International Arts Festival and Year-Round Events at the Think Tank, Lovingly Crafted in Ipswich.
Through our programmes of amazing, high-quality artist-led projects, educational activities and creative opportunities, we break down barriers between performance and other art forms, offering experiences that bridge the gap between marginal and mainstream approaches to making art.
SPILL has been an artist-led organisation since its inception. The creative direction provided by an Artistic Director who is also an artist is incredibly important to the functioning of the festival and wider organisation.
Our current Artistic Director, Robin Deacon, has worked in performance, video and writing since the mid 1990s. His work is known for its innovative approach to the lecture as an art form. Robin’s interest in storytelling and narrative is reflected in his approach to programming and curation at SPILL, where he emphasises unusual perspectives and untold histories.
From the get-go SPILL commissioned work, presented an international programme, leveraged established culture houses alongside found spaces and the streets, and ensured that works presented were properly contextualised, through writing, public discussion, participatory Think Tank events and good quality documentation. Robert was Artistic Director and Curator of the first 10 SPILL Festivals (2007 – 2021), during which time he moved the event from London to Suffolk, and opened the Think Tank building as a permanent physical base for SPILL to operate from. Since its first edition SPILL was produced by Pacitti Company. In 2021, prior to passing the organisation on, Robert oversaw SPILL Festival becoming its own legal and producing entity, with Robin Deacon appointed as SPILL’s next Artistic Director.
Dance, Digital, Installation, Music, Physical Theatre, Visual Arts
Additional Areas of Focus
Community Engagement, Cultural Diversity, Family Friendly, Outdoor Arts Sector Development, Participatory, Placemaking, Youth Engagement
