Artists channel John and Yoko’s spirit of peace in a new film

Date published: 17 December 2023


Artists Stuart Hampton, from Darnhill, Heywood,  and Joanna Bond recently recreated the famous Bed-In for Peace stunt that the legendary John Lennon and Yoko Ono performed in 1969, as part of a new film project directed by Kevin Allen.

The film is a collaboration between Allen and a project known as the Velvet Chapel, which is a creative space and a community of artists in Carmarthenshire.

Hampton and Bond, who are both fans of John and Yoko, have posed as the iconic duo for a number of scenes in the production, which is set inside an elaborate Welsh chapel, decorated by the pop art of Jonny Zerox.
 


The film is described as “a psychedelic journey into the heart of Welshness, art and love.”

The artists have also recreated the Bed-In at a hotel in Aberystwyth, where they spent a whole day celebrating the 50th anniversary of the historic event.

The Bed-In for Peace was a nonviolent protest against war, in which John and Yoko invited the world’s press into their hotel room every day for a week, while they sat in bed, wearing pyjamas, and talking about peace.
 

Artists Stuart Hampton and Joanna Bond recently recreated the famous Bed-In for Peace
A painting of John Lennon by Stuart Hampton
© Stuart Hampton

 

They held two Bed-Ins, one at the Hilton Hotel in Amsterdam and one at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, where they also recorded the song “Give Peace a Chance.”

Hampton and Bond say that they love to keep the memory alive of this moment, as the message for world peace is just as relevant today as it was 50 years ago.

They hope that their film will inspire people to follow John and Yoko’s example and spread the word of peace and love. The film is expected to be premiered soon.

 

Artists Stuart Hampton and Joanna Bond recently recreated the famous Bed-In for Peace
Stuart Hampton as John Lennon
© Joe White

 

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