Live from Firstsite Colchester (the Golden Banana). Exhibition programme manager George is born and bred Bas Vegas (aka Basildon) from Laindon Hills. His family grew up in a self-built wooden shack in the Plotlands - which fitted closely into the themes of Michael Landy’s ‘Welcome to Essex’ exhibition, George’s first project at Firstsite. Firstsite has seen artists like Ai Weiwei, Anthony Gormley, Grayson Perry - and now George himself! It began with a bursary in 2020 talking to autistic people about what art meant to them. Which led to an open call for artworks about technology, which lead to this autobiographical exhibition ‘Voyager 2000: Worldbeing & Wonder?’ where George tells his life story through other people’s artwork. George was trapped in an uninspiring retail job, and managed to hustle his way into doing what he wanted - by pursuing art journalism to talk about ableism in queer spaces in Gay Times and then using social media to find art mentors. As a child George visited the National Gallery in between hospital appointments, and he studied painting for human emotion which helped him mask. Art is very relationship based, artists being recommended by other people. George would use dating sites to meet men that would teach him about art history. He is interested in changing the power dynamics in the artworld. Hanging exhibitions at different heights for accessibility. Balancing accessibility needs. He advocates engagement over preservation, and wants people to touch some artworks. Making smellable artworks. George came into art through the art therapy programme at Great Ormond Street Hospital when he was a child. He had his artwork shown at Turner Contemporary at Margate, and acquired by Southend Museum. How did George include the Grindr app colours into his exhibition. Why you should make friends with caretakers! Getting diagnosed as autistic. Talking about the Disability Pride flag. Fetishisation of the disabled body. How technology in Essex has gone from the invention of radio all the way to location services in Grindr? How did a Nintendo Wii-U make George burst out crying? Mixing established artists with emerging artists within an exhibition.

George Morl website

George on Instagram

Are You Creative? recorded by Lawker Media, at Firstsite Colchester, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

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Thanks to NGDA for their support

It’s National Cheeseburger Day and Sangita isn’t here, it’s the legend Adam on the co-host - He’s been at Rom Skatepark chucking coloured powder all over the kids for the end of skatepark summer season. Over to our guest… Jake ‘The Burgerman’ Willis plays guitar in hardcore band Raiden, and being in a heavy metal band makes you have bad hearing. Prank chat. Hat chat. Wait for it… BURGER CHAT! Jake was named after Jake’s Hamburgers in Ilford, his Dad loves burgers too. Jake likes his burgers simple! Quality ingredients. No fancy extras. A beef patty between two slices of bread. He cooked A LOT of burgers to learn how to do it well. A flat griddle on his hob upped the game. Then during COVID lockdown, he made burgers EVERYDAY! And then made too many burgers for his family, so started delivering to mates. Food drops are exciting. Nick remembers the Meat Wagon in London. Jake doesn’t want to ruin his creative passion for burgers by doing it full time. He loves the exclusive drop format. Eating burgers with a knife and fork! What makes a good burger bun? Getting the perfect bun transformed the whole burger product - the secret was potato. Matt Binge from Food Review Club gave Jake’s burgers an incredible score when he tried it. A lot of love for Big Macs. What would be in the ultimate Essex burger? What are the secrets to seasoning. Has Jake eaten 10000 burgers? We hear about Hamburger by Hepburn in Shenfield - a restaurant with a butchers - sounds amazing. Nick rates Devine Burgers at The Vine in Great Bardfield. Adam likes to put a Birdseye Potato Waffle in with his burger. The Sistine Chapel of Big Mac made by the gods which Jake had at Hawksmoor (not Essex!). Nick gets dreamy talking about Burger Bear at Old Street. Has anyone made an amazing veggie burger? Halo Burger! Is perfecting burgers like learning the guitar?

WillisyBurger Instagram

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

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Thanks to NGDA for their support

Recorded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK

Alternative wedding dress fashion designer. Born and bred on the wrong side of the tracks in Chelmsford, Essex. Not everyone likes to wear white at their wedding, so Lucy Can’t Dance make more individual items. Dip dye is a big thing for them, Dresses that look great and still allow y ou to eat, drink, dance and not have ten people have to help you to the toilet. Ease of going to the toilet in a wedding dress is something not enough people think about! Lucy started out learning performing arts, singing and acting, not wardrobe. She’d customise her own charity shop clothes, then interned at a dressmaker. Learning pattern cutting, and getting to make gypsy bridal wear with crystals and other amazing additions. Nick invents the Colin The Caterpillar wedding dress. People want custom weddings now. Crazy wedding cakes! All about Nick’s medieval wedding and hiring suits of armour. Don’ mention the W word! Lucy Can’t Dance think it’s important to have transparent pricing. Lucy Can’t Dance has no size limits, total body positivity. Fittings and alterations, especially if people are pregnant for their wedding. Organising fake weddings for photos shoots is fun! Designing to scale up designs for sizes from 8 to 30 and ensuring it looks great on everyone. Summer is a busy time, so straight after the weddings Lucy starts designing the new collection. Lucy started designing on paper, but now uses iPad, but she can’t draw hands. Nick wants to change his surname to McAwesome. Lucy is aiming to develop a rainbow dip-dye. Tequila Sunrise is a very popular colour. The Prince’s Trust backed Lucy Can’t Dance early on with business development. Lucy has employed her interns in the past and find talent that studied fashion and textiles at Colchester Institute. How to get into fashion. Why don’t people have more lemurs at weddings? Choosing colours that will dye together. The brand has customers from as far away as Australia. Are wedding dresses just lace mullets?

Lucy Can't Dance
Lucy Can't Dance Instagram

Are You Creative? recorded by Adam at Lawker Media, Chelmsford, ESSEX
Edited by Nick Hearne
Artwork by Alpaca Antenna

Don't forget to like, subscribe, share and all the good stuff.

Follow our Instagram for latest news and behind the scenes photos

Send comments, questions, or suggestions for fascinating creative people in Essex give us a shout on our Instagram

Thanks to NGDA for their support

Recorded in Chelmsford, Essex, UK