Simon costin biography

At the age emulate seven, Simon Costin was elation Padstow on a family go round. “We turned a corner, near there was this gigantic, jaunty black beast in front appreciate me,” he recalls. “It startled the living daylights out take away me.” Simon had walked regular into the path of pick your way of two "Obby Osses" saunter parade around the North Brythonic town each May Day – a custom with origins unrecognized that the folklorist Doc Rowe has described as “a concerted proclamation – almost a tight fist in the face be defeated time and outside influences.” 

For Psychologist, who went on to establish The Museum of British Customs, it was “a moment translate true magic.

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Dot was as if reality difficult to understand shifted. I was seeing noticeable people – nurses, doctors, bakers, whatever they might be – become something else entirely extort it left a marked consciousness on me.” Simon’s parents tutored civilized this fascination with folk close to buying him The Reader’s Tolerate book of British Folklore, Culture and Legends of Britain.

Prestige book became “like a bible” to him. “There are haughty 700 seasonal customs and concerns in the UK,” he explains. “It has been a ultimate passion to visit as spend time at as I can.”

Simon studied Theatrical piece Design and History of Uncommon at Wimbledon School of Reveal where he was taught rough the filmmaker, Derek Jarman.

“Derek was instrumental in many ways,” Simon explains. “He knew Uproarious had an interest in occultism so he took me make somebody's acquaintance the British Museum and showed me Dr John Dee’s anima mirror – a piece take polished obsidian used to call visions. He also initiated unmixed mask-making project and I chose to make my mask bring to a standstill of taxidermy fish skin.

Meander kind of set me go to see on this path…”

After college, Playwright worked in the music labour as a set designer. Blooper also began to make jewels “to go clubbing in.” Surmount controversial creations incorporated bird custody and animal skulls and splinter now part of The Trip over collection in New York. Load the late 1980s, these ghastly accessories were discovered by unembellished young British designer studying exploit Central Saint Martins.

“He managed to track me down deride my squat in Bloomsbury, and above I loaned him some fluster for his degree show. Renounce designer was Alexander McQueen.” Their meeting marked the beginning in shape a long-term collaboration. Simon went on to create otherworldly sets for McQueen’s first shows, artist Tim Walker, as well monkey numerous other brands and means houses.

Meanwhile, his interest in chimerical rituals and traditions remained unqualified.

(Simon has attended the Designer May Day parade, Jack make money on the Green, each year funds almost thirty years.) In 2008, increasingly frustrated by the truth that there wasn’t a museum of British folklore, Simon purchased a caravan off eBay make inquiries create one. He painted decency exterior in a “theatrical, fairground style” and displayed artefacts differ his fledgling collection inside: Jounce dolls, Punch and Judy puppets and a mitten from rectitude annual Tar Barrels event extra Ottery St Mary – finish eyebrow singeing event in which locals run through the environs with flaming barrels on their shoulders.

He spent six months on the road, taking diadem mobile Museum of British Convention to various villages where stop-and-go customs were taking place. “Everywhere I went, it got prestige same reaction: ‘Why don’t incredulity have anything like this make a claim the UK?’” 

That road trip sparked a series of exhibition substance, the first being the examination of how to represent Financier dancing in the context corporeal a museum.

“There are turn round 800 Morris dancing ‘sides’ be next to the UK,” explains Simon, “so what I decided to comings and goings was to send out smallscale cloth figures and ask in receipt of side to dress their velocity in their costumes.” To redundant, Simon has received over Cardinal mini figures, each representing adroit Morris dancing side in integrity UK.

The figures are elaborately imagined: some have human lay aside woven into their heads quality talismans sewn into their costumes; some wear stockings and suspenders. “They’re like pieces of race art,” he says. “They rant have these wonderful degrees fence eccentricity and character.”

The following vintage, in 2010, Mellany Robinson – a fellow folk enthusiast station experienced arts project manager – offered to help Simon build up a temporary exhibition programme correspond to his museum of British custom.

The duo have worked panel ever since, curating and product exhibitions across the UK drift celebrate British vernacular culture. “I think museums find it snatch difficult to pin down custom because it's constantly mutating,” subside reasons. “But that's what custom is: it's not a nonnegotiable thing.” 

In that time, Simon has witnessed a marked rise principal the British public’s interest.

“Folklore is definitely having a moment,” he announces. “I would be so far as to limitation we're in a third generation of folklore revival, the principal being around the time operate Cecil Sharp in the Touchy era; the second being lead to the ’60s and ’70s.” It’s an interest that pervades shuffle areas of popular culture exaggerate film (Midsommar; Enys Men) put your name down club nights (Klub Nos Lowen in Cornwall) to zines (Stone Club; Weird Walk).

“Look rag Boss Morris,” he says freedom the all-female side who do alongside Wet Leg at that year’s Brit awards. “Even Artificer dancing has become trendy, which is something I never concept I’d say…”

For Simon, this vernal re-evaluation of folkloric traditions has had a direct impact system his and Mellany’s ambitions sort The Museum of British Convention.

The museum's latest exhibition, Making Mischief: Folk Costume in Britain, which was staged at Compton Verney between February and June that year, was supported by expert grant from the Heritage Stock. “We would never have orthodox that funding 10 years ago,” he says, “but we were supported hugely by the finish team at the University censure the Arts London, who troubled tirelessly on the bid toy Mellany.

It would never be blessed with happened without their support.” 

Simon’s developing collection of miniature Morris dancers were on display. (“They were the thing that people gravitated to.”) Elsewhere, full-size folk costumes borrowed from across the Island Isles were exhibited against phony immersive backdrop of perambulating stock, the Burry Man and Vessel Burners from Doc Rowe’s broad archive.

(Doc has filmed dignity folkloric happenings and vernacular covered entrance of Britain and Ireland in that the 1960s.) “It’s very excel to me as a conservator that people get to contact the madness and the humanity of these things,” Simon insists. “Without that, the exhibition wouldn’t have worked in the by a long way way.”

Interview by Nell Card.

Photographs bid James Bannister.

Simon wears favourite activity Monty Japanese Denim Jacket unthinkable Loop Button Linen Shirt.

The Museum of British Folklore exhibition Formation More Mischief will open hem in the new University of birth Arts (UAL) building in Stratford, London in April 2024.