Reactions

What The Reviewers Said

Butterflies and Bones Fearghus O Conchuir

‘Paul Muldoon, Rita Duffy, Anu, Fearghus ó Conchúir and many others showed that it is still artists who give the nation its voice. And the Government actually noticed’.  Fintan O’Toole, ‘Fintan O’Toole’s cultural highlights: ‘A great year for the elderly’’, The Irish Times, 22 December 2016

‘Many were wowed by the State-sanctioned choreography of military rectangles marching down O’Connell Street: anonymous bodies expressing homogeneity. Dancers instead valued the individual and diversity, and highlighted how State and society have repressed and prejudiced the body. Most notable were These Rooms, Embodied and Fearghus Ó Conchúir’s The Casement Project.’ Michael Seaver, The Irish Times, December 24, 2016

‘A highly physical and visual performance where dance embodies and explores the multiple meanings of that life. This incorporates the symbolic, the gendered and the social aspects, then and now.’ Seona Mac Reamoinn, ‘Butterflies and Bones review: blood and thunder’, The Irish Times, 21 October 2016

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‘It is a difficult task to commemorate or interpret a life through dance, but for a revolution of poets and writers, it all seems quite fitting.’ ‘Butterflies and Bones – Project Arts Centre – Review’, No More Workhorse, 22 October 2016

An electric and insightful work, Butterflies and Bones conveys the humanity behind the history with skill and passion….Ó Conchúir’s choreography (created in conjunction with the performers) is evocative and intense, conveying the formal public Roger Casement, and the raw, open, private Casement. Introducing strong elements of each performer’s personal dance style into the performance, and then creating segments in which they adopt each other’s movements, the choreography creates a strong ensemble that portrays Roger Casement as a multi-faceted character…. Butterflies and Bones: The Casement Project takes a well-worn topic and re-invigorates it in innovative and engaging ways. With a wealth of dramatic, political and social history to absorb and re-invent with ingenuity and fervour, this production takes a truly new approach to the story of Roger Casement and 1916.’  Saoirse Anton, ‘Butterflies and Bones – Project Arts Centre, Dublin’, The Reviews Hub, 21 October 2016.

What The Audience Said About Butterflies And Bones: The Casement Project

Butterflies and Bones The Casement Project

Butterflies and Bones at the Place

“An incredible evening of #Dance @ThePlaceLondon Butterflies and Bones #thecasementproject @followfearghus #ireland” William H L Edgill

“Wonderful to see Butterflies and Bones by @followfearghus @ThePlaceLondon today. Stunning work that will stay with me #TheCasementProject” Emma Hannon

“#TheCasementProject @ThePlaceLondon @followfearghus – a forensic reclamation of Casement’s body, even in its absence. Beautiful.” Jack Casey

“Delighted to attend #TheCasementProject this evening @ThePlaceLondon with @followfearghus & @artscouncil_ie @culture_ireland #Ireland2016” Embassy of Ireland London

“@followfearghus Powerful, moving, and left with an exquisite image #butterfliesandbones @ThePlaceLondon”, Amanda Smethurst “Congratulations to you and your wonderful dancers – such a powerful piece, so mesmerising to watch and totally absorbed in the sound, music and set. Congrats to you all!” Fiona Moorhead, Facebook

“Congrats Fearghus and team, really gorgeous – cerebral, poetic, thought-provoking”, Oonagh Kearney, Facebook

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Butterflies and Bones, Project Arts Centre

‘Go see, it’s gorgeous and sensuous and polemical’, Willie White, Facebook

‘Butterflies and Bones ;Mesmeric totally captivating congratulations..really affecting’, Donal Toolan, Facebook

“Incredible performance of #ButterfliesAndBones at @projectarts congrats @followfearghus ! Truly mesmerising #TheCasementProject” Louise Osborne

“Thank you @followfearghus for #ButterfliesAndBones last night @projectarts as part of #TheCasementProject Evocative thought- provoking work.” Junk Ensemble

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Butterflies and Bones at The Mac, Belfast

“Such a great event last night at the MAC…. a story and journey and a message from the past for the present and beyond, beautifully done. The Q&A after with Fearghus Ó Conchúir was a treat too… what a smart intuitive creative man.”, Vincent Creelan, Facebook

“The dance programme at The MAC as part of Ulster Bank Belfast International Arts Festival has been so brill this year. My highlight from last week was undoubtedly Fearghus O’Conchuir’s beautiful ‘Butterflies and Bones'”, Eoin Dara, Facebook

