Alive and Kicking at Milford House

On Friday, December 9, at 7pm a series of live art performances will take place at Live Art Ireland, Milford House, near Borrisokane.

The evening will feature performances by Ella De Burca and Olivia Hasset alongside a screening of Venus Patel's performative film ‘Eggshells’. Additionally, Live Art Ireland has made a members callout for work, and additional films and performances will be presented on the night.

This performance and screening night is the final event night of the year at Milford House – come and have drink and a chat, and see some spectacular live art.

Ella De Burca will be presenting the results of her research residency in the form of a performance looking at lives of Tipperary women both at the centenary of the Civil War and today. It will take the form of a sound piece, a voice utilising poetry and song to pay tribute to the women of Tipperary in the past but also in the future. Moving between abstractions and descriptions, the piece will serve as a reflection on Ella’s time at Milford House and her research into the Civil War era, as well as Ella’s longstanding engagement with women’s rights.

Olivia Hassett will perform ‘perforation’ live in the formal red drawing room in Milford House as part of Alive and Kicking. ‘Perforation’ is the culmination of Hassett's research completed during her residency in Milford House over the summer. Engaging with a life-size mesh made from plastic flagging tape and a sculpture pierced by numerous painted beech nuts, Hassett will explore the complex relationships we have with the visceral female body. ‘Perforation’ will seek to break down, repair and build a new provisional whole, one that recognises the bodies lived experience in relation to place and time.

Venus Patel presents her short film ‘Eggshells’ -“As Venus tries to process the event, the egg becomes its own symbol as it shows her journey of emotions, from sadness to internalised/externalised anger to finally acceptance and growth. The film uses performance, music, and dance in order to tumble through this journey. Venus’s references to cinema and theatre create a different feel for each segment of the film.” The independent ‘Eggshells’ is an experimental short film that deals with her experience of an anti-trans hate crime in which she was egged and yelled at. Alive and Kicking is our annual curated Members Event where current and new members are invited via call outout to present work alongside some performances and films that are curated from our residencies during the the year. The theme for this callout is about addressing adversity, following on from our compression and oppression residency, which asked residents to consider violence, war or gender-based oppression.

Alive and Kicking refers both to the collective journey we have all been on with lockdowns, and perhaps loss of loved ones and the greater global picture - how do we survive and fight back?

Thank you to Tipperary Arts Office for the funding for this event.

It is important that people sign up on Eventbrite - see here for further details.