His 27-year-old father was registered as a conscientious objector in July 1940, and had left the Church of England to join the Society of Friends (Quakers).

[17][18] From Monday 27 September 1965, his father gave a series of twenty-four weekly adult education talks on church architecture, in conjunction with the University of Nottingham, at a grammar school in Grantham, Lincolnshire; the course cost 24 shillings and six pence.

Albarn studied architecture at Nottingham School of Art, where he met fellow student Hazel Dring, whom he married[22] in 1963 in Legsby.

Also at this time, a gallery was set up at 26 Kingly Street, which was run by a group of artists including Albarn and his wife, Hazel, who also exhibited her work there.

[25][verification needed] In the same year, Jeffrey Shaw and Tjebbe van Tijen presented Breathing, Airmatter, Soundform.

Ltd was established to design and produce "modular structures and multi-media environments for festivals, exhibitions or private clients who want anything from weather-proof golf course shelters to a children's playhouse".

[27] Also in 1968, Ekistikit was launched at Margate's Dreamland Amusement Park in Kent via Spectrum, the first 'psychedelic' Fun Palace[28] which had 20 different chambers where the participants were able to explore and stimulate their senses by awakening each room.

The second Fun Palace was called Fifth Dimension and was presented at Girvan on the West coast of Scotland,[29] and featured on Tomorrow's World and in their 1970 annual.

[32] In the sixties, Keith Albarn was involved in presenting 'happenings',[33] was a guest on Late Night Line-Up[34][verification needed] and briefly managed the band Soft Machine[35] after travelling with them to the Côte d'Azur where his flat-pack Fun Palace was used as a gig venue.