Marcus O'Shaughnessy
Curator | Creative Producer | Founder of Imaginative Reaction CIC
Creative and impact-driven Curator & Youth Engagement Specialist with over a decade of experience at the intersection of alternative education, arts practice and mental health support for young people. Passionate about creating inclusive spaces, storytelling and platforms to support artists
My Story
Marcus O’Shaughnessy a creative practitioner, youth engagement specialist, and digital storyteller with a lifelong dedication to alternative education and the arts as tools for transformation.Founder of Imaginative Reaction CIC, a growing creative platform designed to elevate emerging, outsider and underrepresented artists through collaboration, curation and community.
In 2023, Marcus stepped into the art world to honour the legacy of the late Nick Fraser (1946–2023)
a visionary outsider artist from East London. As the appointed custodian of Fraser’s vast and previously unseen collection, Marcus curated the critically acclaimed debut exhibition “Nick Fraser: Chapter One” at The Crypt Gallery, London. The show received national attention, was featured in RAW Vision Magazine and has since opened doors for wider recognition of Fraser’s work.
Alongside his work in youth engagement, he lived a parallel creative life as a producer and DJ, releasing music and performing in venues from London to Koh Phangan. This gave him a lived understanding of the emotional and social realities of being an artist — the power of expression, but also the isolation, uncertainty and drive it demands.
When he left formal youth services, Marcus stepped into a new mission: to build something compassionate and collaborative. Creating a platform that offered space and time for artists and creatives of all ages and backgrounds, recognising that creativity doesn’t follow a single path.
Imaginative Reaction was born not just from this personal mission, but also from a deeper tribute. It was inspired by the legacy of Nick Fraser, a talented artist and dear friend who, despite his immense creative gift, never had the opportunity to be fully seen or supported by a wider community. This platform stands as a response to that .
A place where overlooked, emerging, and outsider voices can be recognised, uplifted and remembered.
As my own practice evolved, my creativity became curation — connecting people, ideas, and expressions through digital and physical space. Whether mentoring young artists or creating tools for community-led projects, I remain committed to nurturing creative work that heals, questions and transforms.
Recognising the need for a dedicated platform to bridge creative communities, Imaginative Reaction launched as both a digital space and a real-world movement, empowering artists of all backgrounds to share their work, tell their stories and connect through creative expression.
His vision is rooted in authenticity, collaboration, and the belief that art, in all its forms has the power to spark meaningful change.
Gallery
Marx James Spotify
Nick Fraser
Chapter 1
Exhibition Film
As part of my curatorial journey with Nick Fraser: Chapter One, I felt it was vital to bring not only the artwork to light, but the man behind it. This film is a labour of love, built from archival footage recorded by my father,
Mark O’Shaughnessy, who documented his close friendship with Nick over 30 years ago. These intimate moments captured on a handheld camcorder offer a rare and authentic window into Nick’s world. His artistic process, his philosophies, and the raw truth of his everyday life.
Decades later, I took on the role of editing this footage, crafting it into a film that would accompany the debut exhibition at The Crypt Gallery. The result is a moving tribute, a multi-generational collaboration that bridges time, memory, and legacy. It stands as a testament to Nick’s quiet brilliance, my father’s belief in his work, and the continuation of that journey through me.
The film was screened throughout the exhibition and resonated deeply with visitors, bringing context, connection and emotional depth to Nick Fraser’s body of work.