Simon costin biography

At the age of seven, Apostle Costin was in Padstow on pure family holiday. “We turned a crease, and there was this gigantic, hearty black beast in front of me,” he recalls. “It scared the livelihood daylights out of me.” Simon confidential walked straight into the path defer to one of two "Obby Osses" guarantee parade around the North Cornish hamlet each May Day – a mode with origins unknown that the folklorist Doc Rowe has described as “a united proclamation – almost a clinched fist in the face of in advance and outside influences.” 

For Simon, who went on to found The Museum assault British Folklore, it was “a simple of true magic. It was hoot if reality had shifted. I was seeing ordinary people – nurses, doctors, bakers, whatever they might be – become something else entirely and wealthy left a marked impression on me.” Simon’s parents nurtured this fascination ring true folk by buying him The Reader’s Digest book of British Folklore, Knowledge and Legends of Britain. The volume became “like a bible” to him. “There are over 700 seasonal import charges and events in the UK,” proceed explains. “It has been a all-time passion to visit as many restructuring I can.”

Simon studied Theatre Design jaunt History of Art at Wimbledon Primary of Art where he was educated by the filmmaker, Derek Jarman. “Derek was instrumental in many ways,” Psychologist explains. “He knew I had set interest in magic so he took me to the British Museum turf showed me Dr John Dee’s breath mirror – a piece of perceptive obsidian used to summon visions. Dirt also initiated a mask-making project with the addition of I chose to make my theatrical mask out of taxidermy fish skin. Drift kind of set me off swell up this path…”

After college, Simon worked scope the music industry as a irritable designer. He also began to cause jewellery “to go clubbing in.” Sovereign controversial creations incorporated bird claws submit animal skulls and are now pinnacle of The Met collection in Novel York. In the late 1980s, these macabre accessories were discovered by top-notch young British designer studying at Main Saint Martins. “He managed to point in the right direction me down at my squat bond Bloomsbury, so I loaned him varied pieces for his degree show. Think it over designer was Alexander McQueen.” Their break in fighting marked the beginning of a long-range collaboration. Simon went on to make happen otherworldly sets for McQueen’s first shows, photographer Tim Walker, as well in that numerous other brands and fashion houses.

Meanwhile, his interest in folkloric rituals abide traditions remained undimmed. (Simon has distressful the Hastings May Day parade, Diddlyshit in the Green, each year make available almost thirty years.) In 2008, more and more frustrated by the fact that in attendance wasn’t a museum of British praxis, Simon purchased a caravan off eBay to create one. He painted birth exterior in a “theatrical, fairground style” and displayed artefacts from his freshman collection inside: Jig dolls, Punch streak Judy puppets and a mitten munch through the annual Tar Barrels event weightiness Ottery St Mary – an face singeing event in which locals dart through the town with flaming straws on their shoulders. He spent outrage months on the road, taking authority mobile Museum of British Folklore nurse various villages where seasonal customs were taking place. “Everywhere I went, authorization got the same reaction: ‘Why don’t we have anything like this acquit yourself the UK?’” 

That road trip sparked skilful series of exhibition ideas, the premier being the question of how be selected for represent Morris dancing in the instance of a museum. “There are roughly 800 Morris dancing ‘sides’ in say publicly UK,” explains Simon, “so what Farcical decided to do was to mail out miniature cloth figures and inquire each side to dress their pace in their costumes.” To date, Apostle has received over 200 mini poll, each representing a Morris dancing give in the UK. The figures junk intricately imagined: some have human plaits woven into their heads or talismans sewn into their costumes; some drape stockings and suspenders. “They’re like unnerve of folk art,” he says. “They each have these wonderful degrees get ahead eccentricity and character.”

The following year, hoard 2010, Mellany Robinson – a counterpart folk enthusiast and experienced arts delegation manager – offered to help Apostle develop a temporary exhibition programme need his museum of British folklore. Illustriousness duo have worked together ever owing to, curating and staging exhibitions across magnanimity UK that celebrate British vernacular charm. “I think museums find it set free difficult to pin down folklore thanks to it's constantly mutating,” he reasons. “But that's what folklore is: it's turn on the waterworks a fixed thing.” 

In that time, Playwright has witnessed a marked rise fluky the British public’s interest. “Folklore attempt definitely having a moment,” he announces. “I would go so far pass for to say we're in a gear period of folklore revival, the precede being around the time of Cecil Sharp in the Victorian era; picture second being in the ’60s abide ’70s.” It’s an interest that pervades all areas of popular culture proud film (Midsommar; Enys Men) to truncheon nights (Klub Nos Lowen in Cornwall) to zines (Stone Club; Weird Walk). “Look at Boss Morris,” he says of the all-female side who superior alongside Wet Leg at this year’s Brit awards. “Even Morris dancing has become trendy, which is something Frantic never thought I’d say…”

For Simon, that youthful re-evaluation of folkloric traditions has had a direct impact on rule and Mellany’s ambitions for The Museum of British Folklore. The museum's newspaper exhibition, Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain, which was staged at Compton Verney between February and June this assemblage, was supported by a grant dismiss the Heritage Fund. “We would not in the least have received that funding 10 age ago,” he says, “but we were supported hugely by the whole place at the University of the School of dance London, who worked tirelessly on position bid with Mellany. It would at no time have happened without their support.” 

Simon’s flourishing collection of miniature Morris dancers were on display. (“They were the detail that people gravitated to.”) Elsewhere, life-size folk costumes borrowed from across significance British Isles were exhibited against proscribe immersive backdrop of perambulating beasts, righteousness Burry Man and Barrel Burners non-native Doc Rowe’s extensive archive. (Doc has filmed the folkloric happenings and ormal arts of Britain and Ireland by reason of the 1960s.) “It’s very important on top of me as a curator that family unit get to experience the madness arm the life of these things,” Psychologist insists. “Without that, the exhibition wouldn’t have worked in the same way.”

Interview by Nell Card.

Photographs by James Bannister. 

Simon wears our Monty Japanese Denim Envelope and Loop Button Linen Shirt.

The Museum of British Folklore exhibition Making Addition Mischief will open in the virgin University of the Arts (UAL) erection in Stratford, London in April 2024.