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MARIA COLEMAN

Maria Coleman is a multidisciplinary, socially engaged artist, with a strong history in the use of interactive multimedia. She has a degree in Fine Art (Sculpture) from LSAD and an M. Phil. in Music and Media Technology from Trinity College, with PhD research conducted at the School of Art, Design and Printing at DIT. From 2006-2010 she produced a major body of work through developing an interactive multimedia system called the BRS (Body Response System). This body of work, and more specifically, an improvised movement piece with audio-visual responses and audience interaction, named 'Goitse!' features in a chapter published in the book 'The Performing Subject in the Space of Technology.' (2015). 

In 2012, a paper about multi-sensory art she published in Crossings eJournal of Art and Technology won the ARTStap Title Award for arts research. Her arts research has also been presented in 'Peripheries' (Gorey School of Art) at The Science Gallery (D.A.T.A) and at conferences in Trinity College, Derry and Chichester. Her art work has been supported by Donegal Co. Co., Dublin City Council and Limerick City Council. In 2010 she won the 'arts@DIT Award', which resulted in a series of performances including 'Project Brand New' at the Project Arts Centre, 'Quantified Self' at the LAB, Dublin City Council and 'Freeplay' in the Crypt at Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. Maria is also a musician, with bands including 'Wee Small Gods', and 'Fracas'. As a writer, she blogs on comhcheol.ie and has had articles published as a Citizen Journalist on the European Ladder Project. 

'She directed the play 'Mo Bhagáiste' by Pól O Gallachóir (First Fortnight, 2019, Imram, 2020), and was sound designer for Pól's award winning play 'Madadh Mire'. In 2021 she wrote, directed and produced the art films 'Síle na gCíoch ar an Trá' and 'Macalla Cholmcille' and directed the socially-engaged youth film projects 'Filleadh Cholmcille' and 'Fís Feasa.'

She formed Samhlaigh in 2022. She also has experience in arts administration through managing the Irish language theatre, Amharclann Ghaoth Dobhair, coordinating the peace building cross cultural project 'East Meets West Donegal'. From 2018-2022 she was a Regional Coordinator of First Fortnight; Ireland's Mental Health Arts & Culture Festival. In April 2023 she was the artistic director for IGNITE! , a series of workshops and creativity retreat held at Tullyarvan Mill, Buncrana, ad part of a collaboration between Artlink and Samhlaigh on the Inishowen Arts Festival Feasibility Study. She is currently exploring arts festival possibilities with Mary from Dungloe.

She's a qualified Yoga and Pregnancy Yoga teacher, and also a Sound Healing facilitator. She holds a QQI6 qualification in Mental Health Awareness and has presented the Donegal Mind Wellness 'Stress Control' course. She founded Comhcheol Arts and Wellness and Donegal Yoga Retreats in 2016. She's also a musician and has been the singer, drummer and multi-instrumentalist in bands Gilgamesh, Babushka, Fracas and Wee Small Gods. 

 Web: www.comhcheol.ie www.donegalyogaretreats.com FB: @comhcheol Twitter: @donegalyoga 

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE/ Ar dtús, cuirfimid gach duine in aithne. Seo

PÓL Ó GALLACHÓIR

Pól Ó Gallachóir is a writer, actor, director and musician who hails from the Donegal Gaeltacht.
He is a fluent Irish speaker who writes and performs in Irish and English. He has a BA in English, an
MA in Philosophy and a Higher Diploma in Education. He has taught English, as well as music, in
Pobalscoil Ghaoth Dobhair since 2004. He also currently teaches drama in Scoil An Chrannóige,
Gaoth Dobhair.

An Madadh Mire was Pól's debut full length original play, in Irish, which he also produced, directed
and took the leading role in. It traces the rise and fall of Gaoth Dobhair born gangster Mad Dog Coll
during the 1930's in the U.S. The acting group Áisteoirí Phíopa Thuathail was formed by Pól to stage
the play for the Féile Náisiúnta Dramaíochta competition. An Madadh Mire was awarded for best
script, best director as well as being awarded for ensemble acting.

