SPILL Festival is opening its doors to the public at the newly refurbished Think Tank venue next to Ipswich Museum, with a series of Thursday evening events called Think Tank Live.

The events will continue in the spirit of SPILL Festival: offering creative and social experiences that are sometimes unusual, often strange, but always enjoyable and inclusive.  

Think Tank Live offers an opportunity for people in Ipswich to experience a series of artists’ performances, talks and screenings in an informal setting.  Afterwards the audience can stay on and chat, enjoy a drink in the licensed bar and listen to music, making Think Tank Live the fresh go-to events for people who want to socialise with others who are curious about creativity. 

Think Tank Live will be a showcase for the many great artists working in our region.  Most of the series will feature work by leading artists based in or around Suffolk, or with a close connection to East Anglia. 

The programme kicked off this week to great success. Next week’s session - on Thursday 23rd June - is interactive where audiences will help create an artwork with Dot Howard and Sorrel Muggridge. As Eyebrow Arts, Dot and Sorrel run creative activities in care settings for people living with dementia. Inspired by the idea of holding a moment in time, their latest project uses found clay from beachcombing to create tiny objects, bringing creativity and the beach into the hands of people who can’t access the outdoors themselves.

Think Tank Live SPILL will also welcome artists Richard Dedomenici, Loula Yorke and Giovanna Maria Cassetta in September and October.

Conversation between artists and audiences is an important part of the events. A Q&A session will happen after each performance, and everyone in the audience – whether in-person in Ipswich or watching live online – is encouraged to know their contribution is valued.

Robin Deacon, who shared his own performance of Vinyl Equations at the Think Tank launch event., said: “You are guaranteed to have an interesting evening and meet friendly people at a Think Tank Live event. I look forward to welcoming new people and our long-term supporters, as we usher in a new era for SPILL.”

• To book tickets or find out more, visit www.spillfestival.com or call 01473 216545. Each SPILL Think Tank Live event has an audience capacity of just 40. 

• Picture of Dot Howard: Sorrel Muggridge