the vacuum cleaner is an art and activism collective of one. Working across art-forms: including performance, installation and film, the artist addresses challenging and taboo issues such as consumerism and mental health. From one-man shows to large-scale participatory actions, his approach is both subtle and extreme, but always candid, provocative and playful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His work has been exhibited internationally and commissioned by: Tate Modern, ICA and Nottingham Contemporary. His films have been commissioned by BBC4 and Channel 4. He co-founded the Laboratory of Insurrectionary Imagination (2004 – 2009) and is an Artsadmin Artist<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":64,"featured_media":1067,"template":"","tags":[],"artist-theme":[],"artform":[17,21,18],"curated":[15,31],"country":[7],"acf":{"simple_layout":false,"featured_image":"","featured_image_alt_text":"","strapline":"the vacuum cleaner is an art and activism collective of one. Working across art-forms: including performance, installation and film, the artist addresses challenging and taboo issues such as consumerism and mental health. ","artistic_directors":"","contact_name":"James Leadbitter","contact_title":"Artist","company_address":"Unit 17, Toynbee Studios, 28 Commercial Street, London, E1 6AB","company_email":"suck@thevacuumcleaner.co.uk","company_url":"http:\/\/www.thevacuumcleaner.co.uk","twitter":"@vacuumcleaner","facebook_url":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/thevacuumcleaner.uk","instagram_url":"","wrap_around_work":"I Went Mental And All I Got Was This Lousy T-Shirt.\u2019 A 1-hour performative artist talk about the recent work \u2018the vacuum cleaner\u2019 has been undertaking around his own and others\u2019 Neurodiversity and Mental Health. Originally commissioned by Nottingham Contemporary.\r\n\r\nMadlove: A Designer Asylum. Workshop. A workshop designed for artists and people with Mental Health conditions, exploring different methods of working and producing work whilst experiencing mental distress and pain.\r\n\r\nJames is also one half of DJ collective People Like Us, and is happy to play a short set (maximum 3.5 hours) during any festival parties. soundcloud.com\/peoplelikeusdj\r\n\r\nMadlove: A Designer Asylum. Workshop. A workshop designed for artists and people with Mental Health conditions, exploring different methods of working and producing work whilst experiencing mental distress and pain.\r\n\r\nJames is also one half of DJ collective People Like Us, and is happy to play a short set (maximum 3.5 hours) during any festival parties. soundcloud.com\/peoplelikeusdj","press_comments":"\"This essential show is a fascinating, stigma-smashing experience\u201d\u00a0The Scotsman\u2028\u00a0<\/a>\r\n\r\n\"Raw, open, powerful... entirely devoid of a sense of self-preservation\"\u00a0The Guardian<\/a>\r\n\r\n\"One of the most powerful portraits of creativity and depression I\u2019ve ever seen... a heart-rending journey\u201d\u2028\u00a0RealTime Arts.<\/a>","video":null,"photo_slider":[{"upload_photo":1068,"photo_title":"Still from Mental\r\n","copyright_text":"The Vacuum Cleaner","alt_text":"Man in blue outfit hold microphone close to his mouth","long_desc":"The Vacuum Cleaner performing. He has short brown hair, a moustache and is gripping a microphone closely"},{"upload_photo":1066,"photo_title":"Mental","copyright_text":"Sophie Nathan","alt_text":"Feet sticking out from under a duvet","long_desc":"Photograph of someone lying under a duvent, only their feet and hand can bee seen peeping out"},{"upload_photo":1065,"photo_title":"Still of medical notes\r\n","copyright_text":"The Vacuum Cleaner","alt_text":"Medical notes","long_desc":"Photograph of some medical notes against a white cloth background"},{"upload_photo":1064,"photo_title":"Projection from Mental\r\n","copyright_text":"The Vacuum Cleaner","alt_text":"Person with camera, 1 sticking tongue and and 1 with paper bag on their head","long_desc":"Photograph of three people. 1 is pointing a camera at the camera, 1 has a paper bag which reads anti fit on their head the other is grabbing the photographer and sticking their tongue out"}],"productions":[{"productionexhibition_title":"Mental","duration":"65","production_description":"The Metropolitan Police call him a Domestic Extremist. The NHS have described him as \u2018highly disturbed\u2019 and labelled him with Borderline Personality Disorder. \u2018A real and present threat to the safe running of our lawful business\u2019 is how E.ON described him at the Royal Courts of Justice.\r\n\r\nHe prefers the term Mental.\r\n\r\nAfter 13 years of being an outlaw and inpatient, artist activist \u2018the vacuum cleaner\u2019 presents an autobiographical performance told through his psychiatric records, police intelligence files and corporate injunctions collected through the Data Protection Act.\r\n\r\nThis show contains material some may find challenging, and is not suitable for people under the age of 16.","extra_information":"Mental can be staged in a bedroom, which is the ideal location, or small studio or similar space. Within a bedroom audience capacity is between 12 to 25 (depending on the size of the room).\r\n\r\nthe vacuum cleaner will tour with his producer who greets the audience and manages the space, and a career\/PA for longer trips.\r\n\r\nSet up time - The day before the rst performance.\r\n\r\n\r\nDesigned by Sophie Nathan.\r\nOriginally developed with Tania El Khoury.","people_on_road":"2 or 3 depending on length of time away from home. ","freight":"necessary","freight_details":"Freight ideal. 2 mid size cases. Excess baggage possible with some objects excluded. \r\nWithin western Europe we travel by Train."},{"productionexhibition_title":"","duration":"","production_description":"","extra_information":"","people_on_road":"","freight":"","freight_details":""}],"country":null,"artform":null,"theme":[]},"yoast_head":"\n