THE JOKE’S ON US (2019)

The Joke’s on Us was a hybrid participatory artwork/exhibition developed at The Mill community centre in Waltham Forest. The experience centred around Joke Stack, a set of screen prints developed by UK artist Peter Liversidge and lent to The Mill by the Government Art Collection to celebrate Waltham Forest’s year as the 2019 London Borough of Culture. Liversidge wrote to famous comedians asking for their favourite jokes; he screen-printed and framed twelve replies. The comedians’ jokes are a bit crap, and the Mill’s regulars were a bit underwhelmed by the whole enterprise, partly, also, because of the links with the local and national governments. I was a volunteer at The Mill at the time, and challenged fellow locals to come up with better jokes. It worked - over 200 jokes were submitted (they were a lot better than those of the comedians), and a load of people came to the opening. Walthamstow comedians Susan Murray and Maureen Younger ran a joke-telling workshop, funded by the Collection; local videographer Laura Martinez created a video of Mill regulars telling their best joke, a piece which played throughout the duration of the show.

So what were some the best jokes?

How do mathematicians cure constipation? They work it out with a pen and paper.

Why’s the division lobby at the House of Commons like a Picasso painting? The eyes to the right, the nose to the left.

A bird proof lawn. Impeccable.

Trump-et is a fartbag (a particular favourite).