ACCEPTING THE LESS TRAVELLED ROUTE
After 10 years working globally as a freelance photojournalist, Travis Beard first visited Afghanistan in November 2001, where he contracted the so called Afghan Bug. Addicted to Afghan country and culture, he subsequently moved to Kabul permanently in 2006 where he taught at the country’s first media school – AINA.
He went onto co-found a skateboard school – SKATEISTAN, which the subject won an Oscar for best short documentary in 2019. Under Travis’ company Argus he also co-founded a street art school – WALLORDS and the country’s first contemporary music & arts festival – SOUND CENTRAL FESTIVAL 2011 to 2013.
Sound Central was resurrected in 2021, when there was a change in government in Kabul. Sound Central still works to support, relocate and promote Afghan musicians still in Afghanistan and others who seek asylum.
Travis’ debut feature documentary, ROCKABUL focused on the music scene in Afghanistan told through the perspective of the Afghan band, District Unknown and had its World Premiere at the prestigious Rotterdam International Film Festival 2018. It has since screened at 51 festivals around the world and won multiple awards.
Travis’ second feature film about Afghanistan THE WATCH OR THE TIME is available to watch on Amazon Prime and Youtube. He is currently shooting for the third part of his Afghan trilogy.
Travis was a camera operator in production of KABUL AT WORK (2013), FRAME BY FRAME (2015) and AFGHAN CYCLES (2017). Travis also contributed with footage used on MOTELY'S LAW (2015), JIRGA (2018), SOFT SKIN (2021).
Musically, Travis was a member of WHITE CITY KABUL who released the album LANDLOCKED in 2014. Travis’ Cerebral-TripHop solo project NOTB412 released the debut album ASYMMETRICAL POWER in 2021. His instrumental band PPP based in Europe released their album THE LEVANTINE LOST TAPES also in 2021.
Lastly, Travis is currently writing his first book about his motorcycle touring in Afghanistan entitled: THE BULLET IS FASTER THAN THE BIKE.