Alice Malseed
interview with a vaulter
May 2020
Good morning Belfast.
Once again another sunny one comes along with another INTERVIEW WITH A VAULTER, with Alice Malseed.
How's it going Alice?
Good! The sun is shining, I have coffee. I am about to spend the day writing.
What is your living situation? Do you have outside space or are you living in an underground bunker?
I live in an apartment which is thankfully really bright, and this massively lifts my mood. There's no outside space really but I am 2 minutes from a park so I go there when Boris permits it.
How has the pandemic affected your arts practice?
Well, unfortunately a lot of stuff was cancelled and now my schedule is almost completely empty which is scary. All my facilitating projects were cancelled and this sucks because March and April are generally the busiest time of year for me for that work, when I make most of my money. I was really looking forward to delivering the work, as the projects were super important for the young people and for my practice. I'm gutted about that.
I was also meant to be working with a company of theatre makers to develop a piece and also a filmmaker, but those things are on hold now too. Luckily, I have been writing and I am grateful that I've been able to do that - both in terms of being able to find physical time but also to find the headspace.
How are you coping with the temporary closing of the Vault?
I miss it a lot. I am really very bad at being in the same place all the time so I wish I could pop to my studio there for a few hours.
I need to move and be around people and different places to be inspired. I really crave being in a room with a lot of people and hearing about the things they've been doing. I also would love to sit in the Vault allotment with a little gin in a tin.
What do you appreciate during lockdown?
The sun. My fridge being full. My boyfriend deciding to become an amateur cocktail maker. Running. Books. My dog.
How do you imagine the future after lockdown? For yourself and the wider art world in general.
I imagine a time where we all step back and realise that the systems we have been living in aren't working. The systems which support the wants of the few while neglecting the needs of the many. That's what I imagine.
In reality, however, I find it hard to believe that things will change for the better. We've had 10+ years of austerity - things have been shit for so many, and unfortunately I think things will get worse for now. Sorry, grim. Hopefully I'm wrong. Gin?!
Where can people find you online?
I have an actual app that blocks me from going on socials during most of the week. Mad, right? But usually on twitter and instagram -