Sophie Austin

About

Nice to see you here.

My name is Sophie and I’m a storyteller working across theatre, film and audio to invite contemplation on our place in the here and now.

I landed in Norfolk, East Anglia at the age of 5 and under the vast skies and above the flint and chalk, I found a love for telling stories with friends in the fields and the village hall and have been doing that ever since.

I’m based in London now, but with a city head and rural heart I’m just as passionate about telling stories about our connection with the land we live with.

‘On the eve of catastrophe the living make a commitment to the future’. Ben Okri

Now, more than ever, I see the importance of collaborative storytelling to meet the grief and seek out the joy as we find news ways of existing in these wild days.

I am community focused and operate in the long grass. You might stumble across my stories in a woodland or roaming local streets, in alternative film festivals  around the world and environmentally focused arts festivals in the UK, in your neighbourhood theatre or on your friend’s podcast provider

I collaborate with communities, artists and environments to tell rich and authentic stories. The creative process is just as important as the finished story.

I am Creative Director at environmental arts organisation, CHANGE Festival, where I work with Becky Burchell to create projects and hold spaces for artists and audiences seeking inspiration for a regenerative future. 

I'm a 2022 Bio-Leadership Fellow working with the Bio-leadership Project to explore how we tell new stories about our relationship with the more-than-human world.  AWAKE! my latest film is the first in a series of projects exploring this idea.

JUST PASSING, my BFI NETWORK funded short is on the 2023 IRIS Prize Shortlist. It was broadcast on Channel 4 and can currently be streamed on their online platform.

My latest audio story walks F FOR FARNHAM and LORE OF THE WILD can be found on Soundcloud and Spotify. Both have been shortlisted for Walk Listen Create's Soundwalk September prize.

Do check out my linktree or Instagram for latest screening and walking dates or sign up to my newsletter - an irregular email to an underground community celebrating walks, rituals, stories and hope in these wild days.

From 2004 - 2019 I was founder and Artistic Director of Teatro Vivo, a critically acclaimed site specific theatre company. From pop-up theatre in public parks, plays in libraries, museums and houses to large-scale high street adventures, I've produced and directed thrilling and imaginative, high-quality theatre that resonates long after the show is over.

Almost anywhere is a possible stage for this most creative of theatre groups. The challenge they set themselves is to break free of tradition, reinterpret the classics and collaborate with their audience. 
Absolutely not the West End.”
The Guardian

I have been Creative Director at SHH Productions, a female led film production company, Creative Associate at international arts organisation Dash Arts and chair of the training and development committee for Stage Directors UK

I am currently writer in Residence at Lesnes Abbey Woods along with storyteller Bernadette Russell.

I also work with groups and individuals to nurture and develop a personal storytelling practice. Whether for a particular project or situation or for a personal sense of self, we all have a story to tell, let me help you tell yours. 

If you're interested in having a chat about a project or would like to tell me a story, do get in touch.

Thanks for visiting!