15 Minute Factory is a 3-day Arts Festival organised by ‘Kiss Me Miss Me’, the curatorial partnership of Katharine Fry and Jung Eun Yoo. Themselves artists and directors, 15 Minute Factory aims to turn the Rag Factory at Brick Lane into a 26 hour long stage showcasing aspiring artists from across the UK and abroad.

The original 15 minute factory launched in May 2009 at the Rag Factory as a one night event bringing together emerging artists in the fields of Live Art, performance, visual art, interdisciplinary art, music, spoken word and cabaret. In its new incarnation, 15 minute factory will not only provide a valuable professional and public showcase, free from the restrictions and politics that can be inherent to institutions, but will also offer a platform for artists to sell their work direct to the public.

Hi Jo and Kat – so tell us - why the 15 Minute factory?

[K] We were tired of events that were always the same scene and the same circle. We wanted to create a night that mixed things up a bit, bringing people together from all different genres and sub-cultures where every room and every corner throws something new into the pot.

[J] I’ve always been interested in idea of curating artists from different disciplines into one event. Initially I was more interested in embracing together art, performance, video and Live art - and maybe use DJs to end the event with a party atmosphere. It was Katharine’s idea to incorporate Live musicians to jazz-up, expand, and explore other forms of art.

Where is the Rag Factory - why did you choose this venue?

[K] The rag factory is off brick lane, just a block down from Truman, both in the thick of things and off the beaten track. We knew the venue and its owner Silas Denyer. The venue’s often used for exhibitions and degree shows but we wanted to really push its potential.

[J] It’s a unique place with a nutty site owner who both promises and provides everything. He is extremely accommodating with an ideal that matches our motto of being both experimental and ambitious. Most of all however I like this venue because it’s always under refurbishment and constantly changing. It’s like a vast playground for artists, with plenty of things to dig-up and find.

What are you intending to achieve with this event?

[K] We’re looking to support emerging artists, bring different groups together, introduce audiences to new artforms and have a damn good time!

Sounds like a nightmare to organise - was it mad the first time it was held (in May 2009)?

[K] Skin of our teeth sleepless mad!

[J] Mad indeed…  think we barely slept on the week of the May event. There were a huge number of volunteers and crews. I believe it was totaling up to almost 30 crews on the day of the opening and not to mention over 30 artists running around. My god, why are we putting ourselves up for this again Katharine? 

26 hours - are there beds for everyone?

[K] No rest for the weary! We have plenty of sofas but we expect the crowd to keep jumping.

[J] Beds? What beds? We expect people to have a great time and see as much as they can. There are plenty of things happening all around them, so I’m afraid there will be no time for bed. Maybe a short rest on the sofa with friends to catch up on what you saw, until a roaming performance artist interrupts you...

There are mountains of artists performing in different rooms at the same time - a bit like Zoo (Art Fair) meets TDK (Music Festival).  Do you have any personal favourite acts? What would you recommend visiting first?

[K] Ooh, gosh favourites…mmm, there are lots of people I’m excited about: Fiona Bevan’s beautiful singing, The Greestone Group and Rachel Parry both pushing the boundaries of performance, Rotkappchen’s crazy mash-up of mayhem, Lorraine Smith’s exquisite Butoh to name but a few. I would advise people to just keep moving, discovering one room’s delights at a time

[J] That’s difficult, but if I have to say it out of the top of my head, other than what Katharine mentioned, it would be Yoko Ishiguro’s captivating performance art, Sally Wyatt’s four stand-up characters, Tom Adriani's drawings, Will Bock's live painting, and Madaleine Trigg's photography. I’m also really looking forward to the art market and craft fair on Sunday. There are plenty of beautiful hand-made must haves and quality art to be owned. 

What is the future of 15 Minute Factory? Are you taking it overseas?

[K] We’re looking to establish it as a regular event, probably every two months or so. Overseas? Jo? What do you think? Portugal, South Korea, Belgium? We’ll start looking up the translations…

[J] With some luck, love, and care but mostly with serious hard work, head banging and organization it will be possible to take it overseas. I can imagine UK based artists going to Paris and Lisbon, and their artists coming to London.

How would you classify the music?

[K] There are so many types, so many bands, we have some beautiful folk, artrock, hardrock, blues, unorthodox percussion, world beats…

Does this carry on from the work you did at Tesco Disco a few years ago? How important is artistic integrity to your work?

[J] Wow, Tesco Disco.  I loved curating the art and performance at Tesco Disco. It was great to get the chance to put so many different forms of art together with live music in one space. Above all however it was really great meeting all the talented artists and getting to know them. I’m glad you mentioned artistic integrity though – this, I believe, is one of the main reasons me and Katherine are trying so hard with 15 Minute Factory. We are providing a free space for the artists to perform and exhibit, a space for workshops, interviews and debates, and a marketplace at extremely reduced rates for the artists to sell their work. I believe artistic integrity comes from giving the artist as much freedom as possible – so that their art is not affected by external influences such as financing, sponsorship, or the political baggage that comes from exhibiting in certain established institutions. By providing the artists with as much freedom as possible, we hope to achieve maximum artistic integrity and hopefully new ways of seeing and producing art.

Do you have a particular passion - do you sing/dance/act/paint/direct as well?

[K] I sing, but not for public consumption, and dance like a banshee, but seriously, my background’s in video and performance and I direct and choreograph.

[J] I work in many areas, mainly focused in time based performance work. Currently Katharine and I are working on a workshop-based performance with 5-7 performers exploring memories and gesture. Another project I am working on explores the subconscious and dream world. It will involve making and designing a series of sculptures and objects for final output to film.

I enjoy being exposed to many different mediums but mainly my artistic work involves exploring aspects of memory or the subconscious. I also work with other curatorial projects mainly focusing on art outside the white box and other confined spaces. My passion I suppose is in site-specificity, where the work is in harmony with all it’s surroundings, and the interaction of object, audience, and space further the exploration of art. In this sense, I guess 15 Minute Factory is an example of such an exploration.

Lastly, we wish you the best of luck - do you believe in luck?

[K] Not luck so much but I believe the universe gives me signs and pointers, my favourite is when I see a fox in the small hours of the morning and we contemplate each other, I know I’m on the right track then.

[J] Luck? I don’t know but I believe in good karma.


15 Minute Factory is a 3-day long arts festival during the weekend of the 25th of September at the Rag Factory, E1
Click here for more details:  15 MINUTE FACTORY