Rachel Canavan

Rachel is a creative movement director, filmmaker, and visual artist with extensive experience in photography, film, screen-based dance, and interdisciplinary performance. Her practice blends visual design, movement, and cinematic storytelling, delivering choreographic work that is conceptually strong, visually distinctive, and audience-focused.

Trained in Dance and Visual Art at the University of Brighton (First-Class, award-winning) and at Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in Dance, Rachel has a Diploma in Film Direction from Brighton Film School, and further design training at Leeds College of Art and Design, Rachel combines formal design and movement expertise with practical production fluency. She has a history of working directly with clients to develop, direct, shoot, and edit both photography and film, ensuring a consistent, high-quality visual output that aligns with creative briefs.

Commercially, Rachel was a lead photographer at Venture UK, one of the UK’s leading portrait studios, where she directed photoshoots, designed imagery, edited content, presented work to clients, and sold final images. She has also worked in professional film production, including collaboration with the National Film and Television School, and contributed to feature film projects, most recently a cinema-release film directed by John Madden, selected for her expertise in movement and performance.

Rachel’s work extends to original, collaborative projects with musicians, and performance artists, creating screen-based work that is visually compelling, movement-led, and narratively coherent. Her projects have received national recognition, including D&AD awards shortlisting, and critical acclaim for innovative work integrating dance, film, and installation.

She is sought by clients for her ability to transform briefs into striking visual narratives, combining artistic integrity with commercial delivery, from concept and direction to final edit. Rachel’s multidisciplinary approach, award-recognised creativity, and production experience make her a trusted partner for creative teams seeking content that engages audiences, elevates storytelling, and reflects strong aesthetic direction.

Rachels movement experience is supported by a deep understanding of the human body, function and performance. Following her degree she trained in Physiotherapy (MSc) later working with dance scientists and rehabilitation in clinical settings and privately. Over the last 15 years she has trained dancers to prepare them for performance and recover from injury. She also works with older adults with neurological challenges teaching as a dance artist at company level, directing movment.

Her company Timeless Stories, established 2011, is a platform where these ingredients come together, meaning that individuals with Parkinson’s and other neurological conditions, get the opportunity to engage in dance creation and performance.