Karen Gleeson
Professional

She received First Class Honours for completing both her Bachelors Degree in Modern Dance at Artesis Hogeschool, Antwerp, Belgium in 2009 and her Masters Degree in Contemporary Dance Performance, U.L in 2010.

To date, she has worked with noted choreographers and performance artists such as: Amanda Coogan; Nick Bryson; John Scott; Charles Linehan; Liz Roche and Jessica Kennedy.

In 2016, she was hired full time as the Contemporary and Modern Dance technique tutor at Bray Institute of Further Education. Karen has presented her own choreographic works at: Lentos Kunstmuseom, Linz 2014, Kunstfestival Perspecktiven Attersee 2014, First Fortnight Festival 2015 & 2016, Dublin Fringe Festival 2016, Wicklow Screendance Festival 2017 and Aonarach Le Chéile 2017.

She was awarded Arts Council Travel and Training award in 2010; Wicklow County Council Bursaries in 2014 and 2017; Arts Council Bursary 2017 and 2021, Arts Council Dance Project Award 2021 and was Dance Artist in Residence at Mermaid Arts Centre from 2014 - 2018.

To date, Karen has curated a range of dance events throughout Wicklow, such as: International Dance Day (2015 & 2016); A Night at the Whale Theatre (2017); Mermaid Dance Platform (2017), Culture Night Wicklow (2017). Karen is currently an ongoing panelist of Wicklow Arts Office’s artist development initiative, Artists Connect 2020.

In 2022, Karen debuted her show 'Hear my Hands’; a multi-disciplinary collaborative performance piece, fusing dance and audio video projection. The work explored the use of sign language and the use of movement as a form of communication. Delving into the frustration and difficulties involved with miscommunication in relationships. The piece was resented by Karen and The Civic in association with Project Arts Centre.