ram-Man's we are taking on the economy, click here to find out more.