The collection includes material related to Mark's early stand-up career on the comedy circuit in the 1980s and 1990s (mainly promotional material and press coverage) through to his later solo shows between 1996 and 2015, and includes audio-visual recordings, press and promotional material. The collection also contains material related to Mark's broadcasting career on television and radio in the 1990s and 2000s (which includes research materials, and audio-visual recordings), and also material related to his book and audio publications. There is also extensive material related to Mark's campaigning and activism work (some of which has informed his stand-up performance and television work), including campaigns involving arms and the arms trade, multinational corporations, and campaigns for civil liberties. This material includes press and publicity, correspondence, audio-visual recordings, notebooks and personal diaries, and photographs.
In April and May 2015 Mark deposited further material with the British Stand-Up Comedy Archive, the majority of which was created as part of the '100 Acts of Minor Dissent' campaign (and later show) and then part of the '100 Acts of Minor Dissent' exhibition, originally staged at Sheffield's Millennium Gallery in 2014. The deposit comprised mainly of objects, including framed photographs and mounted collage boards.
Collection in brief
Contents: audio-visual material, scripts, personal papers, photographs, press, campaign ephemera
Period: 1984-2015
Subjects: comedy, performance, political activism