UCD College of Arts and Humanities is delighted to announce Justine Doswell as the first-ever UCD Trapdoor Dance Artist in Residence 2024. The scheme is generously funded by Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council’s Arts Office. Justine will be based in UCD’s Creative Futures Academy.

Dance artist, choreographer and creative producer, Justine Doswell has worked with numerous notable Irish and international choreographers, directors and companies. Inspired by dynamic structure and living systems, her practice is rooted in collaboration and she is an Arts Council Next Generation 2021 recipient and 2021-23 Irish Modern Dance Theatre Associate Artist. Recent choreographic highlights include the premiere of her new full-length creation, Messier 45, presented by Dance Cork Firkin Crane in 2023 and DYAD – a live performance film in St Patrick’s Cathedral – presented by Dublin Dance Festival 2021.

Established through partnership with Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown (dlr) County Council’s Arts Office, this residency will support Justine to connect with UCD’s Creative Futures Academy and utilise both dlr and UCD facilities, including the new state-of-the-art performance theatre Trapdoor, to test and develop concepts and materials.

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

Having time to develop her own practice and engage with the spaces, people and resources UCD has to offer, Justine explains,

“I am thrilled to have been awarded the UCD Trapdoor Dance Artist in Residency supported by Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council. This is an enormous opportunity for me to engage with the academic faculty, the student body, and other members of the Creative Futures Academy’s family. Collaboration informs a huge part of my choreographic practice – I’m excited to see where profound engagement with UCD and its partners will lead, and how my work will develop and evolve as a result of this new, stimulating and supported process. I’m eager to learn, share, explore, exchange and discover… And get the campus dancing!”

Professor PJ Mathews, Director of UCD Creative Futures Academy, said: “We are very happy to welcome Justine to take up this residency at the UCD Creative Futures Academy. This pioneering collaboration between DLR Arts Office and UCD Creative Futures Academy provides a great opportunity for our Dancer-in-Residence to engage with UCD expertise and creative communities. We look forward to showcasing the work that will emerge.”

Kenneth Redmond, Arts Officer, Dún Laoghaire- Rathdown County Council said, “Space and time are essential resources necessary to create and develop as a dance artist. I am delighted that, in partnership with UCD, we have awarded Justine this new residency to advance the future ambitions of such a talented dance artist by providing excellent workspaces, support, and dedicated research time.