Ankor movement based arts practice research sharing

Ankor, a European interdisciplinary movement-based arts practice constellation established in Sept 2017 in Cavan, Ireland

A European interdisciplinary 

movement-based arts practice constellation focused around peer sharing that aims to research and create platforms to support our art practice and processes (visual art and/or contemporary dance) 

This grew from the initial concept by Maria Kerin, an interdisciplinary artist-curator, in response to her own needs to link with a creative like-minded community of movement-based artists and her desire to support and share movement-based research and knowledge horizontally. 

During 2017, from meetings with artists Alexandra Rafferty, IRE, Helle Kvamme, SW, Mairead Vaughen, IRE, Russell Brown US, and Dr. Eleftheria Rapti, Greece, the urgency to establish a community was apparent. 

In September 2017, Maria Kerin invited Russell Brown, Daire Skuze (radio producer/folklorist) and Alexandra Rafferty to a sharing of practices over 3 days in her studio and home in Ennistymon. Co.Clare.

In response to an invite by Cavan Arts Officer Catriona O’Reilly offering a residency in her home in Cavan and create something for Culture Night 2017, Maria Kerin curated Cavan hothouse research residency, inviting a gathering of movement based artists in a peer to peer sharing week.

4 O’Clock TEAS as part of Culture Night….Belturbert, Cavan.

Participants: Helle Kvamme, artist-curator from Yellow Box, Oland, Sweden, Russell Browne, USA, dance artist and scholar, Dr. Miread Vaughen, IRE, contemporary dancer/choreographer and international visual artist Patricia McKenna from Cavan. On route we had an introductory meeting and brief movement-based sharing with Limerick-based Irish artist Isolde Donohoe. 

Maria Kerin and Russell Brown are researching the potential to form Ankor into a legal identity through the structure of an integrated authentic organisational model, that could host many artists participating at any level and anyway they want, based on their own needs but with sharing at the heart of the connection. 

Helle Kvamme invited Patricia Mckenna to make work for “The Forest” an ongoing research exhibition/process in Kalmar and she exhibited Mairead Vaughen’s film at the opening with Maria Kerin giving a participatory performance/presentation at the opening. 

Both Maria and Patricia did movement-based research in the forest over the week in Sweden and the ongoing conversations on methodology and process continue between Maria with Helle.