Maireád Vaughan
15 April to 27 May & 20 July to 20 August 2021

Recipient of an Arts Council of Ireland Dance Research Bursary Award, dance artist Mairéad Vaughan explores Attuning to Zero. Attuning to Zero examines the ‘cessation of motion in motion’. ‘Active-pause’, ‘dynamic-stillness’ ‘weightless momentum’, form the source of this practice-based research.

Mairéad concluded the 1st solo research stage of a 3 stage process earlier this year, through the support of a studio residency at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre. She now invites dance artists, Orla Shine, Inma Moya and Natalia Rotaru into a 2nd stage. A 3rd stage welcomes visiting artists, Cathy Walsh and Rebecca Reily, alongside local artists interested in this practice by invitation.

An embodied enquiry considers how the distribution of force over an entire system,  may support a ‘sustained equilibrium as seen in biological, architectural and cellular dynamic living structures of ‘biotensegrity’, bio – tension – integrity.

A spatial enquiry considers how waste-land sites and transitional spaces might further incubate an Attuning to Zero?  In the aftermath of a post-pandemic pause and sustained social distancing, what does it mean to debrief and pare back the superfluous? Pausing, resting, attuning, witnessing are the foundational pillars of this practice, in support of an emergent process.

MAIRÉAD VAUGHAN’s dance and choreographic research reflects on how our ‘inner’ sensed experience extends out to influence our ‘outer’ perception and our relationship with our environment. Her choreographic work explores ‘Third Space(s)’ - immersive spaces that elicit a felt, sensed, kinaesthetic or energetic response.

Mairéad’s PhD research into the symbiotic interconnectedness of body, mind and environment, has led to the creation of a somatic movement, compositional and performance practice called ‘Attuning’. ‘Attuning’ is designed to cultivate sensory, kinaesthetic and energetic awareness. This practice is informed by principles from Release Contemporary Dance and Choreographic practice, Improvisation and Iyengar Yoga.
Mairéad Vaughan graduated with a B.A. from Northern School of Contemporary Dance (UK), an M.A. and an Arts Practice PhD, IWAMD, University of Limerick. Now working as an independent artist, Mairéad co-founded Shakram Dance and Music Company (1999-2014) creating a body of thirteen original choreographic works supported by the Arts Council of Ireland. Her work is multi-disciplinary in nature exploring dance with live voice & sound, video dance, site-specific and installation performance. She is currently interested in creating installation environments that reflect immersive, ephemeral qualities of movement, space and time.

WCAC acknowledges the financial support of the Arts Council and Cork County Council in making these residencies possible.