New Work

Portrait: Bláthnaid Conroy Murphy

Bláthnaid Conroy Murphy is a singer, pianist, performer, choral director, composer, arranger and multi-instrumentalist based in Dublin. She studied music at NUI Maynooth, graduating with a B.Mus in 2009.

In 2010, Bláthnaid left for Australia to join the cast of ‘The Wiggles’ show, where she danced, sang and played her way across the continent and the world. During her employment in The Wiggles, she spent a lot of time recording in their studio at Wiggle Headquarters. Bláthnaid is featured as a recorded artist on many of their albums and is credited as composer/ arranger on many Wiggles Songs.

Since her return to Ireland in 2013, Bláthnaid has worked on many projects with Tonnta, ensembÉal, Lassus Chamber Choir, singer Hilary Bow, composer Roger Doyle, Dublin Studio Hub, Solas Choir, Inhouse Voices, HCK Alumni Choir, as well as doing her own musical arrangements, compositions and gardening in her spare time.

Portraits

These portraits capture a specific moment in time for eight individuals. The unwavering single-shot focus of the camera offers a poignant and intimate closeness to each subject. They were filmed in April 2021 in locations specially chosen by each subject: a place of sanctuary within the five-kilometre radius of their home. The films are inspired by Andy Warhol’s Screen Test from the 1960s and Jane McCormick’s This Moment capturing the significant people behind the TownHall Cavan Arts Space. The films pay homage to the dedication and talent which sustained the Don’t anticipate the ending project.

Directed by Robbie Blake
Filmed and Edited by Steve O’Connor

Gallery

Behind the scenes

These photographs range from the early days of the collaboration to behind-the-scenes images from the filming of interviews and portraits.

The Creative Process

Dance House, 3 September 2020

This is a recording of a live improvisation by dancers Marion Cronin, Sarah Ryan, and Lucia Kickham whilst listening to Zosia Kuczyńska’s placeholder recording of the opening monologue from Brian Friel’s Dancing at Lughnasa (1990).

The Creative Process

Rehearsal, 14 August 2020

These photographs were taken by Zosia Kuczyńska during project workshops and rehearsals at Dance House on 14 August 2020.

The Creative Process

Recording at MoLI, 30 April 2021

These photographs were taken by Zosia Kuczyńska between recording sessions for music by Robbie Blake for Jessie Keenan’s short film ‘So what is surfacing’ at the Museum of Literature Ireland on 30 April 2021.

The Creative Process

Robbie Blake, Denis Donoghue-inspired score

This unused score by Robbie Blake was inspired by their engagement with Denis Donoghue’s ideas around communication from his book Ferocious Alphabets (1981), which was a direct inspiration for Friel’s farcical play The Communication Cord (1982).