Photo: Roberto Foddai
BA Kira O’Reilly has been appointed to the post of Lecturer in Ecology and Contemporary Performance at the Theatre Academy of the University of the Arts Helsinki for the period 1 January 2016-31 July 2018. As part of the post, O’Reilly will also be leading the new MA pilot in Ecology and Contemporary Performance. The pilot degree programme is taught entirely in English.
Kira O’Reilly hails from Ireland and is currently residing in London. Starting in 1997, she has had a long international career in performing arts. O’Reilly’s artistic work has a strong focus on the current discourse in ecology and performing arts. Her works during the last few years include, among others,inthewrongplaceness (2005 – 2009) at Casino Luxembourg, Refolding (Laboratory Architectures) (2011) at The Arnolfini, and the position of Thinker in Residence at the SPILL 09 festival. In Finland she has previously taken part in the ANTI Contemporary Art Festival and Field Notes events during the 2000s.
O’Reilly has an extensive international network based on her artistic work as well as her teaching. She has previously held the position of Lecturer in the Time Based Arts degree programme at the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff in 2008-2009, as well as that of Lecturer in Performing Arts at Cheltenham and Gloucester College 1999-2000. Additionally, she has been Visiting Lecturer at a number of universities since 2001, e.g. in Great Britain, Sweden, the US, Ireland, Canada and Australia. She has also published numerous articles within the field of performing arts.
The MA in Ecology and Contemporary Performance (MAECP) is the Theatre Academy’s new master’s degree pilot starting in 2016. It focuses on performing arts in the current era of ecological crisis. MAECP investigates different forms of performance and performing arts, their methodology and theoretical bases in the borderland of science and the arts. Its aim is to develop co-operation, interaction and methods of performance, as well as develop the foundation and practices of work that transcend the borders between art and science. In this manner it strives to respond to the challenges posed by the ecological crisis that will affect all species.
MAECP is part of the University of the Arts Helsinki’s internationalization as well as the goal of developing multiform interaction with society at large.