“To be heard and to be held”: Stephanie Francis-Shanahan on her new publication

We last spoke 2 years ago, at the peak of the pandemic. You had just graduated from CSM at the time. What you’ve been up to creatively since finishing your MA?

God yeah that feels like ages ago now! Since then, I’ve done a mix of different freelance bits and an artist residency but my focus has been on self-publishing and making these party bags. I launched another book in August 2021 and then took them to book fairs and got them stocked in places across the country. I’ve also been involved in a wonderful community project with My Yard (a charity in Harrow). We published a book full of photos shot by the young people on their estate. I’ve then been working on this new book and party bag and tbh I spend most of my time thinking about and making books.

“I find it so nice to be able to support other people with what they are making and help them hold space for their voices or concerns.” – Stephanie Francis-Shanahan

You have also been teaching. How is this experience? 

I really love teaching and it feels so integral to my practice. I’m fascinated by collective experience and got a lot out of communicating with people so I see teaching as an extension of my research. I find it so nice to be able to support other people with what they are making and help them hold space for their voices or concerns.

What is the reality of an interdisciplinary artist graduating from a fashion school? Did you ever feel you had to make your work that is “more fashion”? 

I think I felt pressure to be more ‘fashion’ but only at the beginning of my MA at CSM. In terms of tutors and peers, it was the opposite. They were encouraging me to be the most honest version of myself and reminding me that I didn’t need to shape myself in any particular way. There is a big crossover in the art world with fashion as it’s where an immediate source of money is. Making work in these other areas like fashion, music, or film doesn’t feel at odds with what I’m doing.

“The key has been to try finding an angle in any commercial work I take on that still retains what I’m trying to do.” – Stephanie Francis-Shanahan

How is your professional life as an artist?

It’s definitely not easy in any way. I spend all of my time thinking about my work and how to get by and the work-life balance can be so hard to grasp but I can’t imagine any other lifestyle. I’ve always wanted to be an artist; a person that makes things. I have a lot of moments that my 14-year-old self would be so proud of, which sustains me. The key has been to try finding an angle in any commercial work I take on that still retains what I’m trying to do. I’ve still got a long way to go though and loads of things I want to get to, so let’s see how it all pans out.

“It is important to ensure we are holding the government to account even if we are able to patch up some gaps caused by their actions.” – Stephanie Francis-Shanahan

In your graduate project, you were speaking about the notion of collective joy. The element of community is very strong in your creative universe. Is this something you think is missing in today’s society?

Yeah, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve said that phrase. The seeking of community stemmed from a lack of it in a familial sense. I now can see how I’ve created my own community through my work which I am forever grateful for. Community is utterly vital for human survival and the climate crisis. There are so many beautiful examples of this togetherness. It is important to ensure we are holding the government to account even if we are able to patch up some gaps caused by their actions. No amount of grassroots community support should ever have to smooth over the deliberate cruelty of the Tory government, they need to go.

Your upcoming project is named “To be heard and to be held”. Could you explain what this means to you and why you chose this as the title?

I was struggling to think of a title right til near the end and I found this in my notes from an older piece of writing. It just really stuck with me. This project is the third in a series of party bags named ‘Jaws of Life’ and is the last that will be made like this. I have realised how much this trilogy has saved me and given me life during a really really horrific period, discovering the effects of trauma and PTSD. “To be heard and to be held” for me feels like a plea from a younger self yet also a statement of intent to take care of and continue to find the people who give me this space.

“A lot of people that are making commercial work want to have more craft and emotion in what they do but the industry doesn’t necessarily allow it and people have gotta get paid.” – Stephanie Francis-Shanahan

Your work has emotion at its core. Do you think craft-based, emotional explorations like yours are missing from the image-making scene?

Yeah, I am a really emotional person. I don’t feel like that necessarily in terms of it being missing as I know so many wonderful artists and image-makers that take so much care and love in what they do. A lot of people that are making commercial work want to have more craft and emotion in what they do but the industry doesn’t necessarily allow it and people have gotta get paid. We all just have to do our best to make our way and survive and also make what we feel we need to!

What is the best and what is the hardest part of navigating a career like yours?

The best part is knowing it’s what I’ve wanted to do for so long and that my teenage self would think I was really cool [laughs]. The hardest is confidence and not feeling like you are going to flop it all the time.

If you could give a piece of advice to yourself before finishing your degree what would it be?

Don’t think you have to make everything look posh and make sure you make books because the people in the self-publishing scenes are utter legends.

You can buy the book here