The Directors

The Directors is in The Artangel Collection. Since its initial London presentation in 2022, the work has been re-presented several times including screenings and installations at King’s College London, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and Science Gallery London for World Mental Health Day 2023, CAST in Cornwall and Leicester Gallery at De Montfort University in Leicester in 2024.  

The Directors has proven to be a valuable resource, with the films actively shared and shown in medical, psychiatric and care settings as well as in judicial education to support the reduction of stigma around psychosis. The films and associated background materials are available to stream for free via the microsite, What's Going On?, as an educational resource in multiple institutional contexts where people with psychosis might experience stigma.
 

  • Artist: Marcus Coates
  • Title: The Directors
  • Date: 2022
  • Medium: Single channel HD video
  • Dimension: Display dimensions variable
  • Durations: Mark 27 minutes, 16 seconds; Lucy 21 minutes, 24 seconds; Anthony 25 minutes, 18 seconds; Marcus 16 minutes, 51 seconds and Stephen 16 minutes, 57 seconds 
A white man with grey hair and wearing a beige t-shirt and trousers sits under a spotlight in front of a black background.

Image: The Directors: Marcus (2022) 

 

“A big motivation for me was to make something that was leading people into the idea of relatability for these experiences, to allow people to reflect on their own idea of their reality and the temporal nature of that, but also to allow people to reflect on their own stigma.” — Marcus Coates 

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At King's College London

Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience and Science Gallery London, October 10 - 12, 2023 for World Mental Health Awareness Day

Artangel partnered with King’s College London and Science Gallery London to present The Directors for World Mental Health Day 2023. The five films were shown across both sites and each featured discussions with the directors. 

Image: A panel dicussion following the screening of The Directors: Marcus (2022), at Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, London. Photograph: Christa Holka

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At Leicester Gallery

9 March - 3 May 2024

Leicester Gallery hosted the first complete presentation of The Directors since its launch in Pimlico in 2022. The exhibition was hosted across two venues: Leicester Gallery and Westcoates Studio 54. The presentation at Leicester Gallery at De Montfort University included the five films comprising The Directors. Exhibited for the first time was the film set and model of Lucy's bedroom, both used in the filming of The Directors: Lucy. 

The exhibition at Westcoates Studio 54 included two films from The Directors: Lucy and Anthony, selected for their relevance to young people and reflecting the gallery's proximity to mental health care providers. Westcoates Studio 54 is a community arts venue that provides creative opportunities and resources to local residents, artists, community interest groups and local neighbourhood initiatives. 

Artangel's Director Mariam Zulfiqar and Leicester Gallery Arts Curator Hugo Worthy have said in a joint statement, 'Centring the importance of empathy and offering the opportunity for new audiences to experience this unique project lies at the heart of Artangel’s partnership with Leicester Gallery and De Montfort University'. This presentation has created a significant legacy, building close working relationships with mental health support organisations both within the university and across the city. 

Image: Installation view of The Directors, 2022 at Leicester Gallery in 2024. Photograph: David Wilson Clarke.

View the films

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