Cathy Walsh in residence

CATHY WALSH is a dance artist and lighting technician based between Cork and Berlin. She has a BA in Drama and Theatre Studies from University College Cork, an MA in Contem-porary Dance Performance from the University of Limerick, and a diploma in Ensemble Performance from Queen’s University Belfast. 

Her practice is defined by a desire to create interactive experiences, blurring the distinction between performer and audience, inviting them to collaborate. Her work is provocative and entertaining, combining dance, improvisation and playful conversation, with the body as the driving force. Her work has been presented in Berlin at Dock 11, nGbK, FELD, and Theater o.N.; Danse-hallerne Copenhagen; Zodiak Helsinki; Seoul Performing Arts Festival; and at Dance Li-merick, Firkin Crane Cork, Cork Midsummer Festival and Project Arts Centre in Ireland. 

She has collaborated with other artists including Ruairí Ó Donnabháin, Julie Kelleher, Laura Murphy, Anna Newell, Meagan O’ Shea, Cécile Bally, Kareth Schaffer, and Tino Sehgal. Cathy has worked with numerous arts organisations including The Granary, The Everyman Palace, Firkin Crane, Cork Midsummer Festival, Quarter Block Party, ANU Productions, Limerick UNFringed festival, Daghdha, and Galway Dance Project. She has been supported by Hauptstadtkulturfonds Berlin, the Berlin Senat, Neustart Kul-tur, An Chomhairle Ealaíon, Cork City Council, Culture Ireland, and was a participant of the MAKE residency at Tyrone Guthrie Centre 2019. 

Working title: Dancy Dirting

I am developing a performance that takes the form of a community-building workshop, inspired by Dirty Dancing and speculative fiction. 

Imagine that society has finally collapsed under the increasing pressure of polarised opinions into insular yet volatile echo chambers, in which people are cancelling each other with increasing severity and speed. This is one of several immersive training programs attempting to reignite empathy, using recognisable metaphors from pop culture. Dirty Dancing, being one of the most influential films of our time may provide the key to help us practice intersectional support. Could this kind of breakdown possibly happen? Are we moving in that direction? Or has it in fact already happened and this fake training system is actually being developed out of necessity? 

Through reenacting scenes and social dances from the film we can do some real community building, activating people’s sense of belonging through inclusion and entertainment.  

Join pro class with Cathy – learn more here.