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Meet: Mark Lonsdale

A woman is showing a group of people a small chain
  • Written byEleanor Harvey
  • Published date 12 June 2024
A woman is showing a group of people a small chain
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lonsdale

Filmmaker and producer Mark Lonsdale’s career spans music videos, commercials, branded content, documentaries and cinema released short dramas.

Mark’s dual interest in film and public spaces led him to completing an MA in Narrative Environments at Central Saint Martins, UAL in 2022.

He’s currently working on FOUND! a project which began in his final year. The ongoing community project is in collaboration with the British Library and the Hillview Estate in Kings Cross, with the aim to create a space in which stories from a local community are explored and extended through the rich resources of the British Library.

Mark spoke to us about FOUND! and the importance of institutions engaging with their communities.

What was your background before starting your MA at CSM?

I worked as a film producer, co-running a company called Leap Films. We made campaign films, commercials and branded content.  I've also made documentaries and music videos in the past.

What made you choose the MA Narrative Environments course at CSM?

I wanted to explore film storytelling from a spatial perspective. I spend so much time in galleries and museums and always felt that film is underused in that space.

A group of people stood around a screen displaying 'Found!'
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lonsdale
Guests looking at works on display in the Found exhibition
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lonsdale

Can you tell us more about FOUND!, your collaborative project?

FOUND! is an ongoing community project made in collaboration with the British Library and the Hillview Estate in Kings Cross.

Initially a final year MA Narrative Environments project, the aim of FOUND! is to create a space in which stories from a local community are explored and extended through the rich resources of the British Library. Hillview Estate is a highly diverse community that sits across the Euston Road from the British Library.

The mixed media narrative environment combines intimate film interviews and exhibition display, bringing a community and its stories into the world of a National Institution. Personal objects collected from the estate are at the heart of this exchange, as they forge connections with the Library’s treasures.

How did you become involved in the collaboration between Hillview Estate and the British Library? What was the aim of the collaboration?

I wanted to do a film based project that bridged a community and a cultural institution, creating a unique conversation.  I'd met Emma Morgan, the Community Engagement Lead, on a first year project, and she was very supportive.  She wanted to create something with the Hillview Estate.

A man holding up a badge with '1918 souvenir' sewn onto it
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lonsdale
3 people stood in front of pieces of the exhibition. They're all smiling to the camera.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lonsdale

How has the project progressed since you graduated?

A recent event at the British Library marked the moment when this pilot project completed its journey

The FOUND! evening gave us the opportunity to discuss how this film based conversation, between the Hillview Estate in Kings Cross and the Library can be developed in innovative and accessible ways. How can we create more dialogue and elevate the voices and experiences of local people within the spaces of this cultural institution.

The evening also allowed us to celebrate the British Library’s new community space, The Last Word, situated in the piazza. This meant that we could revive and celebrate the pilot project and start planning how we can explore the format with a new group of people.

Why do you think it’s important for institutions to engage with their communities?

It's vital for their survival, the idea of new voices being heard and celebrated.  These projects cross thresholds and break down barriers.  It's our Library too!  Our stories are in there, we just need to find ways of opening-up collections and make connections.

An interview taking place. A man is holding up a newspaper, and the 3 other people are listening to him talk.
Photograph courtesy of Mark Lonsdale

What is next for you and for the project?

The next step is a funding application and talking to the community team about where we can go next with FOUND! I really like the idea of making the filmmaking part of the sharing process, so that the community can shoot their own stories.

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