Owain Astles
Owain Astles is a filmmaker, photographer and visual activist. His work focuses around empowerment through participation, art as activism and the creation of immersive environments.
I’m a filmmaker, photographer and visual activist.
My work focuses around empowerment of marginalised communities through participation, art as activism and the creation of immersive environments. Currently I’m developing a participatory documentary project with Shelter, working with single mothers to create a piece about homelessness and family.
I’m also working on To My Younger Self, a short documentary with BBC Arts about solitary confinement in Young Offender’s Institutions. My past experience includes directing Sleeping Rough, a docudrama film about street homelessness in the UK, an Exeter Phoenix-commissioned short called The Hardest Fight, about using boxing as a way of fighting against depression, and a short documentary series commissioned by Rife Magazine, called Crisis and Hope, about homelessness services in Bristol.
I am one of the lead organisers of Bristol Homeless Action Week, an annual event centred around involving people in Bristol’s homelessness community. I’ve delivered Cardboard Camp, a theatre residency at Bristol Old Vic working with people with lived experience of homelessness and I’m currently developing a participatory documentary with young people at risk of knife crime. In 2018 I gave my first TEDx talk, and I regularly give guest talks about homelessness and visual activism.