CV

Born (1977) and live in London, UK
Graduated from Rose Bruford drama school, BA in European Theatre Arts – 2004

Level 2 Counselling Skills & Studies, Lewisham College – 2021

estherbunting@gmail.com

Esther speaks, writes, performs and facilitates around themes of nudity and self acceptance, with feminism and all inclusivity at core. Lately she has been writing historical drama, guided by her ancestors.

Fully enhanced online DBS, and have Public Liability Insurance. A member of Artists Information Company.

For all interviews and panel discussions see here

For Esther Bunting on Vimeo see here

@spiritedbodies on Twitter 

@spiritedbodies @estherbunting on Instagram

Panel Discussion

March 2018 at WOW, Southbank Centre, ‘Giving Testimony: Breaking the Silence’, as a rape survivor.

August 2018 at Mall Galleries, called ‘The Body Beautiful?’ about the significance of physical beauty in art.

November 2021 at ‘Dialogues for Artists in a Changing World’; session called ‘Models in Focus’.

Girl in Suitcase performances

Girl in Suitcase – an ever-evolving performance of interactive theatre, dance and life art:

  • April 2019 – Roots, Telegraph Hill Festival, London
  • October 2016 – Panic Sermons, Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, London
  • August 2016 – Fragmented Identities, Palazzo Ca’ Zanardi, Venice
  • April 2016 – Architectures of Identity, Palazzo Ca’ Zanardi, Venice
  • May 2015 – Dandifest, Norwich
  • June 2014 – Hampstead School of Art, London
  • March 2014, 2015, 2016 & 2018 – Telegraph Hill Festival, London
  • August 2011 – Edinburgh Fringe Festival, Edinburgh
  • August 2011 – Mascara Bar, London

Spirited Bodies events

Spirited Bodies – a selection of the many events and workshops I have directed:

  • July 2021 & ongoing – Life drawing Living room – online & in-person weekly sessions (Brockley, London)
  • June 2021 – online workshop with Barber Institute of Fine Art – Making a Mark, with Peter and Esther modelling
  • March 2021 – Freedom of Mind online event for festival about mental health, with Leo modelling
  • November 2020 – 10 Year Anniversary online with Ursula, Eileen, Daniel and many more
  • March 2020 – women’s workshop about ovarian cancer, at The Wing, London
  • November 2019 & February 2020 – workshops with speaking models for adults and students at The Barber Institute of Fine Art, Birmingham
  • October 2019 – women’s life modelling workshop with Claire Collison’s ‘Truth is Beauty’ performance, at Metal Peterborough & Metal Liverpool
  • September 2019 – body positive life drawing at Minds & Bodies Late, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London
  • July & August 2019 – REAL LIFE ~ Body Positive Life Drawing for Teenagers, at SPG Youth Centre, Croydon
  • July 2019 – Body Positive Life Drawing for Teenagers, in connection with Lee krasner, at Barbican, also Summer Arts Camp at Guildhall School, London
  • June 2019 – January 2020 – Body Narratives with London Drawing at Vaulty Towers, Waterloo
  • March 2019 – Truth is Beauty workshop, with Claire Collison at Birmingham Gallery
  • February 2019 – The Life Inside The Model, multi-model with speaking at Camberwell College of Art, London
  • 2017 – 2019; women’s sessions – Stories of Women, feminist life drawing – at the Feminist Library, London
  • December 2018 – Have I Got Nudes For You, multi-model with news theme at Doodle Bar, Tower Bridge, London
  • May 2018 – Stories of Women with Lucy (mixed), at Hampstead School of Art, London
  • March 2018 – Truth is Beauty with Claire Collison at Women’s Art Library, Goldsmiths University, London
  • January 2018 – Good Girls Reveal All, JWT Knightsbridge (with Valentina Rock)
  • November 2017 – Women of the World Festival, Horsecross Centre, Perth, Scotland (women only, Aimee presenting then multi-model discussion)
  • October 2017 – The Mansion, Totnes, Bodykind Festival
  • August 2017 – Whitespace, Norloch House, Edinburgh (with All The Young Nudes)
  • November 2016 – at The Fawcett Society Spirit of Women Changemakers conferences in London and Manchester
  • August 2016 – Studio 24, Edinburgh (with All The Young Nudes)
  • July 2016 – Lewisham Arthouse, London (sound & movement with life drawing) with Sarah Kent & Kathleen Dutton
  • March 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 – Women of the World festival, Southbank, London
    (women only, live and recorded interviews)
  • April 2016 – St John’s Church, London (Loving Bodies women’s charity event) with musicians
  • December 2015 – Ugly Duck, Tanner Street, London (soundbath event) with Sarah Kent
  • November 2015 – Bargehouse Oxo Wharf, London (soundbath event) with Sarah Kent
  • September 2014 – The Plough and Harrow, Leytonstone, London (interview event)
  • June 2014 – Skylight Centre, Highbury, London (interview event)
  • November 2013 – Sh! Women’s Erotic Emporium, London (women only)
  • October 2013 – St John’s Church, London (with London Drawing)
  • July 2013 – St Giles Church, Edinburgh
  • July 2013 – The Flying Duck, Glasgow (with All The Young Nudes)
  • Feb & Oct 2012 – Battersea Arts Centre, London (with London Drawing)
  • Nov 2010, April 2011, Aug 2011, Feb 2013, Aug 2013 – Mall Galleries, London (with Hesketh Hubbard)

Playwrighting and performance

In addition to Girl in Suitcase, I have written and performed the following plays:

  • October 2021 – ‘Bush Tales & Other Meanderings’, at ECO Feminism Festival by Art from Heart CIC, at Mile End Art Pavilion
  • November & December 2020 – ‘Lockdown Life’, & ‘The Longest Night’ – with Ursula Troche for Midwinter Plays & Words, online performances
  • March 2020 – ‘Growing Roots’, at Candid Art, London
  • January 2020 – ‘Growing Roots’, at The Cavendish Arms – LifeArt Stockwell
  • March 2019 – ‘Roots’, at Mile End Art Pavillion, part of ‘We Grow into the Forest’
  • October 2017 – ‘Carving Our Caves’, at cave Pimlico, Auntie Freeeze festival, London, with Ursula Troche
  • September 2009 – ‘Assisting Sara’, Battersea Arts Centre, London, with Rebecca Bunting
  • March 2009 – ‘An Ordered Kaosz’, Telegraph Hill Festival, London, with Szilvi Keffert

Acting

Selected acting roles in live theatre:

  • October 2008 – ‘Salome’, 2nd Skin Theatre, The Lion and Unicorn Theatre, London
  • Nov/Dec 2006 – ‘Remembering Rose’, Greenwich Playhouse, London
  • November 2005 – ‘The Diary of Anne Frank’, The Landor Theatre, London

Life modelling

Some of the countless venues in which I have modelled – London, unless stated:

  • Heatherley’s School of Fine Art
  • Mall Galleries
    • Hesketh Hubbard
    • New English Art Club
    • The Pastel Society
  • The Ashmolean Museum, Oxford
  • The British Museum
  • The Royal Academy of Arts
  • The Royal Drawing School
  • The Slade School of Fine Art
  • University of the Arts
    • Byam Shaw
    • Camberwell
    • Central St Martin’s
    • Chelsea
    • Wimbledon School of Art