Drama Theatre and Performance speaker series:

Junk Ensemble (Megan and Jessica Kennedy), “Junk Ensemble and Dance Theatre in Ireland and Beyond”

junk ensemble was established in 2004 by identical twin sisters Megan Kennedy and Jessica Kennedy with a commitment to creating works of brave and imaginative dance theatre. Previous Artists in Residence at Tate Britain, junk ensemble are winners of Best Production Award, Culture Ireland Touring Award, Excellence and Innovation Award, and listed as a Sunday Times Highlight. Their work continues to tour nationally and internationally. junk’s productions are often created in collaboration with artists from other disciplines to produce a rich mix of visual and performance styles that seeks to challenge the traditional audience performer relationship. This approach has led to productions being created in non-traditional or found spaces as well as more conventional theatre spaces.

Jessica Kennedy is Co-Artistic Director of junk ensemble. Jessica trained in the United States, Dublin and London, completing her degree in Dance and English Literature at Middlesex University, London. She has performed extensively with dance and theatre companies throughout Europe and the UK, including Blast Theory (UK) Retina Dance Company (UK), Tanz Lange (Germany), Firefly Productions (Belgium), Storytelling Unplugged (Romania). In Ireland she collaborates regularly with Brokentalkers (Frequency 783, The Blue Boy, In Real Time, On This One Night) and has performed in productions with The Abbey Theatre, The Ark and The Pavilion Theatre. She created the award winning film Motion Sickness in 2012, which has screened across 30 festivals worldwide. Other film credits include The Wake (Invisible Thread Films/Oonagh Kearney 2013), Turning (Highly Stimulating Productions 2013), Dance Emergency (TG4 2013), Wonder House (JDIFF 2012) and Her Mother’s Daughters (RTÌä 2010). She has lectured for IT Carlow and also performs in the band Everything Shook. She was awarded Best Female Performer for Dublin Fringe Festival 2006. Jessica was Dancer in Residence at RUA RED Arts Centre 2012-13, where she exhibited Walking on white lines. Other choreographic credits include the creation of Songs from a Car Park (Dublin Fringe Festival/RUA RED 2014) and Nixon in China (Wide Open Opera/Bord Gais Theatre 2014).

Megan Kennedy is Co-Artistic Director of junk ensemble. Megan trained at Alvin Ailey Dance Center in New York City and received a B.A. Honours from Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. Megan has performed with Retina Dance Company (UK), Tanz Lange (Germany), Blast Theory (UK), Firefly Productions (Belgium), Storytelling Unplugged (Romania), and in Ireland with CoisC̩im Dance Theatre (Faun, As You Are), Brokentalkers (The Blue Boy, On This One Night), The Abbey Theatre (Romeo & Juliet), Mouth on Fire (Everlasting Voices), Bedrock Productions (Pale Angel), and productions with The Pavilion Theatre and The Ark. Performance and choreography for film includes The Wake (Invisible Thread 2013), Blind Runner (junk ensemble/Dance Ireland Commission 2013), Wonder House (Dublin Film Festival 2012), Her Mother’s Daughters (Winner Best Actress Capalbio Festival Italy 2011/Dance on Camera NYC/RTE Dance on the Box 2010). Choreography includes Marble & Bread (Dance Limerick), Tchaikovsky’s Queen of Spades (Edinburgh Festival Theatre), Bram Stoker Festival (IRL), and ex Choral Ensemble (IRL). Megan was Limerick Dance Artist-in-Residence in 2014/15 and is a Fellow of Salzburg Global Seminar.

For more information please contact charlotte.mcivor@nuigalway.ie