Thamesmead Texas

Thamesmead Texas

Part of Explore Thamesmead

Thamesmead Travelling Cinema
Thamesmead Texas
Sat 29 and Sun 30 May
19:00 at the Lakeside centre

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Thamesmead Texas is a nomadic artist led project space, based in Thamesmead founded by artists & filmmakers Vanessa Scully & Liam Scully. Founded in 2018 they create events, exhibitions, workshops and residencies centred around an art bar. Thamesmead Texas is currently on residency in the Thamesmead Community Archive (2020 -2021), gathering oral histories from underrepresented constituents within the biggest social housing estate in Europe. Beyond the TCA residency Thamesmead Texas will continue to feature histories and archives unique to the people of Thamesmead, programmed from the Thamesmead Travelling Cinema.

For Estuary 2021, Thamesmead Texas will commission two artist filmmakers to produce new works for a screening programme in response to our festival theme of Imperial Legacy, specific to the sub themes of territories’, land ownership and mobile populations.The two featured artists: Asmita Shrish and Dan Turner (Aka The Gypsy Sculptor) are deeply embedded in Thamesmead, with a history of either living or researching in the locality. Thamesmead Texas will support both artists to produce and display the works for a curated film programme, alongside an accompanying short film of their choice, for display from the Lakeside Centre throughout the weekend of the Estuary Festival 29-30 May 2021.

Image: Proposal for Thamesmead Travelling Cinema, Artwork by Asmita Shrish

Little Nepal, by Asmita Shrish

Film Proposal

Little Nepal is a participatory documentary, which immerses into the microcosm of the retired Nepali Gurkha soldiers’ wife who have spent their entire youth getting deployed to frontline and wars, and their spouses (between the age of 65-80) who are trying to find comfort in home away from home in the boroughs of Greenwich and Woolwich. The documentary will be accompanied by a series of workshops where the Nepali elderly will recite anecdotes from home, war and current home. The documentary will combine observational documentary and multiscreen to find a way of visual storytelling with physical engagement of the audience with the characters of the film. The audience will connect with the past history of this community by the memorabilia that will be displayed alongside the workshop and documentary screening.


Patteran, by Dan Turner

Film Proposal

With acts of travelling ground, I will create patteran, signs, to mark where we have been and where we are going. I see these signs as a metaphor for the Roma diaspora, how we established ourselves in the bare earth, growing in this new ground, re-imagining landscapes.



Asmita Shrish: Asmita is an independent filmmaker living in London for the past 10 years and deeply connected with the Nepali diaspora in the UK. Her filmmaking practice oscillates from documentaries to dramas, anchoring real issues and narratives to navigate and represent identity within physical and metaphysical space. Her films have always been the results of collaborations with the subjects/casts with particular attraction towards characters that are intimately close to their environment. . In my past documentaries the environment could mean a mountain, a town or neighbourhoods in a city. She has been mentored by auteurs Naomi Kawase, Bela Tarr and Shirin Neshat. Her films Auntie Ganga, Gyalmu’s House and Chandra have won multiple awards in film festivals around the world. Asmita is an alumni of Berlinale Talents (2020), BFI Network/BAFTA crew (2019/2020), Asian Film Academy alumni (2014) and is fellow of IDFA Academy (2011). She is also endorsed by British Council and a recent beneficiary of the Sinchi Fund 2019/2020 as an emerging Indigenous filmmaker.

Dan Turner (Aka The Gypsy Sculptor): Dan Turner is an artist and educator from London, a Romani born in Kent whose family are still based in South East London with its many close associations with Romani culture. Dan trained at Central St Martins School of Art where he completed a BA Honours Degree in Fine Art (Sculpture). He works across media, including sculpture, video and painting. His work “Seeds of Healing” was shown in FUTUROMA at the Venice Biennale 2019. In 2020 he exhibited in Wales, in the Gypsy Maker Project, supported by the Romani Cultural and Arts Company, and in Berlin at the Kaidikhas Gallery.He is currently working with the London Bronze Casting Company on their New Edition’s commission.

Thamesmead Texas is a nomadic artist led project space, based in Thamesmead founded by artists & filmmakers Vanessa Scully & Liam Scully, who create events, exhibitions, workshops and residencies centred around an art bar. Thamesmead Texas is currently on residency in the Thamesmead Community Archive (2020 -2021), gathering oral histories from underrepresented constituents within biggest social housing estate in Europe. Beyond the TCA residency Thamesmead Texas will continue to feature histories and archives unique to the people of Thamesmead, programmed from the Thamesmead Travelling Cinema.

Scully & Scully have been curating and commissioning film screening events in Arthouse Cinemas and Galleries since 2011 in sites across London including The Aubin Cinema, Sugarhouse Studios, Close Up Cinema, Horse Hospital, Genesis Cinema, Deptford Cinema, The Rio, TACO! and CCA Glasgow. More recently they have worked with artists and writers including Mirza & Butler, Paul McCarthy (USA), Laure Prouvost (FR), Lindsay Hallam (AU) and Ben Rivers, in collaboration with Dean Kenning for the inaugural Sick Monday programme (2018-19).

Alex Tuckwood is a woodworker and maker based in London. He works mainly with recycled materials. Working in collaboration with Thamesmead Texas, Alex is head designer and maker of the Thamesmead Travelling Cinema, a mobile community cinema built using reclaimed materials and experimental recycling techniques. Previous projects include moveable chicken coops made from 100% recycled wood for a permaculture project in the Netherlands, wood sheds, furniture, and house renovation work. He has recently completed the build of a CNC lathe, and enjoys adapting and creating bespoke tools. His project, Plastic Please, hosts workshops in creating unique and lasting products from plastic waste. Alex is also a D&T technician at a secondary school in East London, and enjoys helping people to find new ways to make the most of materials.

Estuary 2021 is made possible by

Principal Partners

Creative_Estuary_New_1   ace

Major Partners

ecc uok thurrock thames_gateway selep medway  thames estuary   ebbsfleet    Ebbsfleet mayor locatekent kentcc gravesham uoe bas_coun   south_coun Here for Culture

Commissioning Partners

book_fest community_fund heritage_fund creative_coast bexleysalford fpg lesnes Essex2020Logo The Old Waterworks Logo UCA1

Festival Partners

arts_human uni_south uni_oxford uni_glas send_pier pla opp_se henley Flowers Gallery logoc2c roh southeastern Thamesmead2 Peabody2 BowArts3 raddison uber arriva Canterbury Dartford Faversham Swale1 Thanet Visit c2c1 Chat

Festival Supporters

essex_diversity SouthEssex1 UniversityCentre1 Churches International Exeter Wales Ramm Artist Grand