About Rachel MacManus

This author has not yet filled in any details.
So far Rachel MacManus has created 193 blog entries.

Upcoming Culture night, standing in a lake and Portadown

I have not blogged in ages and rather than berating myself for aforesaid fact I will endeavour to catch up. Bbeyond Weekend Since the artist residency with PS2 I had the rest of the summer, which ended with a wonderful, immersive, stimulating 2 day performance workshop led by Sandra Johnston and hosted by BBeyond, in Portadown, NI. It was a really friendly, supportive uncompetitive environment [...]

2023-09-20T20:51:55+00:00September 20th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

PS2 Residency – making the invisible visible

I reread the post I had written when first come across the artist parent carer opportunity from PS2. At the end of the post I had written 'I have decided I am going to be more vocal about my own carer role. I am proud of what I have achieved over the years in my carer role. Being a carer has taught me to be [...]

2023-08-02T07:47:22+00:00August 2nd, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

Body of work- toe dipping. PS2 Residency Week 4.

What I have achieved so far with my residency Started the development of a significant body of work featuring drawings, writings and performance sequences. Spent time reflecting and considering how my carer job and identity has shaped my work and my relationships. My everything really. Its as if the award of the residency gave me permission to go down a rabbit hole with this subject [...]

2023-07-26T22:24:30+00:00July 25th, 2023|Categories: drawing, performance art, Uncategorized, Visual, writing|

PS2 Residency Week 3- Leaning into the not fully formed.

I was experiencing a low level anxious hum in my centre of bodily gravity yesterday, over the pressure to produce. I find the days go by in a kind of moving escalator of activity, trying to tick off the to-do list and deal with the daily extras that crop up unanticipated. Finding time and space to be centred and to consider things objectively is not [...]

2023-07-19T21:19:02+00:00July 19th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

Week 2 PS2 Residency Belfast Visit- rain, childhood memories and marching bands.

Week 2 PS2 Residency arrived up to Belfast today, Tuesday 11 July, grey skies and rain, I felt right at at home :) PS2 is right smack bang in the middle of the city, not hard to find- google maps and my cautious knowledge of the city from previous visits got me there. Had gotten no work on the residency done yesterday or at the [...]

2023-07-12T18:49:42+00:00July 11th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

PS2 Carer Residency Week 1 – reconceptualising the caring action- Stranger Things

I am just laughing at the blog title, it sounds like quite the easy read :) which begs the question, should I try harder to create catchy titles? I struggle with titles- I go with ones that do what they say on the tin rather than obtuse phrases hinting at the contents.. I tried being pedantic with this title but maybe I will add a [...]

2023-07-07T08:42:44+00:00July 6th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

PS2 Carer Residency Week 1- red lines, dying daisies

lists, and lists. an artist friend once advised me to keep one notebook per project. Here I am with multiple notebooks still writing lists on the back of envelopes. I am embarking in my residency with PS2 this week. I've been going about my days thinking, plotting, planning. I've been thinking about the stuff I do each day with slightly more subjectivity. I [...]

2023-07-05T15:10:28+00:00July 3rd, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , |

conscious and unconscious movement

This year I applied and was fortunate enough to be selected for a mentorship scheme run by glór, which pairs you with a mentor of your choice and funds a series of meetings between you and your mentor- the goal being to progress your professional practice in some way. I was thrilled to get this as I know its a competitive arena, as its such [...]

2023-06-20T10:06:12+00:00June 20th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Tags: , , , |

Artist as Carer

Recently I came across a rare thing- an open call for a residency geared specially towards artists who are parents- and carers. I couldn't quite believe it- I didn't have time to look at it properly when I first saw it advertised on social media- so I did my usual thing of screen-shotting the post so as I would remember to revisit it later. But [...]

2023-05-26T23:40:02+00:00May 26th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|

La Pocha Nostra Perforamance Workshop with LiveArt Ireland

I spent the last 4 days at an intensive workshop with https://www.guillermogomezpena.com/la-pocha-nostra/ at Live Art Ireland Headquarters, Millford House, Tipperary. There were I think about 14 of us in total, not including our instructor team, Guillermo and Balitronica. I took some notes during the 4 days, as I know I will forget a lot of what went on. I am unsure at present if we [...]

2023-04-13T23:03:26+00:00April 13th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|
Go to Top