The ‘Mutiny’ spreads as art attraction gets even bigger expanding into Haverhill

One of the biggest exhibitions of contemporary art in the UK this summer is about to gain even more of a following as it opens its doors in a third West Suffolk town.

Since it opened on June 3, over 5,000 people have booked or already been to see “Mutiny in Colour”, at Moyse’s Hall Museum, in Bury St Edmunds, or the National Horseracing Museum (NHRM), in Newmarket.

Now the “Mutiny” has spread with Haverhill Arts Centre set to open its part of the exhibition in just over a week’s time.

“Mutiny in Colour” features work by Banksy, Blek Le Rat Grayson Perry, My Dog Sighs, Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin and many more. It also includes the Connor Brothers, one of whom James Golding originally comes from Newmarket, where some of his work sits proudly on display.

Moyse’s Hall is the only place that you can see the original Suffolk Banksy, Sandcastle Child, the biggest and most valuable Banksy to be displayed in East Anglia.

The NHRM is the only place where people can see life-sized, high-resolution photographs of all seven pieces of Banksy’s work in the Ukraine, much of which has since been destroyed in the war there.

And Haverhill Arts Centre will bring an additional 100 plus works of art to the exhibition when it opens on July 15, including its own displays of works by Banksy, Blek le Rat, The Connor Brothers and many more.

As an added bonus, people who visit all three venues will be entered into a draw to win a framed Bansky print of a piece called “Time Out London”.

“Mutiny in Colour” is a follow up to the “Moments” exhibition held in 2021 at Moyse’s Hall and supported by Brandler Galleries.

West Suffolk Council, which runs the museum, wanted to make the new exhibition even more accessible to its communities by running it across more of its towns.

With support from John Brandler, it struck up a partnership with the NHRM, in Newmarket, and Haverhill Town Council, who run Haverhill Arts Centre.

Ian Shipp, is cabinet member for Leisure and Culture, at West Suffolk Council, said: “One of the things that makes West Suffolk such an attractive place to live and work, is its strong mix of leisure, cultural and heritage activities and this exhibition is a great opportunity for people in our communities to see and enjoy work by internationally renowned artists.

“Normally people might expect to have to pay to travel to a big city to see an exhibition such as this, so to be able to make it more accessible by bringing it to three West Suffolk towns and for all partners to keep admission prices as low as they can while covering costs, is an amazing achievement.

“It’s a fantastic exhibition. Each venue has different pieces on display which means even if people have already been to both Moyse’s Hall and NHRM, there’s still more to come and I can’t wait to see what Haverhill Arts Centre has in store.”

West Suffolk Council is supporting the exhibition at Haverhill Arts Centre with £24,307 from the money it was allocated from the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) while museum staff from the district council have also been working to help with the exhibition set up.

Dan Schumann, creative director at Haverhill Arts Centre, said: “We are so excited to be so close to opening this extraordinary exhibition in Haverhill. With the biggest space to fill of all three venues, it has been a significant creative challenge; but with the help of Brandler Galleries we have managed to assemble a huge and impactful exhibition that is brimming with inspiring, eccentric and unique contemporary art, much of which has not been on public display before. I would encourage everyone to visit us in Haverhill – we are a fitting finale to this three venue treat.”

Book tickets at https://www.whatsonwestsuffolk.co.uk/art/the-urban-frame-mutiny-in-colour.cfm