WHAT IS IT?

XhibitA is a new solution to an old problem: the absence of anything

in Swindon that officially celebrates

its greatest rock band. But this is

about more than local pride. The

town needs a ‘beacon’: The Meeting

Place for XTC’s worldwide fans

when they come to Swindon.

WHO’S BEHIND IT AND WHY?

It is the idea of two Wiltshire-

based fans – obviously a simple tribute, but a thank-you, too.

We think it is important for

Swindon (and places like it) to

recognise the work of its ‘famous

sons’ (or daughters) – especially

in regard to popular music, which

rarely gets civic recognition. XTC

are often called rock’s ‘most

under-rated’ band, as if success

should be measured by hit songs.

We disagree. Judge them, instead,

on reputation and influence, and

we hope you will agree that

XhibitA is long overdue.

IS IT A SCULPTURE?

Not really. We didn’t want it to be

a public artwork or a definitive

interpretation of XTC, just a

‘thing’ that fans can visit.

WHAT DOES THE DESIGN REPRESENT?

XTC’s work is far too diverse and

creative to be summed up in one

object, so we decided to make

XhibitA as simple as possible,

choosing just two key XTC

‘motifs’ as a basis. These are the

cover of the album Drums and

Wires, which is indicative of the

band’s raw post-punk origins, and

XTC lettering that reflects the

vaguely historical/folkart themes

often seen on later albums – thus

underlining how their music

developed and evolved. Because

everyone has his or her own sense

of what XTC’s music is, and what

it means to them, XhibitA is

meant to provide only a starting

point for fans’ individual

interpretations.

WHEN CAN I SEE THE DESIGN?

It depends on when you are

reading this. The design was

due to be unveiled at the XTC: A

Celebration gig at The Vic, Old

Town, Swindon, on May 29, 2026.

WHERE IS IT GOING?

We are talking to various parties

and looking at a range of options

and ideas, with a view to it being

installed in a relevant location in

Swindon that has full public

access (watch this space).

WHY NOW?

Swindon is bidding to become the

City of Culture 2029, and its

Borough Council are committed to

building a new theatre/concert

venue. We believe that, like XTC

themselves, XhibitA embodies

Swindon’s creative and innovative

heritage, and heralds a new civic

pride in its own achievements –

and its cultural ambitions for the

future.

XhibitA was commissioned by

Wiltshire/Swindon-based fans, Mike

Smith and Graham Carter, in the

spring of 2026, from a local metal-

working firm (Booth & Son, of Purton).

It is anticipated that reimbursement

for the outlay (including installation

costs) of up to £4,500 (GBP) will be

met through a combination of crowd- funding and other fundraising projects – ultimately through the generosity of local and worldwide XTC fans.

Straight donations can be made via

the XhibitA GoFundMe page, and all

donors will be named (if they wish) in

a commemorative file to be deposited in Swindon Central library as a permanent record of the project.

Any surplus funds will be used to pro-

vide additional musical opportunities

for children with Autism Spectrum

Condition (ASC) in a Swindon school.

Check XTC-related social media

pages to find more information,

updates and other opportunities to be involved.