Through the generous support of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, UCD’s School of Art History and Cultural Policy, Creative Futures Academy, and UCD Ad Astra Academy Performing Arts are delighted to welcome Dance Artist in Residence, Fearghus Ó Conchúir. 

Established through partnership with  Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council’s Arts Office, the residency will support him to connect with colleagues across the College of Arts and Humanities, and utilise both dlr and UCD facilities, including the new state-of-the-art performance theatre TRAPDOOR, to test and develop concepts and materials.

Having time to develop his own practice and engage with the spaces, people and resources of UCD, Fearghus explains,

Tá áthas an domhain orm go mbeidh mé mar ealaíontóir cónaithe Trapdoor 2025-26.  With a welcoming context, resources and funded time, the TRAPDOOR Residency gives me an opportunity to deepen my creative research on Dúiche, a project that aims to bring the wisdom of dance to questions of Irish language, queer ecology and queer embodiment. With the range of different people that make up the university community, UCD offers an ideal frame for the way I develop work – in conversation, in collaboration and in physical studio-based practice.  This approach also brings dance to contexts where it is less known, growing a set of wider possibilities and networks that help situate this work in a broader context, bring the knowledge of dance into new collaborations, and support my continued artistic development and viability. Táim ag tnúth go mór leis.

A choreographer, artistic director, performer and dance advocate, Fearghus engages in the creation of both live performance and film, including The Casement Project, one of the Arts Council’s National Projects for Ireland 2016, part of the Ireland 2016 International Programme and of the 14-18NOW WWI Centenary Art Commissions. His wealth of experience spans dance, arts governance and academic research.

Fearghus will be supported by Dr Victoria Durrer, Assistant Professor of Cultural Policy in UCD (School of Art History and Cultural Policy), whose collaborative research with Professor Aoife McGrath (QUB) and dance and theatre practitioners and arts policymakers has supported the initiation of the residency and its aims to provide dedicated time and space for an artist’s research and development. More from the study is available in the Building Capacity in the Cultural Industries: Towards a Shared Island Approach in Dance and Theatre report.

She explains:

“It will be an enriching opportunity for us all to engage with Fearghus Ó Conchúir, and an important recognition of the ways in which research and universities can partner with and contribute to the arts community.”

Kenneth Redmond, Arts Officer, Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council said,

“Securing time and space to develop artistic work is a challenge which can act as a barrier to career progression. I welcome this residency partnership with UCD which provides meaningful opportunities for dance artists locally. Fearghus is a dance artist of exceptional talent who brings huge ambition to this residency, to the benefit of all our communities.”

The first residency holder in 2024 was dance artist, choreographer and creative producer, Justine Doswell:

‘The TRAPDOOR residency provided a rare and invaluable opportunity to pause, reflect, and explore new ideas without the pressure of producing a finished outcome. With access to state of the art facilities and the support of the UCD team and dlr arts office, I was able to recalibrate creatively and begin a new line of research. The support I received during this time was not only generous, but genuinely transformative.’

The opportunities for student engagement are of particular note. Professor PJ Mathews, Director of UCD Creative Futures Academy notes:

‘I am delighted that Fearghus will be joining us as the 2025/26 Trapdoor Dance Artist in Residence. I’ve no doubt that the UCD community will be greatly enriched by his time with us and I welcome him to engage with the vibrant creative energies on the UCD campus.’

Kellie Hughes, Artistic Director of UCD Ad Astra Academy Performing Arts explains,

‘Having an artist of Fearghus’s calibre take up residence in UCD, extends links to industry and experiences of professional practice that are invaluable to the creative life of the campus and myself and the Ad Astra Performing Arts scholars look forward to engaging with Fearghus in the coming months.’

About the Dance Artist-in-Residence

Fearghus Ó Conchúir is a choreographer, artistic director, performer and dance advocate. 

Frequently collaborating with experts from across and beyond the arts, he makes film and live performances that create frameworks for audiences and artists to build communities together. His multi-platform work, The Casement Project, was one of the Arts Council’s National Projects for Ireland 2016, part of the Ireland 2016 International Programme and of the 14-18NOW WWI Centenary Art Commissions.  In 2018, he gained his PhD from Maynooth University with the support of an inaugural IRC Employment-based scholarship.  He’s currently co-leading a dance programme with Micro Rainbow that he initiated as part of The Casement Project to support LGBTQI refugees and asylum seekers. From 2018-2020, he was Artistic Director of National Dance Company Wales. His work for the Company toured across Wales as well as being presented in Japan as part of Wales’ cultural programme for the 2019 Rugby World Cup.  He was appointed to the Arts Council of Ireland in 2018 and was Deputy Chair from 2019 – 2023.  He was Chair of the UK Dance Network 2020-2023 and curator of the Step Up Project for early-career dance professionals 2022-2025.  He is developing two long-term research and performance projects: Tearmann Aiteach/ Queer Sanctuary in collaboration with Isabella Oberländer and Dúiche, a project that links Irish language and queer ecology.   www.fearghus.net

About Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council Arts Office was established in 1994. It works to develop and support the Arts locally through programmes, funding and partnerships. The Council values the arts as an important service that contributes to the quality of life for those who live in, work and study in, and visit the County. 

The Arts Office has commissioned and produced an exciting range of festivals, exhibitions, artist residencies, school projects, arts and health initiatives and public art programmes over the last 29 years in order to grow and sustain community engagement with the arts, and our thriving local arts sector. 

About UCD’s School of Art History and Cultural Policy 

UCD’s School of Art History and Cultural Policy offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Art History. It is also distinguished by its postgraduate Arts Management and Cultural Policy MA and, offered for the first time in 2022/ 23, a new Creative & Cultural Industries undergraduate degree. The school collaborates intensively with museums, galleries, and arts and cultural organisations as part of our research and teaching. Great emphasis is placed on first-hand interaction with art and architecture and with cultural professionals, and we make extensive use of site visits, field trips, and expert guest speakers. Graduates hold many distinguished positions not only in cultural and art institutions in Ireland, but also in North and South America, Europe and Asia. One of our strengths is that we are a relatively small, and also a very collegial, department and we are very keen to foster a strong sense of subject identity and community among our students. This includes welcoming applicants of diverse backgrounds and mature and international students.

About the Creative Futures Academy

UCD at Creative Futures Academy (CFA) is a ground-breaking partnership between three leading creative institutions: The National College of Art and Design, University College Dublin, and the Institute of Art Design + Technology. Together we offer new skills, fresh networks and opportunities for learning throughout your life and career. Thinkers and leaders from academia, the creative arts and industry have come together to create new programmes and fully accredited micro courses, putting you in control of your choices. As part of the Creative Futures family, you can access tailored courses that offer exciting and flexible ways of learning, new networks, extra-curricular resources and more.

About UCD’s Ad Astra Academy

UCD Ad Astra Academy Performing Arts Programme is part of UCD’s Ad Astra Academy. Created in 2011, it is UCD’s flagship scholarship programme. It is an expression of the mission of UCD as a whole; to provide a community in which students of the University displaying exceptional potential in academic pursuits, elite sports or performing arts are encouraged and supported to develop their talent further. The Performing Arts Programme is led by theatre artist Kellie Hughes,  it offers opportunities to students who excel in theatre performance (actor, playwright, director, designer etc.)and classical musicians      who wish to develop their performance talents while pursuing a degree in UCD.

Image Credits: 

Fearghus Ó Conchúir (image alone), credit: Amanda Alexander

Fearghus Ó Conchúir (movement image), credit: Matthew Thompson.