Author Archives: Jonathan Swain

“What happened?” Oona addressed this as a kind of local petition to the five or six aggrieved passengers milling nearest. As in a street incident involving wreckage or fire trucks a volunteer explainer emerged, a middle aged Hasid with curved shoulders draped in a long, soiled scarf, and bearing twin shopping bags like a milkmaid’s yoke. He seemed drawn to Oona as another dressed in black.

Chronic City. Jonathan Lethem. Faber Faber 2010

Tirana Calling (2007)

© 2007 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

A sound piece made to express my disgust with the tyrannical and megalomaniacal behaviour of the Albanian Socialist leader Enver Hoxha during the 1970’s. Part of Signal, an exhibition curated by Finetuned at the Friese-Green gallery, Brighton and broadcast on … Continue reading →

AK TWENTY SEVEN. The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor. London.(2007)

© 2007 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

A dramtic account of Alexandra Kollontai’s period as the Soviet Union’s ambassador in Mexico at a time of political crisis for the revolution and the communist party in Mexico itself.

© 2006 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

General Strike 1926. The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor. London (2006).

PEACE, LAND, BREAD, CABBAGES, CAKES & CUCUMBER: some nourishment for the Revolution. The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor. London (2005).

© 2005 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

with the financial support of Camden Council.

1905. The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor. (2005)

© 2005 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

Two posters from the series of performances of 1905, a large scale event by the New Factory, London. 2005

Canvas sack, three people

xelis de Toro

Three mystery persons in a bag in a short performance at an evening preview at the Phoenix gallery in Brighton, April 2005. All I remember is that it was blooming hot inside, and that we didn’t let on at the … Continue reading →

CLOSE PROXIMITY (2005) New Greenham Arts, Newbury, Berkshire. I was the guest co-ordinator, with Helen Sloan (SCAN) of a two day gathering for activities and discussion that looked at the changing identity of areas that lie under the shadow of the ever bulging “commuter belt” around London. Organised for Networking Artists Networks (NAN) and AN Publications.

© 2005 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

Three miles east of Newbury, sixty miles west of Shoreditch and just off the M4 (junction 13), New Greenham Park is a collection light industrial businesses set in a 1000 acres of ancient heathland, a civil war battle site preserved … Continue reading →

LENIN IN LONDON. The New Factory of the Eccentric Actor. London (2004).

© 2004 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

Somers Town 1920 (2004)

© 2004 Jonathan Swain. All rights reserved.

A scale model of the area built with a group of ninety-year olds from their disused medication packaging. Hillwood Community Centre, Kings Cross, London. In association with Age Concern Camden. One day, out of the blue, I was asked by Age … Continue reading →