In time, she started making moving and still pictures with friends, which have since been exhibited in streets, playgrounds and farms, internationally at film festivals, online and on broadcast TV. Her adventures included directing and writing film, Light Years, which premiered at the Venice Film Festival and the multi-awarded BAFTA winning short, September, which played at over thirty festivals worldwide. While making low fi music videos she directed episodes of Channel 4’s SKINS and the BBC’s Wallander and more recently she co-created experimental films conjured with camera traps with local kids, entitled Anything Moving.

Her inaugural photography show at Bristol’s Old Shoe Factory, Out Of Darkness, grouped together intimate black & white prints and was to be followed up by Water Salad on Monday, an interactive, onsite show and publication at and about a farm in which the cared-for thrive through caring. Scrapbook, made up of workshops, a show and book, celebrated play and was commissioned by the legendary St Paul’s Adventure Playground with help from The Arts Council. When Covid struck, her weekly photo club adapted and sent out art care packages that became the Bewilderment Cards, now selling across the country. She has collaborated with The Cube Cinema on the Kids Kino Project, a cultural exchange for displaced children.

Dedicated to pursuing life-affirming art practices, Esther continues to tickle out bewitching images, moving stories and unforgettable live events. She’s still not very good at brushing her hair.

Teaching, Facilitation & Mentorship

Esther also works as mentor and teacher.

She cut her teaching teeth at Bridgend Technical College where she taught 16 – 18 year olds film-making. Esther has also taught and lectured at Bristol, Gloucester, Bath and Plymouth universities, as well as the Bristol Old Vic, Knowle West Media Centre and UWE. She has mentored artists in her community, at the National Film and Television School and for the Arts Council.

Co-creating STORYWORKS, a residential programme for humans identifying as women in the film industry, Esther enabled safe-space exploration of story in film-workers practices and lives. She later initiated Forge Women, a support group for film artists which continues to this day and she works as guest artist for KIN, a programme for community workers where she facilitates transformative play & photo practices.

Having run workshops for kids in Calais as part of the Cube’s Kids Kino Project, Esther now continues to lead on Kitchen Table Photo Club while mentoring students and graduates, all the while finding ways to play with image making as a means to connect with one another, our parts and the worlds around us.

Get in touch if you’re interested in being mentored here.