“it was beautiful and powerful, tender and uplifting- a soul creation that spoke to me about endings, beginnings, possibilities, transformation, identity, fragility, brutality, masculinity, power, courage, joy, outsiders, sexuality, war. Oh these are just a lot of words, go see it if you can, it is gorgeous. Days later it is still with me.” Edel Quinn, Facebook

What The Audience Said About Féile Fáilte

Feile Failte The Casement Project

“Comhghairdeas @followfearghus lá iontach rince ag cuimhneamh ar RuairíMhicEasmainn #Banna @ireland2016 #FéileFáilte” Eibhlín de Paor

“Vibrant opener from Catherine Young’s group – energy and joy on stage with Banna waves behind – great day in store #FéileFáilte” Berniann Condon

“Feeling the love #FeileFailte. Diversity Inclusion Harmony Courage Freedom & Love” Jen Uí Dhuibhir

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“Brilliant work today in #Banna #FeileFailte with @siamsatire enjoy end with @deirdre_OH #RinceCiarraiAbu #RogerCasement” Mike O’Halloran

“#FéileFáilte #BannaStrand #RogerCasement #music #dancing #beach @RusanganoFamily @siamsatire an amazing day.” @scaredtosay

“Well done to all. Brilliant day and night.” Moira Lynch Horgan

“It was such a great day, thanks so much!!!” Stacey Kelliher

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“Just Don’t know where to Start with my Thanks for the Best Performance of the Year …. the setting the talent the staff it went off without a hitch … This is a must see show but it will not compare to today it was just Spectacular …. you guys are Genius…. Project Arts are on a winner supporting this…..” Martha Cashman

“One of the inspiring memories of 2016 was the stunning ‘Welcoming the stranger’ dance performance at Féile Fáilte & The Casement Project at Banna Strand. Hope you might bring the show to New York. Creativity, humanity and imagination at its best.” Brendan Fay

“Please can ye do it again next year, it was a wonderful wonderful day. Thank you. “ Neish Lucid

What People Said About  Joining In And Conversations

Bodies Politic: The Casement Project

Participant response to Bodies Politic: The Casement Project
Thank you for curating such a generous and welcoming space for a very engaged audience and for all the artists and academics. It was fabulous and I was honoured to be part of it. I learned so much and look forward to future conversations. You’ve opened up a space of hopeful, yet critical, dialogue that I believe will continue throughout the year and into the future.

Participant responses to MicroRainbow workshops:
I found the workshops quite relaxing and therapeutic. Engaging in the movement of my body in coordination with other bodies around me in the safe space allowed me to not only to express myself and communicate without words but also to listen and respond to the vibrant energies in the room.
I enjoyed the chain which, for me, gave me a feeling of security and strengths as well as freedom to fly knowing that there is this link that keeps me secured in case I slip; like rock climbers. It was quite enjoyable and de-stressing too to let go and be whizzed round the room.
All in all, I enjoyed the fluidity and innovation of it all. It was different every time yet enjoyable. It was also an enjoyable experience moving and dancing with your dance team and also to watch them perform. Thank you.

Today we dance with the #amazeballs #FearghusÓConchúir #Choreographer and #DanceArtist in #theshowroom, Penfold. Today we dance and remind ourselves that our bodies are ours. Instruments of pleasure. Beings of grace. Movements and moments. Our bodies are ours. We cannot control the gaze but we own these bodies. We move our bodies and we bend time. We turn tide. We make change. #danceisholy. Today we dance. We dance for ourselves. Each of us alone but connected. To remind us our bodies are ours.
For space time and the many ways you honour our holy, Fearghus we appreciate you. You have always been kind. Thank you #weseeyou #weatherthestorm #lgbtrefugees #lgbtvoices WeathertheStorm Instagram

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Participant responses to Welcoming the Stranger in Ramallah.
I miss everything about the show! Becky Kaoud
Such a beautiful experience! Thanks for giving us the chance to participate in this show, it was full of life and spirit. Never enjoyed a show as much as this one Faris Soufan
It’s once in a life time experience! Rand Baba
Habibi Catherine Thank youuu Samir Jack
What a great human and spiritual experience Catherine! Emy Hola

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Catherine Young on Welcoming the Stranger:
This is what it could be like. And I think that is what the piece showed and this is why people have been moved by it. On stage you have Arabs dancing with Africans, Africans dancing dabke, Irish people dancing all of it – we’re much more similar than we’re different…But it’s just this fear that we don’t know the other, preconceived notions of the other and fears about them. And I think when you do projects like this, it breaks all that down.

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