Supporting Documents for Research and Development Application
Lead Artist: Fionnuala Kavanagh
Project Working Title: ANON
Background
I am a social issues writer from the UK with a degree in philosophy and psychology from Durham University. I love writing because it helps me to better understand things that puzzle me – usually, things to do with human behaviour, and how society structures itself around, and in spite of, the quirks of human behaviour.
I studied journalism in Melbourne and worked for Amnesty International Australia, conducting interviews and writing articles about migration issues. My time in Berlin started as a content writer for Studio Olafur Eliasson's Little Sun. I have since worked on an exhibition about gender equality for the V&A Friday Late, written for the Berlin magazines Exberliner and LOLA, and worked for Steady (Germany’s equivalent to Substack).
I have received funding for my creative work from:
The Guerter Stifftung, the Berlin Senate, the Ionion Center for the Arts and Culture,
the EU’s iPortunas mobility scheme, and the Arvon Foundation.
Creative Practice
Over the past six years, I have developed my practice as a social issues writer and multi-disciplinary artist who likes to experiment with ways of bringing my social commentary to new audiences. I have published a darkly funny social commentary novel about a German Integrationskurs (I Keep My Shadow Light with Lost & Found Books) and created a series of accompanying posters, bringing my social commentary out of the literary world and onto the streets of Berlin. I organised a Book Action Day, working with former colleagues and friends to create the campaign, cycling around the city with a group of 50 people to hang the posters in the places they describe/relate to.
I Keep My Shadow Light social commentary poster series
I also wrote an experimental essay collection looking at why young men are being radicalised by the far-right, 4 of the 20 essays have been published so far, and I have begun experimenting with some accompanying short form videos, and wrote a spin-off feature film screenplay, because I realised that a general audience don’t read much, but they do like watching reels and TV.
I Keep My Shadow Light novel cover
Reviews for I Keep My Shadow Light
“I loved reading this book, it’s clever and timely and at moments really hilarious. It blends social commentary with really good dark humour. Engaging and insightful read exploring what it means to find your place in the world.” Karla Matic
“THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD. I inhaled every word of it. The characters and the flair of Berlin feel so real and that comes from someone who has spent 10 years in this madhouse of a city.” Jaqueline Louan
“I loved this book!!! Fionnuala writes with such sharpness, wit and vulnerability. I loved following the characters around Berlin as they navigate their new lives. A brilliant novel. I bought multiple copies to give my friends :-)” Cecilia Cadman
The focused shift in my practice
Alongside my writing, I am developing video work that is shaped for where attention is being held and influenced. I will research effective far-right radicalisation video techniques to produce artistic counter-content. My goal is to create accessible work, appealing to younger audiences vulnerable to far-right radicalisation, thereby broadening the reach of my social commentary beyond traditional literary circles.
Why this project matters to me
On a personal note, my sweet and sensitive brother was radicalised by the far-right, which is why this topic remains a sustained artistic concern in my practice. I want my artistic work to help bridge the growing gap in society between left and right, through increasing understanding of why young men are being radicalised, and encouraging empathy. My objective is not political activism, it is specifically about how the format can be analysed through a creative lens and if artistic counter-content can generate a diffrent kind of dialogue.
Chosen Mentors
I have selected the following people to guide the expansion in my practice. Each one has been chosen for a specific area of expertise, which I don’t yet possess.
Filmmaker, cinematographer and mentor, they will mentor me in short-form video production and editing workflows to help me develop the skills to create and refine digital content. Karolina has a degree in film and TV production, a master's in education and eight years of experience working in film and digital communication. I have worked with Karolina on developing short-form video content before and know she possesses the skills and equipment to deliver a valuable mentorship.
Editor, story mentor and developmental editor, they will support the development of my narrative work through feedback and guidance on structure, voice, pace, and clarity.
Katy Loftus was an editor at Penguin and was named Editor of the Year at the British Book Awards in 2021. I have worked with her on developing my essay collection, and trust that she is the best person for helping me to ensure my writing will be suitable for a general audience.
Workshop mentor, participatory practice consultant, they will advise on designing participatory workshop formats and strengthen my facilitation skills.
India Peppe runs creative workshops for The Bomb Factory Arts Foundation, London, and is the director of The Bomb Factory Theatre. She is very experienced in the field of participatory workshop formats and has a lot of valuable contacts in the London arts world.
Audience and distribution advisor
They will support me to develop an audience strategy and plan how to share work beyond traditional literary channels.
Jaquline Louan has six years of professional experience of online marketing and PR, specialising in audience outreach, for the charity sector. Her work includes Save the Children. She is well-equipped to help me improve this undeveloped aspect of my skill set.
Doug Crossley
Access support worker specialising in supporting neurodiverse creatives.
Doug is a writer and performer whose credits include TREE SHALL NOT BE MOVED (Sky Comedy Rep), CRUSH HOUR (Audible, featured in The Guardian and Sunday Times Culture), GIVE ME ONE MOMENT IN TIME (Oxford Playhouse & Pleasance Futures), and BETWEEN THE RIOT AND THE RAINBOW (Arcola Theatre); he’s also been listed on the BAFTA Rocliffe Forum and was a finalist for the Mercury Weinberger Playwriting Prize. He also works as a creative producer and access support worker, specialising in supporting neurodiverse creatives, in particular writers with ADHD.
I chose to work with Doug because I recently appraised the need for access support in my writing process. This facilitates careful management of ADHD symptoms like executive function, organisation, and overwhelm. It provides a deep benefit to ensuring that projects remain on target and my practice is given the support needed to reach its potential.
Key areas of research
Academic Insight
I am already in contact with award-winning far-right extremism academic Julia Ebner and the Institute of Strategic Dialogue. From reading Julia Ebner’s books, I have gained an academic perspective on the topic, and continue to follow her work as it evolves, which closely shadows the evolution of the far-right movement. I have read other academic books on the topic, and will continue to broaden my reading.
Creating a network of people with relatives radicalised by the far-right
Through outreach, I have established a small network of international people who have also experienced loved ones radicalised by the far-right. The network includes academics, writers, and journalists from Brazil to France to Russia. The conversations I have had so far have helped me to understand the commonalities across different cultures, age groups, class and gender. I plan to massively broaden my network through further outreach. I will learn how to reach as many people as possible through my communications mentor, Jaquline Louan.
