What ideas do you investigate through your work?
Thematically, my work currently lies in an art, trauma, and conflict framework exploring themes of impermanence, conflict legacy and the climate crisis. My most recent work, ‘Memorial/UnMemorial’ explored mourning and loss through a one-year durational performance that culminated in a film installation in a curated reflective space at Belfast Exposed. The project comprised a yearlong daily UK/Ireland border crossing, reciting the names and ages of those lost in the Troubles. This work challenges conventional remembrance and encourages reflection on collective memory.
My artistic practice is in a continuing state of evolution, transitioning from a recent focus on conflict legacy to encompass broader reflections on existential homelessness, radical caregiving, inclusivity, and collective action.
Place has long been a focal point in my work, and I’m drawn to exploring non-human, anti-capitalist ecologies, echoing Heidegger’s notion of the world as not the ‘right place’ for humankind. Through the lens of the climate crisis, I aim to deepen my exploration of loss, moving between what exists and what’s missing. I’m particularly interested in how climate grief and ecological despair are heightened in areas that have already suffered significant losses in terms of land, culture, and identity.
You also work in community/participatory arts – Could you tell us about your practice in that area?
My community/participatory arts practice spans nearly two decades of site-specific work in community contexts in Northern Ireland, encompassing public health, arts in health, regeneration, peace-building, arts & disability, youth arts, community arts, arts for older people, and intercultural arts initiatives. The tangible outcomes of this work include public art pieces, events, exhibitions, site-specific installations, short films, and publications within cultural, community, and education spheres.
I’ve worked for the Community Arts Partnership, as a freelance artist/facilitator since it was formed in 2011. Prior to that I also worked for the Community Arts Forum. I continue to work for CAP because I believe Conor, the coordinators and all the team at CAP embody and live the values to which the organization aspires, value the artists who facilitate their projects and work tirelessly to address inequality and exclusion that prevent so many under resourced communities from accessing and participating in the arts in NI.
Over the past two decades, I’ve also worked as a freelance artist/facilitator on many projects mostly for the public and charity section including Local District & Borough Councils, Arts Care NI, the Education Authority, Youth NI and the Public Health Agency.
I have an on-the-ground understanding of how engagement with the arts can change hearts and minds in NI, leading and positively impact communities and individuals. Many years of negotiating difficult territory through community engagement with the arts has reinforced my belief in its transformative power.
Where to now as an artist?
Currently, I’m processing and reflecting on “Memorial/UnMemorial,” my most recent project. It took an emotional toll as I connected with the loss of each person that was killed as a direct result of the conflict and the circumstances of their death. The work explored themes of mourning, loss, and collective memory through a yearlong durational performance and film installation at Belfast Exposed. It has been a profound journey of self-discovery and reflection. As I sift through the memories and emotions evoked by this project, I’m taking time to channel the insights gained from “Memorial/UnMemorial” into new creative endeavors. While the project was emotionally challenging, it has deepened my understanding of the human experience and strengthened my resolve to use art as a tool for healing and transformation.
In addition to documenting and preserving the legacy of “Memorial/UnMemorial,” I’m actively seeking opportunities to engage with other artists and audiences in meaningful ways. I make immersive installations, experimental films, and durational performances and am continuing to learn new approaches and ways to engage with audiences. I want to build some of the knowledge that I’ve recently acquired through participating in the Creative Futures Academy into making new work.
Where to now as a community arts practitioner?
These are challenging times indeed, marked by widespread funding cutbacks and the erosion of so many valuable programs. Despite mounting evidence supporting the positive impact of arts on public health, it’s disheartening to see this knowledge struggle to translate to financial support on the ground
Consequently, there seems to be relentless pressure within community arts practice to deliver more for less, not recognising the full extent of the project cycle and being willing to pay for the time involved in planning, negotiating, evaluating and reporting on work.
Additionally, the success of participatory arts in Northern Ireland has inadvertently become its greatest challenge. Organizations with limited understanding of the process now dictate projects with predetermined outcomes, sidelining genuine participant involvement and artistic input.
Ideally, participants themselves should commission new work, identifying a need that the arts can address. As Francois Matarasso aptly puts it, “The exclusion from planning and evaluation of the people who are the reason for a project’s existence is inconsistent with the expressed values of participatory artists and public bodies[…] A Restless Art, 2019
As a community arts practitioner, I’ve honed my ability to discern when projects are driven more by ticking boxes than genuine engagement. This phenomenon, which I refer to as “art washing,” often entails being brought in at the end of a production line to fulfill a predetermined agenda. In response, I’ve become more selective about the projects I undertake, prioritizing those that truly align with the ethos of community engagement and artistic integrity.
