Creative Spark in Dundalk welcomes first Artist in Residence for 2025

Creative Spark in Dundalk has welcomed its first Artist in Residence for 2025, Nicola Moran, who during her stay will explore the intersection of circus and sculpture.

Since 2007, Nicola has trained and worked as both a circus and fine artist, deeply committed to researching both disciplines and finding innovative ways to merge them. Her work explores concept development through experimental conversations between body, form, and material.

Nicola has a keen interest in developing site-specific work, uncovering the layered emotional responses to the relationship between body and place. As a professional circus artist, she has performed nationally and internationally with companies such as Feathers Ensemble, Aerial Cirque, Luxe, and Twisted Lane Productions.

Her bespoke work spans a wide range of environments, from creating acrobatic imagery in the remote bog landscapes of Connemara to the mountains of Greece and the heart of urban Dublin. Notable projects include a durational performance on Grafton Street with Red Torc, which gained national attention, and directing large-scale performances for the Brigit Festival, including a striking aerial piece off the historic GPO in 2024 and a performance at Bernardo’s Square in 2023.

In addition to her artistic practice, Nicola serves as the Creative and Programme Director for the Dublin Circus Project. Under her leadership, the project has become a vital space for Ireland’s growing circus community, fostering professional research and inspiring the next generation of performers.

Her work has been generously supported by Dublin City Council, Galway County Council, the Arts Council of Ireland, Creative Ireland, and Culture Ireland.

Merging Aerial Performance & Sculpture as part of her Creative Spark residency, Nicola will explore the dynamic relationship between aerial and circus performance and sculpture. Through a series of installations, she will examine themes of tension, freedom, and balance, designing objects that exist at the boundary of the body. Her research will delve into material identity.