Artist Of The Month - Joel Cooper
From exhibition hosting to radio presenting and comedy, Joel Cooper is a multi-talented artist. We’re delighted to celebrate him as Carousel’s Artist of the Month for June.
Known for his lively stage presence and witty sense of humour, Joel always leaves a lasting impression!
Joel first joined Carousel around 2018 and explains that the organisation was one of the main reasons behind his move from Birmingham to Brighton.
One of Joel’s first projects with Carousel was presenting on Carousel Radio, but his creative work has since evolved. He says, My main thing currently is editing and stand-up comedy as The Porter. Of course, if you give me a month or two, my answer to this question would have changed.
His favourite project so far has been the Carousel Radio Takeover, a series of shows in 2022 where learning disabled artists from diverse communities take over an episode of Carousel Radio. Joel says, I thought it really answered the mission statement of Carousel, providing a voice to those who don’t normally get the chance to speak.
You can listen to Joel’s episode here, where he talks about his writing, performance and involvement in Carousel’s Arts Café events.
When asked what his favourite thing about being a Carousel artist is, Joel says, There’s enough freedom to let me be myself, but enough supervision to make sure I’m actually good.
Outside of Carousel, Joel works as a carer, helps out at the Ledward Community Centre, writes books, and has nearly finished writing the first act of his latest project. He’s also an avid gamer, enjoying everything from computer to board and tabletop games.
Joel will be bringing his comedy and presenting talents to the stage as compère for our upcoming gig, The Rock House Festival presents Change The Scene. It promises to be a lively and entertaining event, with learning disabled bands taking centre stage. Come along and enjoy an incredible lineup of talented performers.
🎟️ To book tickets for Change The Scene and find out more, click here.
Help our artists keep doing their thing. Find out how you can support Carousel and our artists here.
