Review: Create In Brighton Awards with Ghostpoet @ Coalition

It was such a great idea and a credit to every one involved, from the guys at Tiger Beer who came up with £1500 in prize money to the Coalition who put on this event for the final, to the team at InnBrighton who put in so much work:  an illustration, graphic design and photography competition that everyone wanted to enter. And people entered Create In Brighton in their droves. The initial explosion of art totalled over 400 entries, which were sifted through by the judges Lawrence Zeegen, Kevin Meredith and Sarah Arnett until, with thanks to thousands of Facebook votes, we’re down to the 10 creatives tonight. 

Lawrence and Kevin took to the stage like a well seasoned double act to award Jack Sheen’s energetic gig photo 3rd place, while Alex Bamford’s contemplative midnight sleepwalking portrait walked off with £500 and second place. Matt C Stokes’ Japanese-themed illustration of Brighton was a popular choice to win the £1000 top prize and he was clearly as surprised as he was thrilled. Looking at the gallery in Coalition’s second room it was clearly an open field – every entry would have been a deserved winner. 

From there the night became a lovely little social event for the artistic side of Brighton as the various artists’ supporters mingled and congratulated while downing a (Tiger) beer.
 
Create In Brighton Awards
 
Ghostpoet is clearly delighted to be involved, and happy to be playing to a packed out Coalition – a venue rammed with a fresh crowd very happy to be watching such an exciting artist for free. He’s never the most animated performer, but then it’s probably hard to balance laying down his languid vocals, twiddling the knobs of his complicated electronic set up and, say, performing a Beyonce style dance routine. It matters not as he has plenty of charm in his unique British take on hip hop – a hip hop of self-doubt while dressed in a baggy jumper. A wonderfully creative artist to end this three-month creative journey.
 
 
Words and photography by James Kendall
 
 

Date: Thursday 5th April 2012

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Review: Create In Brighton Awards with Ghostpoet @ Coalition