Áine O'Hara
Áine O'Hara
Áine O'Hara is an award-winning visual artist, theatre maker and facilitator focused on creating exciting and vulnerable work for and about people who are often left out of traditional art and performance spaces. Áine’s work spans mediums and is interested in community building, accessibility and care. Áine wants to create work which uplifts and supports disabled and chronically ill artists and audiences. Áine's work has toured nationally and internationally and has been shown across the UK and Europe. In 2020 they were the recipient of A4 Sounds 'We Only Want the Earth Project' award which culminated in a solo show The patient will see you now at the gallery in December 2020. Áine was awarded the Next Generation Award from the Arts Council in 2022 and recently received the Radical Spirit Fringe Festival Award for "The Rest Rooms" a programme and space that celebrated disabled joy and rest as resistance. Áine is a proud member of A4 Sounds artists studios and is the Equity and Access officer for Praxis the artists union of Ireland.
The Birthday Party
The Birthday Party is a celebration and memorial for the sick disabled D/deaf, chronically ill, neurodiverse people of rural Ireland. Both for those of us living now and those that we have lost to institutionalisation, the medical industrial complex, violence at the hands of the church and violence put upon us by those closest to us.
As the pandemic continues, our communities are increasingly isolated from one another, especially in rural areas. We deserve safe access to joy, community and pleasure, we deserve spaces to dance and celebrate one another.
Dress to impress and join us for a party, led by Áine O'Hara. This is a space for us to recontextualise what it means to be disabled in rural Ireland and to celebrate ourselves and those who came before us and dream of a better future.
Image: Áine O’Hara, Birthday Party, 2023. Image courtesy of artist.
Venue: Studio 1, O’Donoghue Centre, University of Galway
Date: Thursday 9 Nov, 6.30pm - 8.30pm
Tickets: Book here
Access: High quality masks required (and provided), socially distanced event with HEPA filter. Step-free venue. Accessible toilet facilities. Accessible parking is located on campus in front of the Quadrangle Building 4 minutes walk from the venue. There will be seating and cushions. Please do not wear any strong scents (perfume etc.) This event will have live captions.