Talented artists will benefit from their ‘Time at the Well’
THE Hawk’s Well Theatre has announced the recipients of its annual Time at the Well bursary scheme. Time at the Well is the theatre’s performing artist support scheme which offers opportunities to performers and artists. Open to practising performance artists with a proven track record, this year’s four residents are master musician Daithí Gormley, multimedia artist Tara BaothMooney, ariel performer Aisling Ní Cheallaigh and theatre maker Sinéad O’Donnell-Carey. Musician Daithí Gormley is widely regarded as one of the foremost modern button accordion players of his generation.
He has researched, published and lectured on Irish traditional music extensively and is in high demand as an accomplished performer.
Daithí plans to use his time to focus on “a true celebration of 100 years of Sligo’s outstanding musical legacy” and “explore, distil and disseminate elements of this, once widespread, rich musical style”.
Daithí has curated and will be performing as part of a special show at the Hawk’s Well Theatre marking 100 years since iconic fiddlers Michael Coleman and James Morrison cut their first 78 RPM records in New York City, propelling Sligo and its outstanding musical heritage firmly on to the main stage.
The Sligo Legacy – A Celebration of 100 years of Sligo Music takes place on Friday week, April 15, and features, among others, Declan Payne, Theresa O’Grady, Philip Duffy, PJ Hernon, Declam Folan, Oisin MacDiarmada, Samantha Harvey and Catherine McHugh.
Tara Baoth-Mooney is an interdisciplinary art practitioner whose work encompasses sound, song, performance, textiles, drawing, and video.
She works in collaboration with The Clumsy Giantess, a shadow persona that enables her to engage with her arts practice in a unique way and offers new perspectives with which to engage with the world around her. Tara said: “I hope to use this time to explore the nature of women’s work through practices around eggs and fowl husbandry. “Drawing from field recordings and storytelling, I will work to create an oral archive relating to women’s work from the elders of the Sligo-Leitrim community.”
Aerial artist and creator specialising in aerial hoop, straps and spiral movement, Aisling Ní Cheallaigh has worked extensively with Irish-based companies Thisispopbaby, Loosey Smokes, Luxe and Tumble Circus and is a core performer with Fidget Feet Aerial Dance.
She said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be offered this residency at the Hawks Well.
“I will use this residency to create and film an aerial straps act that explores the experience of loss.
“My moment inspiration comes from the sea and from seaweed in particular which has no choice but to move with the power of the ocean and which never ceases to dance in its currents.” Sinéad O’Donnell-Carey completes 2022’s bursary award winners.
Sinéad has explored digital media technology for theatre and performance art, combining visual art practices with the body in the space.
The Donegal resident will use her bursary to work on her project ‘Slip’. Sinead said: “I’m delighted with the Hawk’s Well for supporting this experimental theatre project.
“This play was written using witness testimony and patient casebooks from Irish asylums about women who fell through the cracks of society into the depths of a mental institution.”
She added: “The Time at the Well bursary is affording me space to develop images and video for an immersive site-responsive performance with a fantastic team of women from the north-west.”