Why I Believe Art is a Team Sport

People often imagine drawing as a solitary activity: a person sitting quietly with a sketchbook, working through ideas alone and hoping something good appears on the page.

While there is certainly value in that kind of quiet practice, some of the most important moments in my creative life have happened in the opposite environment — surrounded by other artists, with people watching, ideas bouncing around the space, and the energy of everyone trying to create something at the same time.

Upfest in Bristol

For that reason I have always believed something that might sound unusual at first: art is a team sport. Not because we are all working on the same drawing, but because the presence of other artists pushes us forward, encourages us to take risks, and reminds us that we are all figuring things out together.

That realisation began with my first experience of painting live in public.

Korp and My Dog Sighs - Upfest 2010

My introduction to live painting happened at Upfest in Bristol when I was invited by the artist My Dog Sighs to collaborate on a board with him. My first instinct was to say no. The idea of painting in front of people felt uncomfortable and slightly terrifying, because it meant there would be no hiding mistakes and no quiet time to overthink decisions. You would simply have to start painting and deal with whatever happened next. My Dog Sighs was persistent though, and eventually I agreed. Saying yes turned out to be a leap of faith that changed everything.

Detail from the Korp and My Dog Sighs Upfest mural

During that weekend we painted together while people gathered around to watch, and something about that atmosphere made the experience completely different from working alone. The painting developed naturally as we worked, conversations happened with people passing by, and by the end of the day the response to the finished piece was incredibly positive. More importantly, I realised how much I loved the energy of artists creating together in the same space. It felt exciting, unpredictable and collaborative, even when everyone was technically working on their own piece.

Completed Korp and My Dog Sighs Upfest mural

That experience stayed with me for a long time because at the time my hometown was not exactly known for its creative scene. In fact, it often felt like a cultural black hole when it came to art. But the memory of that Upfest collaboration made me realise how powerful it could be to create a space where artists could come together, share ideas, and support each other while making work.

A few years later an opportunity appeared that allowed that idea to become real. Keely Mills from Eastern Angles offered me studio space inside a large unused storage and retail area at the back of a shopping centre. Eastern Angles were using the space as a pop-up theatre, and I was offered a small area on a rolling three-month contract. The space itself was rough and largely empty, but it had huge potential. Even better, Eastern Angles supported the idea by contributing £2000 so I could purchase materials that would allow the space to host live painting events.

The studio space Korp was offered in Peterborough

The studio space Korp used in Peterborough

Using that funding we bought Heras fencing and large sheets of plywood that could be reused again and again as painting surfaces. With those simple materials in place, Korpfest was born.

Korpfest poster from 2019

Korpfest became a live painting event where artists were given the day to create a finished piece, similar in spirit to events like Upfest, although on a much smaller scale. In a live paint jam the time limit is important because it completely changes the way you approach your work. When you know you only have six hours, there is no time to sit and overthink every decision. You begin painting, you solve problems as they arise, and you keep moving forward. The pressure of the clock actually frees people from the fear of getting things wrong.

What made the events special, though, was not just the time limit. It was the environment that formed around it.

Jason Duckmanton, Korp and Process

More experienced artists naturally began helping emerging artists who were painting alongside them. If someone ran out of paint, another artist would lend them some. If someone got stuck on a technique, someone nearby would offer advice or encouragement. The usual hierarchy people imagine between “professionals” and “beginners” disappears. Everyone is simply trying to create the best piece they can before the clock runs out, with support and encouragement coming from the artists around them.

Over the years I was fortunate enough to host some incredible artists, including My Dog Sighs, Snub23, Sprite, Si Mitchell, Katie Scott, Nyces, Nol and Irony, alongside many others. For local artists, it meant sharing the same space as people they admired and realising that they belonged there too.

Nyces

Korpfest taught me something that still shapes the way I think about drawing today. When artists create together, everyone improves. Ideas move faster, confidence spreads through the room, and mistakes become opportunities to learn rather than reasons to stop. Instead of competing with each other, artists begin to realise that they are all part of the same creative process.

In that sense, art really is a team sport.

Si Mitchell and Korp working at Korpfest

When artists support each other, everyone learns something new, everyone grows a little more confident, and everyone leaves feeling like they have achieved something worthwhile. Nobody loses in that situation, because the act of creating together lifts everyone involved.

Jimmer Willmott and Cur5 working at Korpfest

If you ever find yourself struggling with motivation or confidence when drawing, it is worth remembering that creativity does not have to be a solitary pursuit. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is simply show up somewhere that other people are drawing too. The shared energy, the conversations, and the encouragement that naturally appears in those spaces can change the entire experience of making art.

It turns out that drawing becomes much easier when you stop doing it alone.

- Korp