Artist-turned-shopkeeper Rachael Clerke is bringing Transactionland to Ancient House in Ipswich this week, as part of SPILL Festival. Here, Rachael explains how visitors to the ‘thoroughly unusual high-street retail emporium’ can expect a DIY cash machine where you can make your own cash, and more!
If you had to describe your life in one paragraph, what would you say?
I am a 35-year-old practicing artist, and the parent of an eight-month-old baby. The juggle – for time, money & sleep – is real! I am only able to do both these things because of the amazing community that surrounds me in Bristol where I live (I’m originally from Edinburgh but have been in Bristol for 13 years): my partner, the artists I share a collective studio with, our friends and neighbours.
What is your artistic background?
I studied experimental theatre at Dartington College of Arts, a tiny rural art school in Devon that sadly doesn’t exist anymore. I spent years making and touring theatre including stints at the Edinburgh Fringe with my performance lecture ‘How to achieve redemption as a Scot through the medium of Braveheart’, and drag king punk musical ‘Cuncrete’. More recently I’ve worked on projects people can not only watch on stage, but also take part in. This can look like children building a city out of scrap wood, a book written with 50 other people about how to overthrow the government, or a giant play space & green screen TV studio set up in a gallery over the summer. In 2024 I founded Art Business Ltd, which is a real company and also a bit of a joke – a way to formalise my practice through all the boring things involved in running a company (accounts, contracts etc) and also some fun ones (a uniform! A special dance!). Whatever form it takes, my work is always trying to create space for us to talk about big, serious, difficult themes in accessible ways – through humour, performance and play.
What do you know and love about SPILL Festival and Ipswich?
SPILL was the first festival I ever participated in after graduating! Myself and my collaborator at the time, Josephine Joy (an amazing artist and now also an amazing nurse) brought an early version of our degree show ‘Volcano’ to the HEG in 2012. It was a brilliant experience for me as a young artist, so I’m thrilled to be back 14 years later. More recently I’ve got to know Suffolk through my partner Jen, who grew up in Ipswich and now has family in Felixstowe.
What is the thinking behind Transactionland?
One of my major character traits is that I like to know how things work! A few years ago I decided I wanted to learn more about money, finance, the workings of the world. Because whether we like it or not, this stuff affects us all in so many ways. But as I tried to learn more, I realised that it is actually very difficult to get your head around things like inflation, or the stock exchange, or even what money or debt actually are. The language is very dense, there are a lot of charts, and all my questions felt like stupid ones. I started to feel like perhaps this is by design, like maybe it suits the banks and other financial institutions that most people just don’t understand how all this stuff works. Which obviously made me want to understand even more!
So, with Transactionland I want to create a fun, welcoming space where people of all ages and backgrounds can come to talk about economics. There are no stupid questions here, and in fact there’s a good chance we [the shopkeepers] might not know the answers – but we’ll be willing to find out with you.
In the last 20 years we’ve experienced a huge financial crash, years of austerity, inflation triggered by the invasion of Ukraine, fuel crises and the demise of the British high street. We’ve also seen the emergence of all sorts of informal ‘community economies’ such as car shares, clothes swaps and mutual aid networks – places where ordinary people are supporting each other beyond monetary transactions. Transactionland is a space that’s been missing for us to explore all these things, and think about the future we want to live in.
What can people expect during your residency as shopkeeper?
A DIY cash machine where you can make your own cash! A wall of inflation tracking the recent UK inflation rates with pool inflatables! An opportunity to gamble on the Stock [Cube] Exchange! A library! Free tea and coffee! An invitation to shoplift (at 4pm every day) from our exclusive shoplifting range! Free doughnuts! A brand-new artwork by local artist Amy Wragg!
Who will be joining you?
I’ll be joined on the shop floor for all four days by our beautifully turned-out shopkeepers Alice and Dre. On Thursday evening financial historian & board game enthusiast Dr Amy Edwards will be hosting a money-themed board game evening (limited spaces – tickets are free and available from the SPILL website!). Visitors on Saturday can book a free time brokering consultation over the Transactionland phone with artists Paula Varjack and Simone French (guiding you in how to assess, prioritise and better invest your time). And Professor Chris Land will be joining us on Sunday for a doughnut-fuelled conversation about the future of work.
When and where is it taking place?
We’re open at Ancient House on the Buttermarket, Thursday 21st – Sunday 24th May, 12.30-5pm each day. There are also tickets available for Thursday evening’s board game night, and Saturday morning’s Work Party for Cheats workshop (the latter is about getting your unfinished stuff done, details online)
Where can people find out more about what you do?
I’m on Instagram (@rachaelclerke), or to find out more about Transactionland and see the full programme head to transaction.land. For tickets visit spillfestival.com.
Transactionland takes place from Thursday May 21 to Sunday May 24, 2026 at Ancient House, Ipswich. Tickets are FREE but some events need to be booked. Transactionland is for all ages. If you have any access requirements you would like to discuss, please call 01473 210169 or email boxoffice@spillfestival.com.
Featured image of Rachael Clerke by Ruby Turner
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