About Brandon

 I follow the situationist line 'Politeness Is The Art Of Non Communication' and support the idea of 'Art Has A Weapon' that came from anti fascist artist John Heartfield. Art I like is powerful and uncompromising .

I want art to shock me, offend my thinking and to make me question things.

I am not interested bland, polite work, stuff like that doesn't register with me and bores the crap out of me.So I grew up in Oldham and Macclesfield. I am the son of a shop steward and seamstress.My first arrest was age 12 and there began my actual 'education'. My family background is one of strong women and capable intelligent men . We were not knuckle dragging savages as the liberals banding about the word gammon seek to paint us northern working class!!

I look at class in terms of creativity, ingenuity, humour and as something to value and celebrate. I am not really interested in middle class culture at all and I tend to get nothing from it, no disrespect to anyone but you get to a point where it's no good pretending to take some stuff seriously. (Leonard Cohen is an exception with his admission of doing manual work as a penance!! and I clearly admire the honesty and uncompromising attitude of Penny Rimbaud hence the film.)

For me it is about enjoying working class culture in all its depth. From Hockney, Tish Murtha through to music of Underground resistance in Detroit, the poetry Of Brian Patten, the intelligence of genuine spokeswomen like Bernadette McAliskey. I could offer a hundred names of people who inspire me they are all tend to be working class.With my film making I am not vying for a place in any scene that wants my intellectual silence and subordination as an entrance fee, which is sadly common these days. I witness cowardice in the arts more than I do bravery and credibility. Fortunately I live in a world that does not over lap with liberal echo chambers. I do not produce work for that 'demographic' and I seek to reach large audiences.

I got into punk as a kid in 78, sniffed glue etc. I went to loads of the 1980 period punk and skinhead gigs at the Mayflower club in Manchester . Saw the Smiths, Gil Scott Heron, Iggy Pop, Discharge, Poison Girls, Grace Jones, Irish Brigade etc etc etc.

Used to go the Hacienda, squatted all kinds of buildings, schools, factories, flats and houses.I used to travel to Europe in the 80s, Dutch squatting scene and a few trips to Berlin pre unification. I was into rioting and part of what was known as the 'black block’.I have a history in all that stuff and its all coming to light via the Mitting Inquiry!!!I got into acid House music in 88 and stopped drinking and taking drugs in 89. This was a smart move and pushed me into making use of my energy.

I do not consider myself an artist although I accept things I do could be considered artistic.I do not like the elitism or the often pretentious and arrogant use of the word 'artist'.

I started making documentary audio interviews when I worked on the Buttershaw Estate in Bradford with truants and addicts. These uncensored interviews included the Hillsborough people and Paddy Hill from the Birmingham 6. My refusal to be censored comes from seeing censorship as it affected Irish republicans, Hillsborough families, Women and their rights being denied etc.

Censorship is about containment and control. I touch up on it in my new film .

Crass.The Sound Of Free Speech is in part an exploration of censorship in the arts.

I have been making acid and techno for record labels since 1992.

I have played live in Chicago, Berlin, London etc. I make extreme acid house and experimental /industrial techno.

A documentary called Rage was made about my music and it's political approach via OME films in Brussels. (Sub Rosa Records /Guy Marc Hinant and Dominique Lohle) you will find it on streaming services.

I have participated in all kinds of events from very serious riots, through to interviewing modern classical composers, from working as a drugs counsellor to being held at gunpoint by British soldiers in Northern Ireland so I have a lot to draw on in my work and I believe that I have a duty to put my neck out and stand my ground 'artistically and politically' . My approach has served me very well so far and I have a great circle of friends and like minded creative people (I am still not comfortable with the term 'Creatives') I do spend a lot of time in Europe and amongst many like minds working in similar fields.There is humour in all I do in spite of the fact my work tends to explore seriously heavy issues.I am massively influenced by 'Dadaist Art' from the period between the 1st and 2nd World war.

Music plays a big role in our documentary work and it does so to balance out the heavy content.

At Class and Culture Films we offer practical support to other film makers. We are working with another film company to get a new film released, we are organising an Eric Luke photographic exhibition in Sunderland and we have organised many events including screenings of films and also a significant exhibition of paintings by the 'Accidental Artist' Tom Rattigan. This was with Breeze Creatives who are another great independent arts project.

Class and Culture Films is a collective and we have crew in Italy, Belgium and Germany. I could not make films alone and I am proud of my association with these people who are not as visible as me in the story. We have serious and tech savvy crew so we are a professional competent team.

Crass.The Sound Of Free Speech is distributed by Factory 25 in New York .

It is streaming in Italy via Streeen. It is out now on Blu Ray. (factory 25 website for streaming and blu ray info)

It has screened at festivals from Berlin, Sydney, Turin,St Pauli.etc and has screened from Belfast and Brooklyn, to Slovenia, Slovakia, Prague, Finland,Warsaw, Genoa,Hastings, Hyde
Park cinema Leeds!!!!!etc etc etc all over the U.K. I have been on a seriously long Q n A tour with the film at many screenings.

Brandon Spivey. Class and Culture Films.