Introducing Quingo Starlequinn!

Quingo Starlequinn the National Drummer was co-designed by young people from Heart n Soul’s Do Your Own Thing and Emergency Exit Arts.

Quingo was a commission by artist Jeremy Deller and the National Gallery as part of The Triumph of Art.

Heart n Soul is an award-winning creative community and arts charity. We believe in the power and talents of people with learning disabilities and autistic people. We work together to make great art with imagination, love and trust. 

Over the course of a year, young people from Do Your Own Thing with Emergency Exit Arts and the National Gallery co-designed a large scale puppet and DJ booth. It was to be part of a procession created by the young people up Whitehall to Trafalgar Square. There it would become the focal point for a party led by the Do Your Own Thing DJs.

“We thought about what we wanted the puppet to be, what we wanted it to do, and what we wanted it to look like. We decided together it would be a drummer, that would have 4 faces with distinct looks and actions. Using designs drawn during the sessions the costume for Quingo was created, including Emmett’s ‘Good Chaos’ energy jacket and ‘Mary’s Horse’ trousers, based on the National Gallery’s Whistlejacket by George Stubbs.”

Do Your Own Thing Participant

“We visited the Emergency Exit Arts workshop to see Quingo being built, to make badges for the drum/DJ Booth and Quingo’s hair. The name Quingo Starlequinn comes from us thinking they looked like a Harlequin and mixing that with famous Beatles drummer’s name Ringo Starr.”

Do Your Own Thing Participant

"Some of the Do Your Own Thing DJs took part in a test afternoon with Quingo in Deptford, but the first time we all got to experience Quingo properly was on 25 July 2025 at The Triumph of Art." 

 Do Your Own Thing Participant
 

We are also thrilled to announce that EEA has been successful in a commission from Without Walls, and will be touring Quingo across festivals in England in 2026  

More info Coming Soon!