Craig Richards' 2024 Houghton Festival Pays Homage to Andrew Weatherall

Tantrum Stage



text by Lara Monro
photographs by Khroma Collective



Since the 2000s, Houghton Hall, an expansive Georgian residence built in the 1720s for Britain’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole, has gained international renown as a world-class sculpture park, featuring permanent works by Richard Long, Ryan Gander,  Rachel Whiteread, and James Turrell, to name a few. 

The Hall’s sculpture park is further accompanied by an annual solo exhibition program showcasing esteemed artists such as Damien Hirst and Anish Kapoor. This year, Sir Antony Gormley’s Time Horizon places 100 sculptures across 300 acres, with Dame Magdalene Odundo’s artworks simultaneously positioned within the state rooms. 

Stephen Cox “Interior Space”
copyright Houghton Hall

In 2017, Houghton Hall complemented its art collection by adding Houghton Festival, the underground dance music festival established, crafted and curated by Craig Richards. It instantly earned acclaim for its five-star lineup, sound systems, lighting, and reputation as a hedonistic playground (thanks to its rare 24-hour license), with Mixmag hailing it as “a festival the UK is lucky to have” and The Independent calling it a “utopian retreat like no other.” As a result, each August, discerning music enthusiasts of all ages, nationalities, and backgrounds converge to immerse themselves in a musical Valhalla that knows no pause.

However, Houghton is so much more than just a musical odyssey. The festival and its music stages, impressive as standalone sonic and visual installations, also coincide with a rich visual arts program that is integral to the Houghton experience. For Richards, the intention behind the 24-hour festival is not merely to host a round-the-clock party, but to create a space where the interplay of sound, art and the shifts of dawn, dusk and all things nature can be profoundly appreciated. He explains, “it’s about the beauty of sunrise and sunset, experimentation, and savoring the festival’s diverse offerings at any hour of the day or night."  

Now fifty-seven, Richards reflects on his impressive career as a DJ, which he describes as accidental. After spending a year in Los Angeles at nineteen years old, where he immersed himself in the vibrant Downtown LA music scene at iconic parties like Dirt Box and Power Tools, he moved to London in 1987 to study illustration at Central Saint Martins and went on to an MA at the Royal College of Art.

“It was during my time in the States I bought a lot of records. I had always collected soul, funk, disco, and reggae records from before I moved to London.” During his time at Saint Martins there was a coffee bar at the Charing Cross Road building—incidentally, the first place the Sex Pistols ever played. “Naturally, it was the perfect spot to organize parties, as was Soho, where it was easy to acquire a hundred-person basement for the night to have a party, Soho was a very different place then. Before long, I was getting paid to DJ instead of just earning a taxi fare home, and that was it, really.” Richards’ ‘accidental’ career quickly gained momentum, establishing him as a key figure in the global music scene. Yet, even as his sonic reputation flourished, he remained committed to creative pursuits beyond the decks, with a deep engagement in painting, drawing, photography, and silkscreen printing. 

Craig Richards "Untitled"

This dual commitment to both music and visual arts has become a defining characteristic of Houghton. Blending auditory and visual experiences, the festival has become Richards’ canvas, allowing him to explore his artistic creativity in dynamic and innovative ways. His imprint is everywhere, from the festival’s poster designs that feature his original artwork, to a number of visual installations at a selection of the music stages, to the lineup penned in his unmistakable handwriting. 

But the creativity doesn’t stop there. Richards has also commissioned a series of site-specific installations over the past eight years. Large, steel sculptural pieces have been created from his drawings, none more poignant than the 8-meter-tall sculpture dedicated to the late Andrew Weatherall. This iron structure, birthed from a series of sketches Richards created in 2017, stands proudly at the festival’s epicenter, paying homage to Weatherall’s immense talent and influence in the contemporary music world; 

 

Craig Richards "Andrew"

 

“Andrew was one of the first people who inspired me to become a DJ,” Richards reflects. “Everything he did, from Sonic Blood Sugar to his presence at gigs, left a mark. Many of us in this industry find ourselves asking, ‘What would Andrew do?’ It’s a tragedy that the captain of our ship was taken from us. The sculpture’s grandeur reflects his lasting impact and the fact that he will always be a part of this festival and the music scene.”

For Richards, this sculpture embodies the depth and breadth of Houghton’s offerings, which he is proud to have extended far beyond music. Its diverse program includes talks and installations that truly enrich the experience. The Armadillo, a timber arts pavilion commissioned for Houghton 2024 in partnership with the architectural firm Unknown Works, hosted an array of talks and performances such as London based DJ Anna Wall’s ambient music set. The Pinter stage, nestled amongst an idyllic orchard, was graced by Swiss pianist and composer Nik Bärtsch who shared a mind-sound and soul-altering performance while American beatboxer, comedian and musician Reggie Watts, performed a light-hearted yet exceptionally crafted sketch, perfect for a Sunday afternoon and slightly tired and tender festival crowd. The Warehouse, a repurposed barn, was transformed into a digital art space by UVA who showcased Present Shock II, a mind-bending installation created in collaboration with Robert Del Naja. Deep within the forest, Natural Symphony’s interactive festival forest design; a sound and light installation that uses the natural biorhythms of plants to create music and visuals, offered a moment of wonder, grounding and tranquility. Meanwhile, a quaint ‘noddy train,’ accompanied by art historians, would transport the more adventurous to James Turrell’s Skyspace, an immersive sculpture positioned in an elevated oak box that encourages visitors to sit at dusk or dawn and enjoy the Norfolk sky cycles of blues and purples. 

