Round 15: The Kabin Studio
Hosted by: Naoise McGuinness
December 15th 2024
Seán Downey / SwanIGuess
Seán Downey, professionally known as SwanIGuess, is a Cork-based filmmaker whose journey from foster care to professional videography exemplifies resilience, creativity, and a commitment to storytelling. At a young age, Seán discovered video creation as a means of self-expression during a challenging period in foster care. His determination to use his voice led him to challenge the in-camera rule enforced by TUSLA, which restricted his ability to share his experiences publicly. This pivotal legal battle not only marked his advocacy for young people in care but also solidified his belief in the power of storytelling.
Seán’s passion for filmmaking deepened when he connected with Garry McCarthy, Creative Director of The Kabin Studio. Their collaboration opened doors to numerous impactful projects, including the viral music video “Rebel with Us.”
Seán’s career milestones include directing international projects for the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), for which he coordinated videographers across countries like Cameroon, Lebanon, and China, as well as traveling to Rwanda, Cairo, and Rome.
Seán collaborates with Palestinian artist MC Abdul and in 2022 traveled to Qatar to document Abdul’s first-ever trip and live performance outside Gaza.
Seán was a core part of the RhymeIsland project in 2023 and 2024, traveling around Ireland with The Kabin Studio to create an ambitious series of music videos. Among these, he co-directed, shot and edited The Spark, the anthem for the initiative.
In 2024, Seán directed, shot, and edited Cork comedian Tadhg Hickey’s content. He also spent the year documenting Palestinian protests, amassing over 1 million views and having his work featured on news channels in the Middle East.
Seán shadow-directed Brendan Canty’s feature film Christy, handled behind-the-scenes footage and directed the music video featured in the film. Most recently, he shot four brand-new music videos for The Kabin Crew’s Christmas Special, airing on RTÉ.
Misneach
Misneach is a group of 4 teen singer songwriters from Cork aged between 16 and 19 who have been writing songs since 2018.
The Misneach project started at The Kabin Studio which is a creative space in Knocknaheeny, Cork City where young people are encouraged to express themselves through creativity and music.
They write about empowerment and taking pride in femininity. The goal is to encourage young women to be themselves and educate the community on challenges women face.
Misneach are: Sophie McCarthy, Cara Cullen, Róisín Cullinane, Rosaleen Brady
Throwing Shapes (Documentary 2021)
Featured speakers at OOF: Alex Pacino Brady & Cian Hearn
These young people from the Kabin Studio have spent many years creating this original material for the purpose of performance. The project has evolved from an experiment in creative writing into a play and now it has become a film. Navigating self expression, dealing with loss, having the craic, making beats and throwing shapes. The film is a musical reflection on what it's like to be young in Cork City.
Directed by Rosie Barrett and filmed by Albert Hooi (recent work includes Gemma Dunleavy’s Up The Flats and Jape’s Sentinel project) and co-ordinated by GMCBeats, this piece explores Cork through a lens coloured by the experience of the year we’ve just had and the creativity that sparks in challenging circumstances.
