'He knows exactly what to do to create a space of intense atmosphere, revealing what it means to be human. I deeply support his vision'

Kirsten Dehlholm | Artistic director | Hotel Pro Forma, Denmark

b. London, UK

Artist/actor/director Maurice Kelliher works across dance/theatre/performance/film. His work as a director/choreographer/maker has been shown in the UK, Albania, Italy, Ireland, and Brazil. 

Maurice has a prior professional background as an actor and performer; and parallel to that he also went on to train as a dancer and choreographer at Trinity Laban conservatoire, London (BA (Hons) Dance.). In 2012—as part of an international mentorship programme—Maurice was mentored by Kirsten Dehlholm—award-winning artistic director of large scale operas and international performance company Hotel Pro Forma (Denmark). 

His artistic practice has been supported by: Arts Council England, The Arts Council (IE); Dublin City Council/The LAB; Galway City Arts Office; Dublin Fringe Festival; Fringe Lab; Dance Ireland; Science Gallery, Create—the national development agency for collaborative arts (IE), and Dance on the Radio (UK).

The theatre/dance work he has created/directed has been described in the press as "provocative", "moving", "compelling", and "stunning"—and has been programmed and commissioned for venues, events, and festivals including: Laban theatre (London); Dublin Fringe Festival (2010, 2011, 2014); Project Brand New; Science Gallery Dublin; Official selection São Carlos Videodance Festival; Festival of Curiosity; Live Collision International Festival; PROBE festival @Trinity College Dublin; Centro Universitário Maria Antonia (USP), São Paulo; and Official Selection for Tirana International Film Festival, Albania.

His dance piece Criminal Queers was nominated for the Spirit of the (Dublin) Fringe Commissioning Award. In 2016 Maurice was commissioned by Science Gallery to create a video installation — Hysteria — for their exhibition TRAUMA which ran for 3 months then toured. In March 2017, after responding to a call for proposals that answer the question—'what could dance on the radio be?'—Maurice's response, Lost Broadcasts, won a Dance on the Radio Funding Award; curated by Claire Hicks and Laura Sweeney—and supported by the Arts Council England.

As a side project he produces and creates podcasts and radio documentaries (with producer Shaun O'Boyle). They produce that work under the name Shaun & Maurice.