Biografia
Una Kavanagh hails from Dublin, Ireland.
She won the Best Actress Award for her portrayal of Ma Taggart in "The Good Word" at The Underground Cinema Awards 2015.
She also received the Best Actress Award for her role as Kate in "Voices" at The Underground Cinema Awards 2011.
In 2009, she was nominated for the Golden Nymph Best Actress Award at the Golden Nymph Awards in Monte Carlo, Monaco, alongside Isabelle Adjani and Julie Walters, for her role as Carmel in Bittersweet.
In 2006, she earned a nomination for Best Soap Actress at the International Rose d'Or Awards in Lucerne, Switzerland.
Her short film "Constance" premiered at The Cork International Film Festival in 2021, where she served as writer, director, and producer.
Una studied at The National College of Art & Design in Dublin.
She works from her art studios located in Dublin and Belfast.
Her exhibitions span large installations, bronze and ceramic sculpture, oil on canvas, animation, mixed media, and drawings using pencil, pen and ink, oil and chalk pastel, wax, and bitumen.
In 2007, she presented "Once Upon A Time," a multi-media solo exhibition featuring bronze and ceramic sculptures, paintings, drawings, and an animated fable in both film and book form, all written, illustrated, and voiced by her.
Una has pursued multiple art practices simultaneously, holding both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Art and Design from NCAD.
Her work "Black Bessie" was part of the ABSOLUT fringe and nominated for Fishamble's New Irish Writing Award in 2009.
Since 2010, Una has been a founding company member and collaborator with ANU Productions.
As a deviser, artist, and performer, she has worked with ANU on numerous award-winning, immersive, and durational performances.
Her contributions include the multiple award-winning "The Monto Cycle," with over 4,000 performances; "World's End Lane" (nominated for the Irish Times Theatre Award for Best Production 2011, winner of Best Off-Site Production at ABSOLUT fringe 2010, and nominated for Fishamble's New Irish Writing Award 2010); "Laundry" (winner of Best Production and nominated for Best Director at the Irish Times Theatre Awards 2012); "The Boys Of Foley Street," presented at the Dublin Theatre Festival 2012; and "VARDO," the final installment at the Dublin Theatre Festival 2014.
She also collaborated with ANU on the world premiere of "Angel Meadow" at HOME Manchester in June 2014, which won Best Ensemble and Best Production at the Manchester Theatre Awards 2015, and on "Beautiful Dreamers," a co-production with Performance Corporation commissioned for Limerick City of Culture 2014.
Other performances include "These Rooms" at the London International Theatre Festival 2018 and "The Anvil" at the Manchester International Festival 2019.
In 2011, Una co-created and directed "That's About The Size Of It," a part-lecture, part-biographical, interactive, informative, and visual performance exploring 'What If?' moments in life, CERN, String Theory, and Dimensions to examine existence, life's work, and the influence of choice, chance, and coincidence.
She co-founded TATSOI, a science-art collaboration, in 2011. Una was Artist in Residence at The Festival Of Curiosity in 2013 and was shortlisted for the SKYARTS Ignition Award 2013/14.
Her first short film, "Turbulence," was written and directed by her in 2011.
Una was selected as Artist In Residence for Ireland Month at the International "Art By Country" Residency at Abu Dhabi Art Hub in May–July 2014 and again in 2019.
Her work during these residencies includes the film piece "Mirari," the performance art "Fata Morgana" which opened the LIWA Upcycle Festival in the desert, and large-scale pieces in oil, bitumen, and copper on canvas.
She also collaborated on "Modern Irish Music" with seven composers and classical musicians, creating special edition prints and a live visual score performed alongside the music.