In 2020 Pól wrote and played the lead role in his bilingual one-man play Mo Bhagáiste, based on the
life and work of renowned Rann na Feirste writer Seosamh Mac Grianna. It was performed as part of
the Irish language literary festival IMRAM. It was filmed in the Smock Alley Theatre Dublin, through
the Museum of Irish Literature and posted online as part of the annual festival. Pól also wrote and
performed the recorded music for Mo Bhagáiste. The play was also performed as part of the First
Fortnight Festival and as part of the Mary From Dungloe Festival.

Plays which Pól has translated into Irish include, Twelve Angry Men and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's
Nest. He has written and directed plays for primary school children and teenagers.
The Boys Are Back is his unproduced film script about the life of Irish musician Phil Lynott.
Mála Dubh is a short, Irish language film script which is currently in development. He is also writing a
radio drama for entry into Oireachtas 2023.

As a musician Pól has written songs for, and performed and toured with, a variety of different
groups. He has performed in Spain and Australia as well as taking to the stage in venues such as
Whelan's and the Sugar Club; supported acts such as Kila, Jerry Fish and Dervish. He has played at
the Earagail Arts Festival, Vantastival and Electric Picnic and has been a frequent performer on Radio
na Gaeltachta over the years.

Pól has a Rec 3 First Aid Cert and is currently training to become a fully qualified Mountain Leader
with a view to bringing groups of adults and students, who are interested in the Irish language, and
Irish folklore, on guided hiking, camping and walking tours through the Donegal mountains.

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE/Ar dtús, cuirfimid gach duine in aithne, Seo

Dr. CAROLINE BURROW

Dr Caroline Burrow PhD, ClinPsyD, CPsychol.

Dr Caroline Burrow is a Chartered Clinical Psychologist and founder of Northern Meadow Therapy. Dr Burrow has over 25 years' experience of working in the National Health Service (UK), charity and independent sectors providing consultation, therapeutic intervention in a variety of psychotherapies, clinical supervision, staff support, training, professional and personal development, and wellbeing. She has experience of developing psychological services, and providing strategic input into wider health/wellbeing services, again within the public and independent/charitable sectors.

Dr Burrow has training in a variety of psychotherapies including Compassion Focused Therapy, Schema Therapy, CBT, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Polyvagal informed therapy, Somatic Experiencing and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. She has worked within a wide range of clinical settings and with individuals and groups across the life span with a wide variety of needs. This includes services for mental health, physical health, trauma, refugees and looked after children. In addition, Dr Burrow is a facilitator of Compassionate Mind Training, Access Bars/Consciousness, Emotional Freedom Technique and Indian Head Massage. 

She has trained in the Eponaquest® approach of Equine Facilitated Psychotherapy and Learning and has a specialist interest in animal assisted psychotherapy, ecotherapy and nature-based practices. Dr Burrow has also trained as an Active Hope/Work That Reconnects facilitator and provides workshops focusing upon supporting activists, ecoanxiety and ecoresilience. Dr Burrow has also undertaken training in Shamanic practices within the Peruvian (Q'ero) and Celtic traditions. She is qualified in Ecoshamanism and offers Transpersonal therapy and Energy Psychology sessions for individuals and groups. Dr Burrow has a strong interest in artistic expression and how it can be used to enhance therapeutic work. She often works creatively with clients using psychodrama, visual arts and music, and may combine these with transpersonal or ecotherapy techniques.

Dr Burrow currently runs an independent practice, Northern Meadow Therapy, based in Donegal. current voluntary positions in addition to Samhlaigh, are as a member of the Steering group of the C.I.C, Common Ground Northern Ireland and a member of the rescue network for Seal Rescue Ireland.

Qualifications:

• PhD Clinical Psychology (ClinPsyD), The University of Birmingham, UK, 2007
• PhD Applied Psychology/Clinical Neuroscience, Aston University, UK, 2001
• BSc Hons Psychology (2:1), Northumbria University, UK, 1996

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SHERRIE SCOTT

Sherrie Scott is an Artist, Costume Technician, Biomagnetic Therapist, Holistic Energy Therapist, Herbalist and Soul Art Facilitator.

