CATHY COUGHLAN | BIOG | CURRENT DRIVER
Cathy Coughlan is a multidisciplinary artist based in Dublin. Supported by The Arts Council Cathy trained as a professional dancer in the UK (1994-97) and continued her arts training with The National College of Art and Design, gaining a B.A. in fine art (2005),where her practice, deeply rooted in dance, primarily developed through video installation and performance. She is currently Dance Artist in Residence at RUA RED Arts Centre, supported by The Arts Council and South Dublin County Council.
In 2015 Cathy received Create’s – Artist in the Community Bursary Award – where her research focussed on new modes of collaborative practice through screen based technology. This research culminated in the co-founding of HAVOC dance. Most recently her work was curated by Matthew Nolan as part of Rewind Film Festival, where she presented three new works ‘Shift’ (dance documentary series 1-5), ‘Out Side In’ (Dance Film) and ‘Non Verbal’ (Digital Duet). In 2014 Cathy choreographed and directed ‘Source’, a production for Tiger Dublin Fringe Festival, which gained two award nominations.
Cathy’s work has also been supported by Dublin City Council (Project Award), Laois County Council/Laois Partnership (Residency support funding), The Dunamaise Arts Centre (2010-2012 Residency), Dance Ireland (2013/2014 Residency) and Shawbrook Dance Centre (2015 Hatch Residency). As an artist working in a collaboration with communities she has delivered projects and performances in association with RADE, Common Ground, Create, Focus Ireland, the Fatima Regeneration Project, Dunamaise Arts Centre, Dublin City Council and Dance Ireland. For the last six years Cathy has worked closely with CoisCeim Broadreach in association with Bealtainne Festival and Dublin City Council – presenting work at IMMA, Hugh Lane Gallery, Aviva stadium, Axis Theatre and The IFI.
Cathy is a qualified Ashtanga Yoga and Pilates mat instructor. Both movement systems have had a huge influence on her teaching practice. As a teacher she has worked for many Dublin based studios/organisations including Dance Theatre of Ireland, Dance Ireland, CoisCeim Dance Theatre, Yoga Dublin, Vocational Educational Colleges (VEC), The Elbowroom Studio’s, Centre Studio’s, Pilates Ireland, The National College of Ireland and more.
MICHELLE CAHILL | BIOG
Michelle Cahill is a dancer, choreographer, producer and programmer currently based in Dublin. She is interested in creative and physical expression, supporting the development of the individual and collaborating with others to realise artistic goals.
Her work is divided between performance, dance education, community development, producing new work for dance and theatre and programming/curating events. She has been teaching dance and choreography in further and higher education for over a decade and designs and facilitates community dance and participatory arts projects for local and national authorities, organisations and agencies. As a performer, she has worked in dance, theatre, film, music and dance-film productions, in theatres, street theatre, and site-specific locations. Recent performance credits include Cathy Coughlan’s dance film OUT SIDE IN ReWIND Festival at RUA RED, Deirdre Murphy’s Anti-Capitalism: The Musical Galway Dance Days Festival, The Area dance film choreographed and directed by Rionach NíNeill/Joe Lee, and Maylin Productions The Dead Woman’s Son, Smock Alley.
Michelle is the programme co-ordinator for Shawbrook Forest Dance Centre, Longford. As a producer she is interested in working with solo performers. Recent work as a producer include Charolais by Noni Stapleton (Tiger Dublin Fringe 2014), Enthroned by Jenny Macdonald (First Fortnight, NY Fringe 2016) and she is the producer for TURF from the Rowan Tolley Company (Galway Theatre Festival, Cruthú Arts Festival 2016)
Michelle trained at the Dorothy Steven’s School of Ballet & Modern Dance West Yorkshire. She was a scholarship student at Trinity Laban, London, and recipient of an Arts Council of Ireland training bursary for three years. Most recently she was awarded a post-graduate diploma in dance from the University of Limerick.
AILISH CLAFFEY | BIOG
http://www.ailishclaffeydance.com
With a background in Performing Arts (Bull Alley), contemporary dance artist Ailish Claffey works as a freelance choreographer, director, dramaturg and performer. Since graduating Ailish has been creating and performing new work both nationally and internationally. She has worked with choreographers including Anneke Hansen Dance (NYC), Irish Modern Dance Theatre (Ire), Sara Rudner (NYC) and Daria Fain (NYC). Ailish’s choreographic work has been performed internationally including New York, Boston, Pennsylvania, Canada & Sweden in addition to various national venues including The Project Arts Centre (Dublin) & The Firkin Crane (Cork).
Ailish’s choreographic work has been performed as part of The Dublin Dance Festival, The Dublin Fringe Festival, Bealtaine (Co. Wicklow) and Abundance Festival (Sweden). Ailish’s work is kindly supported by Dance Ireland, The Arts Council, Ireland and Culture Ireland. Ailish has completed teacher training with renowned Functional Anatomist Irene Dowd (NYC), Dance for Parkinson’s Disease (Mark Morris Dance Company, Brooklyn) and is currently specialising in Choreological Studies (TRINITY LABAN).
Committed to developing contemporary dance within communities, Ailish has designed and delivered many large scale projects for various groups of mixed abilities including: H.S.E. Dublin, Kerry Local Sports Partnership, V.E.C. Kilkenny, South Dublin County Council, Bealtaine Festival, Dublin Dance Festival, Enable Ireland, St. John of God’s, Stewarts Care, Dance Ireland, Youths at Risk among others. As part of Claffey | Christofi Dance, Ailish was co-director of the Macushla Dance Club (a dance initiative for over 50s in North Inner city Dublin) between 2012-2014 and Community Dancer in Residence for Kerry County Council alongside dance artist Laura Murphy. Ailish is currently Dancer in Residence at The National Centre for Arts and Health and is in residence at The Age Related Health Care Unit, Tallaght Hospital (AMNCH).
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