Una Kavanagh

Una Kavanagh is from Dublin, Ireland. Winner of Best Actress Award for her role as Ma Taggart in "The Good Word" at The Underground Cinema Awards 2015. Winner of Best Actress Award for her role as Kate in "Voices" at The Underground Cinema Awards 2011. She was nominated for the Golden Nymph Best Actress Award at the 2009 Golden Nymph Awards, Monte Carlo, Monaco, alongside Isabelle Adjani and Julie Walters for her role as Carmel in Bittersweet. In 2006 she was nominated for the Rose d'Or for Best Soap Actress at the International Rose d'Or Awards, Lucerne, Switzerland. She studied at The National College of Art & Design , Dublin. Group Exhibitions. As a Visual Artist her Exhibitions include The Blue Leaf Gallery Show at The Observatory, Sir John Rogersons Quay, Dublin;Art 250, Cil Riallig, Dublin & Ballinskelligs, Kerry ; Artists for Tara; NCAD Master's Group Show, Royal Hibernian Academy, Dublin; RHA 162nd Annual Exhibition; Design at HQ Gallery, Crafts Council of Ireland; Sculpture In Context, Fernhill Gardens; R.D.S. Craft Exhibition, work in Architectural Ceramics & Oireachtas;The Mule Rooms, Kilmainham. Her work in these exhibitions include Large Installations, Bronze Sculpture, Ceramic Sculpture, Oil on Canvas, Animation, Mixed Media, Drawings in pencil, pen & Ink, oil and chalk pastel, wax, bitumen. In 2007 she created "Once Upon A Time" a multi-media solo exhibition. Works included Bronze & Ceramic Sculptures, Paintings, Drawings and the animated fable in film & book form, illustrated, written and voiced by Kavanagh. Her professional arts practices / disciplines have always run parallel to each other. Having graduated with a Bachelors and Masters Degree in Art and Design (NCAD) she then went on to specialize in all forms of performance.The study of movement, voice, text, physical performance were paramount to this research. This alongside her sculpture, film-making, animation, music composition and drawing formed her personal artistic journey which came together for the first time with "Black Bessie" ABSOLUT fringe 2009 where she combined all artistic crafts together as performer, designer, writer (nominated for Fishambles' New Irish Writing Nomination 2009) Una has been a company member and collaborator with ANU Productions since 2010. As a deviser, artist and performer she has collaborated with the company on multiple ANU award-winning, immersive, durational performances . Una's work with ANU includes the multiple award winning "The Monto Cycle" creating over 4,000 performances: "World's End Lane " ( Nominated Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Production 2011, Winner Best Off-Site Production ABSOLUT fringe 2010, Nominated for Fishamble's New Irish Writing award 2010; "Laundry" (Winner of Best Production & nominated for Best Director at Irish Times Theatre Awards 2012) ; " The Boys Of Foley Street", Dublin Theatre Festival 2012 and VARDO, the final installment , Dublin Theatre Festival 2014. She also collaborated with ANU for the World Premiere of " Angel Meadow" for HOME Manchester, June 2014 which won Best Ensemble and Best Production at The Manchester Theatre Awards 2015 and Beautiful Dreamers, a co production with Performance Corporation, commissioned for Limerick City Of Culture 2014. In 2011 Una co-created & directed "That's About The Size Of It" a part-lecture, part-biographical, interactive, informative and visual performance piece about 'What If?' moments in life, CERN, String Theory & Dimensions, to explore our existence, our life's work and the effect of choice, chance and coincidence on our life journey. She became co-founder of TATSOI a science art collaboration in 2011. She was Artist in Residence with The Festival Of Curiosity 2013. Shortlisted for the SKYARTS Ignition award 2013/14 She made her first short film " Turbulence" in 2011 as writer & director. Selected as Artist In Residence for Ireland Month at the International "Art By Country " Residency, Abu Dhabi Art Hub,May -July 2014. Work includes "Mirari" film piece, "Fata Morgana" Performance Art opening the LIWA Upcycle Festival in the desert and large works - oil, bitumen and copper on canvas. Exhibitions 2015 The Open Window Gallery - bronze sculpture. "A Patch Of Green" Dusit Thani, Abu Dhabi - large works, oil on canvas. "Hidden",The Open Door Gallery in collaboration with Robert Lee Mulcahy - bronze & ceramic sculpture. Watercolour. "Modern Irish Music" collaboration with seven composers & classical musicians - special edition prints, live visual score created to music.