Posted 2nd April 2024
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 (opens in a new window)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 (opens in a new window)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!”
(opens in a new window)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.
About the Creative Futures Academy
In 2020, a UCD, NCAD and IADT consortium were awarded €10m funding to develop The Creative Futures Academy, under the HEA Human Capital Initiative (Pillar 3, Innovation and Agility). Launching in 2022, this new Academy, in collaboration with a range of industry partners, offers students the chance to work with, and learn from, a broad range of leading academics, practising artists, and creative industry professionals. The Creative Futures Academy is dedicated to developing career opportunities for graduates who want to make their mark in the rapidly evolving creative and cultural sectors.
In February 2024, UCD officially opened the new Trapdoor. You can watch the (opens in a new window)video and read more here
For Creative Futures Academy news and updates, search #CreativeFuturesAcademy and follow @HumanitiesUCD & @creativefuturesacademy on X
About the Dance Artist-in-Residence
Resident in Dublin since 1997, Justine has worked with numerous notable Irish and international choreographers, directors and companies, including Liz Roche Company (formerly Rex Levitates) / Jodi Melnick US; John Scott's Irish Modern Dance Theatre / Fabrice Dugied FR / Sean Curran US / Sara Rudner US; CoisCéim Dance Theatre; Ballet Boyz UK / Charles Linehan UK; Dance Theatre of Ireland / Les Carnet Bagouet, Dominique Bagouet FR; Charleroi Danse BE / Merce Cunningham USA / Paul Taylor Dance Company US / Karole Armitage US / Lucinda Childs US / Joachim Schlömer DE; The Abbey Theatre, Landmark Productions, Opera Ireland amongst others.
Inspired by dynamic structure and living systems her choreographic work is rooted in collaboration and has been supported by The Arts Council of Ireland, Dublin City Council, Culture Ireland, Dance Ireland, Dublin Dance Festival, Dance Limerick, Dance Cork Firkin Crane, Shawbrook, Tipperary Dance/Grand Studio Brussels, Irish Modern Dance Theatre Liz Roche Company/The Lir Academy, THEATREClub, Dance Resource Base Northern Ireland, axis Ballymun and the Complex.
Recent choreographic highlights include the premiere of her new full-length creation, Messier 45, presented by Dance Cork Firkin Crane, November 2023 and DYAD - a live performance film in St Patrick’s Cathedral - presented by Dublin Dance Festival 2021 for their Summer 2021 Digital Edition.
In addition, Justine’s short dance film, Is there balm in Gilead? made in collaboration with filmmaker Luca Truffarelli and commissioned by Irish Modern Dance Theatre, premiered at Dancer From The Dance Festival July 2022 in partnership with the Irish Film Institute. Footage in development was included at The Pina Bausch Centre’s Under Construction Festival May 2022. The film has since enjoyed international success in 2023. Film Festivals include Dance Camera West, Los Angeles supported by Culture Ireland; Worldfest, Houston (Silver Remi winner); Cannes World Film Festival (Best Dance Film); San Francisco Dance Film Festival; Leeds International Film Festival and Covent Garden Film Festival, London.
Theatre and Opera include: Joyce’s Women (The Abbey – The National Theatre of Ireland), Elvis is My Daddy (Olympia Theatre/The Everyman, Cork), Heresy (Project Arts Centre), The Chronic Identity Crisis of Pamplemousse (Northern Ireland Opera) and Dusk (The New Theatre).
Over the years, Justine has taught for a multitude of organisations and has participated in an extensive range of outreach projects. In partnership with municipal arts offices, she has also enjoyed being resident in a variety of primary and post-primary schools across Dublin County. Additionally, Justine was responsible for the Junior section of Dublin Youth Dance Company (12-17yrs) led by Artistic Director Mariam Ribon, September 2016 - July 2022.
In relation to her choreographic practice, Justine is an Arts Council of Ireland Next Generation 2021 recipient and an Irish Modern Dance Theatre 2021-2023 Associate Artist.