Super Cool Drawing Machine

Artwork by jazz saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings, Mercury-nominated singer Cate Le Bon, and folk musician Richard Dawson is to feature in a touring exhibition at Birkenhead’s Future Yard. Super Cool Drawing Machine: The Musicians’ Art Show, is a celebration of the visual art created in lockdown by a host of internationally acclaimed, touring musicians. It is set to bring engaging and exciting artistic creations – and a much-needed dose of fun – back into our music spaces.

The exhibition is the work of Sam Tucker of Yuppies Music, a booking agency and tour management company for independent artists. Surrounded by people in his industry trying to adjust to life in lockdown, Sam started to share some of his own personal artwork. He submitted a few pieces to Grayson Perry’s Art Club, leading to one of his handmade puppets being included in the popular lockdown show. It was the catalyst for a series of ideas and conversations that eventually sparked Super Cool Drawing Machine to become a reality.

Other participating musicians include African American experimentalist Lonnie Holley (who has previously exhibited at Turner Contemporary in London), former Maccabees frontman Orlando Weeks, and drummer and composer Seb Rochford, as well as members of This Is The Kit, Mammal Hands, Haiku Salut, Snapped Ankles and many more. The exhibition includes paintings, photography, drawings, ceramics, digital installations, recycled arts, sculpture and furniture – a colourful and interactive array of artworks for the open minded and curious.

Lockdown may have derailed the exhibition’s opening run, but this project was designed to be adaptable in response to the ongoing coronavirus crisis that sparked it in the first place. The new dates for Future Yard are 15 – 18 July 2021.

Future Yard opened its doors last September with the aim of bringing new artists to perform in Wirral and providing early performance opportunities for emerging local musicians. Right now, there is undoubtedly a hugely challenging time for live music venues nationally, but the team is committed to realising their vision for the new space.

Co-founder Craig Pennington believes that Future Yard is needed now, more than ever before. “True, it is a challenging time, but we believe the experience of lockdown has shown how powerful a community can be and we want to provide a space for our local community to come together,” Craig says.

“People who love live music have acutely realised how important it is to them, how much of a role it plays in their lives. We’re committed to creating a new venue to champion and support new music in Birkenhead.”