Being John
Stockley

Who I am

I’m a multidisciplinary creative based in Brighton. My background is in Music and Visual Arts — I graduated from Brighton University and then spent the next decade or so refusing to pick a lane.

I’ve managed a theatre venue, performed at festivals, built one of Brighton’s largest community groups, helped organise Trans Pride Brighton as part of the committee, designed book covers, made music under three different names, built a live streaming TV show during a pandemic, and done live visuals for events I probably shouldn’t have been trusted with.

The throughline in all of it — if there is one — is that I like making things that feel like they couldn’t have been made by anyone else.

What I’m doing now

Freelancing, mainly. Book cover design is the work I’m proudest of and most in demand for — seven covers published across fiction, memoir and autobiography, starting at £700. I also take on graphic design, video work, and social media management for clients I find interesting. I’m currently working with And Now We’re All Doomed on design and social strategy.

I’m also actively looking for more event work — producing, creative direction, immersive experiences. I’m currently involved in a new project at Boomtown Fair and I want to do more of that kind of thing.

I’m being deliberate about what I take on. I want to work on projects that mean something — with people who care about what they’re making.

If that sounds like you, get in touch.

The longer version

I founded Keep Brighton Weird in 2014. It now has 36,000 members and is one of the largest community groups in the city. I was part of the organising committee for Trans Pride Brighton. I coordinated leaflet campaigns for the Green Party. I’ve been part of Boomtown Fair and Balter Festival as actor, crew and walkabout performer since 2015.

I produce rave music as Jeremy Jumbles, make atmospheric post-rock and synthwave as The Spell Is Broken, and occasionally acoustic and singer-songwriter material as J D Stockley. I built an analogue audio visualiser from a VGA testing unit and a CRT because I wanted to see if I could. I replaced every face in my Facebook friends list with Nicolas Cage.

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