 
 

While Houghton has evolved into a celebrated festival, its journey has been anything but linear. The festival has managed to face and overcome significant setbacks, including a last-minute cancellation in 2019 due to extreme weather and two subsequent years lost to the pandemic. That it has endured without government or commercial funding is a testament to its resilience and the strong community it fosters. For Richards, the pursuit of something meaningful far outweighs the lure of profit. “When you prioritize significance over financial gain, creativity naturally flourishes,” he explains. Richards’ determination and perseverance may also be attributed to his enduring optimism, a quality he credits to his parents and their appreciation for the art of presentation; “my parents were both cabin crew in the 1950s, they instilled in me a deep understanding of how to do things properly—how to create an experience,” Richards reflects. “They were products of a pivotal era, epitomized by events like the 1951 Festival of Britain, which celebrated art and embodied a spirit of optimism. This outlook has profoundly shaped me; I’ve inherited their belief in making things as exceptional as possible, and it continues to drive me forward.”

Richards’ meticulous attention to detail, coupled with his passion and craftsmanship, are clearly influenced by this familial legacy of hard work and dedication. And, Houghton’s authenticity is undeniably an extension of this. Although Richards acknowledges that the visual arts program has yet to reach the level of its musical counterpart, his optimism assures him that it is only a matter of time. “With patience, I am confident this will be achieved,” he says. “It will happen organically as we gradually build a bigger community—a group of believers who share in this vision.”

 

Reggie Watts at Pinters Stage

 

Read Our Interview of Louise Frances Smith on Cultivating a Circular Art Practice

Louise Frances SmithCollect install Assemblage no1 oyster shells, 2023 (detail)mixed media including clay and crushed oyster shellsphotograph by Yeshen Venema

Louise Frances Smith
Collect install Assemblage no1 oyster shells, 2023 (detail)
mixed media including clay and crushed oyster shells
photograph by Yeshen Venema

In the context of art history, sustainable ways of creating have been around since the birth of conceptual art in the 1960s. Take German artist, Nils-Udo, whose plant creations placed in nature were left to develop and subsequently disappear as a way of commenting on the links between nature and humanity. Today, as we are faced with the sobering realities of humankind’s impact on the planet, environmentally-conscious art forms are becoming increasingly widespread. By working with found objects, natural and upcycled materials, and through processes that intentionally avoid damage to the Earth’s resources, artists are using their creative expression to highlight environmental degradation and the stark reality of climate change. 

Margate-based artist Louise Frances Smith worked mainly with clay until she became increasingly concerned and frustrated with the unsustainable plastic packaging used to store her medium of choice. After conducting considerable research, it became clear to her that it was not possible to naturally source clay from her local area, so she decided to get creative and utilize what was available, better yet, she used what was in abundance: seaweed and oyster shells. Smith has spent the last two years collecting and experimenting with both as part of her newly adopted approach to creating sustainable work. 

This year, as part of Somerset House’s 2023 Collect, Smith exhibited Sargassum Tide, a new body of work that examines wireweed seaweed and Pacific oysters, two non-native species thriving on the UK coastlines due to climate change. She subsequently presented the series in a solo show at The Margate School where she facilitated workshops on how to work with sustainable materials in collaboration with community groups, families, and creative practitioners. 

In the following interview, Smith shares her journey with adopting a sustainable art practice, discusses the scientists, artists, and experts that have inspired her, and where she hopes to take her sustainable practice in the future. Read more.

Read Our Interview Of Ceri Hand: The Art Mentor Fostering A More Inclusive Art World

Ceri Hand, Photo by Lorna Milburn

From running a successful commercial art gallery to becoming Associate Director at Simon Lee Gallery and director of programs at Somerset House Trust, London, Ceri Hand, also known as the Artist Mentor, is championing a more holistic support framework for creative practitioners and professionals through her mentoring and coaching services. 

Lara Monro spoke with Hand about how her own experiences in the arts shaped her approach to mentoring and coaching, and why her upbringing instilled a level of responsibility in championing a more inclusive art world.  

Growing up in the Midlands, Hand was introduced to the importance of social justice and the need to support others from a young age. Her mother established and ran women's refuges and her father taught children with learning disabilities. While Hand came from a multi-racial family who combatted racism by achieving great success in business and embracing family, music and dance, she was confronted by the realities of prejudice from a young age. Read more.

Read Our Interview Of Filmmaker Jim Longden On His Debut Short Film

TEAC STILL AUTRA 5.jpg

The London-based artist Jim Longden has released his debut short, To Erase a Cloud. Shot on 16mm film, the twenty-minute piece is “a sort of crash-course to the introductions of filmmaking.” To Erase a Cloud delves into the harsh realities of grief, as well as the uncomfortable realities of our social media-driven culture. The poet and actor Sonny Hall, a good friend of Longden, plays the painfully tormented, reckless and broken main protagonist, John Little.

The opening scene shows Little living a depressing existence in his dirty apartment; drinking dregs of empty beer cans and lighting half smoked fags as the early morning sun seeps in. We catch Little staring at his reflection in a cracked mirror; a symbol for his fractured state of mind and the result of his self-inflicted isolation spurred on from the loss of his mother. Read more.