I first got involved with IP1 magazine 6 years ago, before going to University, in fact. Finding myself back in Ipswich, and at a general loss of things to do I decided to 'get involved' again...just in time for this fracas to come to fruition!
You can read the full article here, but by way of a synopsis, in an article promoting local artist Berry Patten, we printed a slightly risque piece of art, portraying three painted cartoon couples copulating. As a result of ONE letter of complaint we have had our community zine removed from all Ipswich Borough Council establishments, and £4,000 worth of funding withdrawn.
In response to this knee-jerk reaction, and blatant act of censorship I have written to the Evening Star:
“I have been a keen follower of IP1 for years and cannot believe the mountain that has been made out of this molehill, further compounded by a deliberately misleading article. At no point in today’s paper did the Star’s intrepid reporter mention the fact that the image in question is in fact a ‘cartoon’. I would expect nothing less from lower calibre newspapers, but never thought the Evening Star would stoop this low. Not only is referring to a cartoon as ‘pictures’ and ‘artwork’ deliberately vague, but it begs the tautological question…can a cartoon ever be explicit?”
Charlie Hat, an obvious I-P-S-W-I-C-H pseudonym has also commented:
“This is nothing more than petty hyperbole! One would like to think the Council would not remove all copies of ‘Lady Chatterley’s Lover’ from our libraries off the back of one letter of complaint, but after today’s precedent, we cannot be so sure! IP1 should be applauded for its streetwise approach to sexuality. Were it not seen as liberal in some respects, I doubt the more important sexual (health) issues raised would carry as much credence.”
If you have an opinion on this matter, I urge you to vocalise it here.
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