She studied at the Central School of Fashion London 82-84, and did Costume design for Newday Clothing, Waterford and Knitwear with Toland Design Donegal. She has worked for decades in street theatre including costume design for Theatre, Film and Carnival including: Macnas Galway Costume Designer, Millinery at Kensington and Chelsea College. Since 2003 she has been creating costumes and inflatable structures for carnival arts parades throughout the country through her own carnival companies  'Whirligig' and 'Creative Energyworks'. She has also been leading arts workshops in schools, community group, children and adults since 1999 all over Ireland.

Through Creative Energy Works, Sherrie creates workshops and well-being retreats that blend meditation, creativity
and healing together. Her group work inspires each person's spiritual and personal power, to give form to their unique creative energy. Since 1999 Sherrie's work has grown into a Tapestry of Celebration, Weaving, Creativity & Energetics, Laughter Yoga & Creative Writing. Felting, Costume, Grief work & Ceremony, Soul Painting, Story & Song, Movement & Groovement, Herbs & Scents, Rubs & Scrubs, all created anew with each new group.

She weaves the strands of the Healing Arts and Biomagnetism together tooffer her many clients the very best of holistic care. Although she runs a highly effective general practice, clients talk of her forte with grief, women's issues, digestive problems, pain, lyme disease and chronic fatigue.Through her work, the spiritual, emotional and physical issues are addressed enabling the body to come back to homeostasis. Her strong healing intention is to clear the traumas and ancestral issues that have kept her clients stuck in old patterns of pain and suffering, and enable wellbeing in the mind, body, heart and soul of each of her treasured clients, by using Biomagnetics, Energy Healing, Herbal remedies and Soul Art. 

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HILARY GILLIGAN

Hilary Gilligan is a professional artist, born, raised, living, working and creating in County Sligo. She lectures in Fine Art at the Atlantic Technological University, Sligo.

Educated in Ireland, Ontario College of Art and Design University, Toronto, Canada 1989 and awarded a Master's Degree in Fine Art from Ulster University, Belfast in 1997

Her art practice since 1989 is diverse, explorative and innovative. Methods include photography, film, video, audio, holography, print, ceramics, sculpture, installation, projection, site-specific, live performance, multimedia, intervention, landscape, environment, street, public, private, temporary, permanent, community, commission, collaborate, curate, manage, direct, design, lecture, teach, facilitate, workshop, educate, consult, committee, volunteer, organise, research, study, learn, exhibit and travel.

In January 2006 she created a little baby girl and since then has been involved daily in the contemporary research of "Creating Babies versus Art"

WE ARE DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE/Ar dtús, cuirfimid gach duine in aithne, Seo

EIMEAR KING

Eimear King is an artist/photographer and the administrator at South Tipperary Arts Centre. Following a Nat Dip in Art & Environment from WIT, she has worked in the arts freelance in theatre, as a photographer and subsequently as a framer for 12 years at Artisan Frames in Clonmel. Having returned to education, she graduated in 2017 with a BSc (Hons) in Creative Media from TUS. This course sparked a return to lens based work, and a desire to communicate through audio & video. She produced & presented an arts programme on Tipp FM, and now produces a podcast for STAC. She has since completed several projects for Culture Night and Creative Ireland. She is an obsessive photographer. 

Eimear is a keen observer of nature, in both urban and rural settings. Living in a rural Irish town means that these worlds intersect in a myriad of ways, and the wildness is never far away. Being very much influenced and inspired by the natural world, and the elements, she is enchanted with the ancient, and the unseen, and the spirit of place, and endeavours to capture this in her images. Texture and layering play an important part of her process, which is completely screen based, and she employs several digital tools along the way. Experimentation with various tools and techniques means that alongside more 'traditional' photograpic images, she likes to produce more graphic style work, which can be most clearly seen in her ongoing crow series.

Eolas fós le theacht /Upcoming Information