Beginner’s pluck: Artist Ted Turton

This memoir is so wonderfully entertaining and visually sumptuous that it leaves you with awe and envy

In the eighties, Ted Turton ‘ran away with the circus’, travelling the world with the eccentric Footsbarn Theatre.

Ted always knew he would be an artist.

Graduating from art college, he moved to London to work for an advertising company — but after a disagreement with his boss, and a random street attack, he left and, disillusioned with England, moved to Dublin in September, 1973.

“I felt so at home. Everything flowed. I lived in Howth and worked printing onto glass,” he says.

“We made art deco and art nouveau designs on mirrors.”

In 1976, he started the magazine, In Dublin, with John S Doyle.

A year later, moving to Galway, he started the Galway Arts Festival.

I was involved, in one form or another, for 34 years as designer, scout, and eventually, board member.

In the eighties, Ted ‘ran away with the circus’, travelling the world with the eccentric Footsbarn Theatre.

By the time Ted was appointed artistic director of The Galway Arts Festival in 1995, he had married, moved to America, where he worked in theatre, divorced, and met his present wife, Lali, through theatre.

Four years later, Ted moved to Cork, running the Cork Midsummer Festival, before returning to Galway to co-run the Black Cat Gallery for 17 years.

 When it closed, he turned his hand to writing.

Who is Ted Turton?

Date/ place of birth: 1950/ Warrington, England.

Education: Lymm Grammar School in Cheshire; Leicester College, Art School, then Wolverhampton Art College, Visual Communications. “Including Graphic Design, and all the printing techniques.”

Home: Clifden, Co Galway.

Family: Wife, Lali Morris.

In another life: “I considered being a professional cricketer. I played for County Galway until I was 64.”

Favourite writers: Ian McEwan; John Fowles; Michael Ondaatje; Salman Rushdie; Gabriel Garcia Márquez.

Second book: “Maybe a book of short stories.”

Top tip: “Know your subject, and find your voice.”

Website: www.tedturtonart.com

Instagram: @tedturtonart

The debut

My Travels with Footsbarn Theatre: A Memoir

The Liffey Press, €19.99

Ted was determined to join Footsbarn Theatre; highly talented, free spirited performers who constantly travelled. 

His six years as artist, designer, photographer, printer, truck driver, and publicist, ended in a series of entertaining escapades.

“Friends who couldn’t join the theatre said I had an obligation to say what it was like.”

The verdict: Wonderfully entertaining, and visually sumptuous, this book leaves you with awe and envy.