revised dictionary performance at The House, Feb 15 2022

On Tuesday 15th February 2022, I premiéred a new performance work, ‘revised dictionary supplement’ at University of Plymouth theatre venue, The House.

With thanks to Melaine Le Bars for sound and lighting support. And thanks to everyone who made it on a wet and windy Plymouth night.

Photography by Matthew Pontin (Fotonow CIC)

‘scavenged home’ with Aled Simons

Aled Simons and Mark Leahy, ‘Scavenged Home’, (2021), digital animation with audio, 2’ 30”

Sticking bits of things together for now: we began with a conversation, talked about collecting, stickers, taxonomy, and about making work, and the things that get in the way of making work – we also talked about Artex covered ceilings and finding a “studio” or somewhere to make stuff; subsequent exchanges included some mail-art collages sent from Dublin to Swansea, and discussion of grottoes, skins, Stonehenge, Welshness (sort of) and Irishness (a bit) and somewhere in there a sense of the legacy of colonialism … these things have fed into a short animation that curls together hermit crabs, National Trust properties, appropriation and occupation, language, accidental layering and a relationship of belonging and memory;

Over recent months I have been part of the Exchange project, which has involved 60 artists from 6 artist-led groups across England. 10 members of CAMP (Contemporary Art Membership Plymouth) were each paired with a partner from another organisation, and I have been working with Aled Simons of g39 in Cardiff. The project comes to a close on 30th July with The Summit – a sharing of some outcomes and a conversation about the sharing / collaboration / exchange process.

short audio piece for Spring

I made a short word and sound piece for Soundart Radio‘s annual First Spark Festival, happening this year from Sunday 31st January to Tuesday February 2nd. This piece, ‘thaw biddy and melt’ picks up on a text I wrote last year that drew on material in the Duchas.ie Schools Collection around the Irish traditions associated with St. Brigid’s Day (Feb 1st). I added some sound layers using treated and distorted water and ice recordings. You can hear it on Soundcloud, or listen out for the broadcast on Sunday 31st.

Constrained Radio Show on Mixcloud

The Constrained Radio Show series I have made for Soundart Radio is now archived for future / later / repeat listening on my Mixcloud page. The shows have been broadcast weekly on Wednesdays since mid-May. They began as a response to restrictions, limits and confinement during COVID lockdown. The Mixcloud page includes tracklistings and other information.