“Sometimes it’s harder to make independent filmmaking projects, so I love being in this space where I can be editing and then stop to do some painting or sewing.“
We caught up with multidisciplinary artist Tamsin Kavanagh, at her Alice Billing House studio, a desk with an editing screen is surrounded by paintings in progress on one side, and shelves with ceramics and studio equipment on the other. Tamsin works across moving images, sound, writing, painting, drawing, and ceramics. She studied fine art at Goldsmiths and has continued to develop her practice since then. She speaks to Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds from Creative Land Trust about sharing a creative space with close friends and the magic of exploring multiple art forms; whilst balancing paid work and personal forms of expression.
Artwork courtesy of Tamsin Kavanagh
Rebecca Sainsot-Reynolds (RSR): Tamsin, tell us who you are and what you do?
Tamsin Kavanagh (TK): I’m Tamsin Kavenagh. I have a multi-disciplinary practice. I’ve gone through different phases of making, including painting, sewing, writing, music and filmmaking. Filmmaking and photography are my main thing. Filmmaking is what I do for work. Sometimes it’s harder to make independent film projects, so I love being in this space where I can do some editing, and then stop to do some painting or sewing.
RSR: What do you do with film?
TK: For paid work, I’ve been working on a music video and with an artist at the Royal Academy. I also do freelance photography and video jobs. I really enjoy making music videos because they’re more creative and I can use some of my own ideas and collaborate with artists that give me leeway and have similar styles.
RSR: How long have you been at Alice Billing House and where were you before?
TK: I’ve been here since March 2024, so over a year. I live about a 15-minute cycle away. Before that I was in a studio that was about 45 minutes away and I wouldn’t use it that much. I mostly used it for painting and storing some film things. I used the project space for filming, but it was hard to carve out purely creative time because there were issues such as a water leak in the roof.
RSR: It sounds like Alice Billing House is very close to home, how have you found that?
TK: Yes, it’s the closest studio to home I’ve had. There are four of us sharing the space. We have our own community, which is really lovely and supportive. Marguerite of Grow Studios is amazing.She makes things happen and brings people together. Practically, it’s secure, which is great because I have expensive equipment. Everything works well, there is a kitchen on every floor, toilets on every floor. At a previous studio I was at there was just one toilet for everyone. I’m also sharing with one of my best friends. It’s rare that we’re all in the studio at the same time, but it’s lovely when we are— sewing and making things together.
RSR: I notice the work over there. Who is the ceramicist in the space?
TK: It’s me! Those pieces of work are separate—different lenses on something similar. My mum is a potter, so I grew up doing it. I’ve carried it on as I really connect with it.
RSR: Where do you make and fire your work?
TK: I do it at the adult learning centre when I can get a place on the course. It’s super-competitive and the places go in seconds! Also, occasionally I use other spaces or my mum’s when I’m there.
RSR: I have heard about that ceramics course, so valuable! You have so many creative outputs, tell us more about your main work?
TK: I’ve been working on a painting for ages and that’s more representative of what I think about, what’s going on in the world and what kind of effects that’s having on people. It’s not finished, it’s just underlayers, but it’s taken me so long because I don’t usually paint like that. I usually paint much more abstract. But I was teaching painting, so I was kind of testing my ability to do things more accurately. There’s something about painting that is more like a need I have to express something.
I like experimenting with planning and being free within the painting. But my main thing is the movie filmmaking.
Photography: Monika Szolle
RSR: are there any film projects you’re working on now?
TK: I’ve had some ideas I want to develop but I would need funding. I don’t like to talk too much about ideas before they’re more fleshed out, but I’ve wanted to make a film in Wales and explore the relationship between the land and the contrasting communities that live there. We, the four of us in the studio, have recently been talking about doing a show together. We were just discussing a potential performance collaboration that would be exciting! I think filmmaking and writing go naturally together as well.
RSR: They do. So, you use the studio space for your mixed practice, and for your film work?
TK: I mostly do creative work, so yes, but sometimes I do the other stuff as well, which pays for being able to be free with the other stuff. I wouldn’t be able to do my creative work otherwise. I do so many things and I sort of jump around between them.
Follow Tamsin on Instagram and watch her films on Vimeo.
In 2023, Grow Studios partnered with the Creative Land Trust (CLT) to transform Alice Billiing House into a new hub of artist studios and to deliver a new heritage-led cultural and community engagement programme – Creative Futures.
Alice Billing House is a collaboration between CLT and Grow Studios.